My point is, regardless of that baker's religious beliefs, he has opened a business to serve the public, and that is making cakes in exchange for money from the customers, so he should not discriminate, and I believe that's is what the law said also. Perhaps gays wouldn't be against religious rights so intensely if the religious zealots weren't so adamant in their stance against gays? I don't know, I'm giving my opinion due to what I have been seeing and hearing on the news, etc. Like I say, I have no dogs in this fight.
Well, we have the same problem in a part of Northern Ireland which has not legalised same sex marriage. A gay man walked into a baker shop run by a devout Christian family who do not believe in same sex marriage. They have absolutely no beef against Gays at all and happily serve one and all every day in their shop. The problem started when the customer asked a member of staff to make a cake with the wording to read "Support Same-Sex Marriage" for a event being planned at a conference for the same cause.
Apparently the member of staff accepted the order and took the customers' money. When the son of the owner noted the wording requested on the cake he notified his father who said he would not do the cake as it would be supporting a cause that went against his religious belief and against everything that he himself believed in, that marriage was between a man and a woman only. Apparently the shop then telephoned the customer and explained that with apologies, they would not be able to do the cake and would give him a full refund, which the customer accepted.
The family baker is now being hauled before the court as discriminating against Gays.
There is a lot of controversy over this case because it is again Religious rights against Gay rights. It is also a case of the Baker as a shopkeeper, having the right to refuse to serve a customer because of his way of life.
I personally back the Baker in this case. As he stated, he has absolutely no discrimination against Gays at all and happily serves them every day in his shop, what he is against is same-sex marriage which goes against his religion. The Gay case is that he is there to provide a service making and decorating cakes with wording and that he should not discriminate against any customer who walks in and orders a cake to be made with any wording, regardless of that wording. The baker's case is that there is no law supporting same-sex marriage, he does not believe in same sex marriage and by icing the wording onto that cake would have been tantamount to being complicit in supporting the same sex marriage cause, which he is vehemently opposed to so absolutely refused to do the order. Who is right?
My own personal opinion is that the shop keeper must have the right to refuse a customer. those that say otherwise are saying (and please do not think that I am for one moment comparing the following with same-sex marriage) that the baker should put any wording that a customer wants because he is running a business that does this so must not discriminate, so those saying this are saying that it is perfectly acceptable for someone to walk in off the street and request such wordings as say "Religion Stinks" or Paedophile's Rule" or equally vile sayings because a shopkeeper cannot discriminate against Athiest's or Paedophile groups. ???? Where does one draw the line ?
One talks about the religious zealots but equally we have the Gay Rights zealots who take great delight in going up against people who they don't believe should have ANY rights whatsoever when it comes to their own. Is it any wonder there is such resentment by those who are Christians, whom in most cases happily accept that there are many gay Christians but simply do not believe in same-sex marriage. What about their rights or don't they count at all?