Jack Philips, the Colorado baker who won a narrowly defined victory with the US Supreme court over his right to control what types of cakes he could create is back in the news once again over the very same issue but over a different type of cake.
While it is still illegal to discriminate the people you serve, said people do not have the right to dictate the type of product an artist or business owner must create.
If you are making cakes, you must sell those cakes to everyone regardless of how they live their lives or what they believe. However, the artist and business owner should not be force by anyone, even the state to create cakes that are objectionable to the artist or business owner.
That is what is at stake for not only Jack Philips but all of us when it comes to our right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression.
On the very same day that the Supreme Court agreed to hear Philips’ case, a Denver area attorney, Autumn Scardina, requested that Jack Philips create a “gender transition” cake featuring a blue outside and a pink inside.
The Christian baker, of course, refused and a new round of persecution began. Soon, the same Colorado Civil Rights Commission cited Philips and the cycle is repeating.
The Alliance Defending Freedom has been defending Philips rights in these cases and issued a statment pointing out that other businesses in the state have the right to refuse projects they disagree with but Philips is being singled out because of his faith:
“While the state ‘allow[s] other cake artists to decline requests to create custom cakes that express messages they deem objectionable and would not express for anyone,’ Colorado treats Phillips differently,” ADF said. “This ‘disparate treatment,’ the court said, ‘reveals’ the state officials’ ongoing ‘hostility towards Phillips, which is sufficient to establish they are pursuing the discrimination charges against Phillips in bad faith, motivated by Phillips’ … religion … ’”
“The same agency that the Supreme Court rebuked as hostile to Jack Phillips has remained committed to treating him unequally and forcing him to express messages that violate his religious beliefs,” ADF Senior Counsel Jim Campbell said in a statement. “Colorado is acting in bad faith and with bias toward Jack. We look forward to moving forward with this lawsuit to ensure that Jack isn’t forced to create custom cakes that express messages in conflict with his faith.”
We should pray for Jack Philips but also the many other Christians who are being persecuted for their beliefs.
