Just what is the difference btwn accepting a commission and accepting a request and deposit for service, as for custom wedding cakes (which typically cost a lot)?
What he did is say he would not make a homosexual wedding cake for them. And that is where all the brewhaha started because if he had stopped there bringing any sort of case before the POSS (perpetually offended special snowflakes) commission would have been very difficult. Because he was a nice guy (and you know what they say about that) he tried to explain why he was turning down the commission. Never explain. Say yes or no and leave it.
I am sure the offended would have appealed to the Colorado Civil Rights appointees and that they would have concluded that this was a case of discrimination akin to racism, even though in this case protected status is based on feelings.
I will agree that the SCOTUS punted in that case and in others but the right to refuse to be employed still stands.
They did and it should, esp. since the service requested was not only against God's law but the highest law of the state at that time.
There is no difference between what he did and a commission. I have a friend who is also a baker. She was asked to do up a big order for a child beauty contest. She turned it down. Not for religious reasons but because she, like any normal person, finds the sexualization of children disgusting. She did not tell them what she thought of them. She just said no. They tried to argue and were told to go make noise somewhere else. And yeah, that is probably exactly how she put it.
You are not obliged to work for someone if you do not want to. Which he did not argue in court. And he should have.
This is where these cases have gone off the rails. They want to argue first amendment freedom of religion when they should be arguing a 13th amendment violation. I am not obliged to work for you. Not for free. Not if you pay me.
No wanna. No workee. Go 'way.