Can We Say No?

Q

My husband and I inherited his parents’ home which we have prepared as a vacation get-away, for family and friends to use at no cost. Recently, we had a request for a husband and wife, and their brother-in-law and his fiancee, to use the place. The unmarried couple lives together – all are in their 20s. We declined, saying we preferred that the unmarried not stay there in the same room. We feel this is a stewardship issue and that before the Lord we need to take this little stand despite the current state of our culture. We have never let unmarried people sleep together in our home, either, providing separate accommodations for them. Do you have any thoughts in this matter?

A

We’ve seen periodic news reports of Christians being sued for refusing to do business with people whose lifestyles conflict with their beliefs. But this your private property, and you’re offering it free of charge to family and friends. You’re not operating a business and you’re not advertising it for use by the general public.

If you want to be absolutely certain about this you may want to consult with an attorney, but in my opinion, you should have the right to decide who can stay there and who cannot.