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Nothing Narrow About This Huge Win In The Culture War
Townhall.com ^ | June 7, 2018 | Kurt Schlichter

Posted on 06/07/2018 5:06:07 AM PDT by Kaslin

The Masterpiece Cakeshop decision was not even close in terms of votes (7-2, with Sotomayor and Ginsburg naturally voting in favor of oppression), nor was it a “narrow” ruling on the merits. Instead, it was a ringing endorsement of the idea that sniveling leftist bureaucrats can’t target religious folk for hassles just because the dissenters refuse to bend a knee to the secular idols du jour.

This was not about gay marriage – conservatives are no longer monolithic on the issue (I got grief on some site for congratulating Townhall’s Guy Benson on his recent engagement). This was about the right to dissent, to think differently even if you or I or (usually) the liberal elite don’t agree. And this ruling should not be shocking, but it still sort of was. 

After all, until recently the tide was with those liberal elitists whose goal was to force the religious and the patriotic to their knees on every cultural issue. First, they came for the cake bakers, then they came for us. But the militant Normals changed everything when they elected Donald Trump. Do you think we’d be reading about a win for religious liberty if whatever robed pinko Felonia Milhous von Pantsuit would have appointed had taken the bench? No way – Kagan and Breyer would have joined the other three in holding that somehow that the whole freedom of religion thing doesn’t apply if liberals disapprove and off we’d go, taking another perilous step toward the nightmare of national divorce and potential conflict.

So, this was good news. Well, not for the Never Trump cruise crew, who look even more ridiculous than ever. Hey Fredocons – I don’t hear you taunting us with “But Gorsuch!” much anymore. But then, I don’t watch Morning Joe or read the New York Times op-ed page. I also have a life.

The opinion of Justice Kennedy, who I would love to see retire and spend more time with his family, nevertheless wrote a powerful rebuke to bigoted bureaucrats who never even bothered to hide their anti-religious zealotry when persecuting a guy for refusing to submit and acknowledge their supremacy. Their prejudice was stunning, not least for its shamelessness – these moral illiterates made no effort to hide their seething contempt for believers. And guess what? That’s not okay.

You don’t get to persecute religious people in America. I know, what a drag, huh? Pretty soon lots of people are going to start openly believing things liberals don’t like. It’ll be chaos!

Commentators, largely 20-somethings whose courtroom experience seems to be repeated viewings of Legally Blonde, kept insisting that the ruling was narrow. It wasn’t – it was a broad rejection of pogroms against people whose religious beliefs clash with trendy secular shibboleths. Here’s the thing – most of us, had we the confectionary artistic qualifications to get paid to design wedding cakes, would have gladly taken the money. Many of us don’t believe that taking the couple’s cash would be morally compromising.

But this Jack Phillips guy did. See, rights don’t exist to protect the majority because the majority doesn’t need protecting. The law recognizes rights in order to protect good people whose views society largely does not share, like Jack Phillips, and also applies to loathsome scummy dirtbag Nazis, creepy commies, KKK idiots, and Antifa morons. Rights exist to protect minorities, people who, statistically, you probably disagree with. If you don’t recognize that rights come to us via our Creator you should at least appreciate the utilitarian rationale that you might personally find yourself in the minority someday.

The Supreme Court did what courts do and decided the case before it, which our genius media confused with narrowness. The threshold issue to be resolved was whether the persecution of Jack Phillips was so infected with anti-religious bigotry as to make it constitutionally insufferable. It was totally insufferable, enough for Kagan and Breyer to swallow hard and join the majority. The Court therefore did not need to reach beyond to the more general issue, whether the government could force people to violate sincere religious beliefs in order to provide an expressive service where other options were readily available to the complaining consumers. Hopefully, when the Court gets to that question, it will answer it with a resounding “Hell no!” 

In the aftermath, the liberal media was full of commentators expressing the hope that despite the ruling, there might be loopholes in the opinion that would allow discrimination against the faithful. Fingers crossed! Have you noticed how liberals are always nattering about exceptions to rights? They never recognize the basic rule that there’s no “abridging the freedom of speech;” instead, there’s always a reason why some particular speech is totally okay to ban. The Heller decision never gets cited for its basic holding – yeah, you have a right to keep and bear arms – but instead all the liberals ever want to talk about are the purported exceptions (which they do not understand).

Here, their hope is that maybe this kind of onerous arm-twisting can be cool with the Constitution if the people demanding it are a bit circumspect about expressing their contempt for religious people. That is, if they hide their bigotry well enough, they can get away with it. Except bigotry underlies the entire idea of forcing someone you know is religiously opposed to do something, especially when there are a dozen other cake shops that can satisfy all your angel food needs. There is no confluence of facts that can obscure the basic truth – activist liberals want to force dissenting Christians to bake cakes because they want to show those Jesusfolk who is boss. The whole “Bake my cake!” thing is inherently bigoted. There is simply no other explanation for what the activists seek to do, and why they reject all reasonable accommodations and alternatives, other than animus for religious objectors.

This is only the first case. There are more decisions to follow, and you can count on reactionary liberal judges to try to contort Masterpiece Cakeshop into something unrecognizable. But that will take some doing. Donald Trump has already appointed an eighth of the circuit court bench. Thanks in part to Mitch McConnell canceling the summer recess, Trump will soon have appointed a quarter of the judges. These are conservatives who actually believe the Constitution means what is written, not what the consensus in the Manhattan/Washington axis decides.

So, this was a win, and not a narrow one. The government can’t target the religious because it hates them, and you can tell from the agonized howling of the liberals that they know this is a huge deal. 



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: fagmarriage; jackphillips; masterpiececakeshop; schlichter; supremecourt
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1 posted on 06/07/2018 5:06:07 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

but does religious freedom top LGBQTxyz right to not be discriminated against.

i would say religious expression tops behavioral rights... i have freedom of association, and LGBQTxyz’s rights are predicated on someone else working for them... slavery...

bake your own darn cake.


2 posted on 06/07/2018 5:12:33 AM PDT by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world.)
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To: miss marmelstein

Beautiful......one of Kurt’s best.


3 posted on 06/07/2018 5:15:00 AM PDT by Liz ( (Our side has 8 trillion bullets;the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.))
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To: teeman8r

I thought it was LGBQTwtf, not LGBQTxyz?


4 posted on 06/07/2018 5:19:45 AM PDT by Balding_Eagle ( The Great Wall of Trump ---- 100% sealing of the border. Coming soon.)
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To: Liz

Thanks for drawing my attention to it, Liz.

I would only disagree with one thing: I believe the majority of Americans do not understand or condone “gay marriage.” They may lie to pollsters about it but I suspect they think it is weird and somewhat amusing.

But he’s also right: this is much bigger than negative nelly conservatives think.


5 posted on 06/07/2018 5:22:40 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: Kaslin

“The whole “Bake my cake!” thing is inherently bigoted. There is simply no other explanation for what the activists seek to do, and why they reject all reasonable accommodations and alternatives, other than animus for religious objectors.”


Exactly correct. This is anti-Christian bigotry on display for all to see. The clear message is that the Leftist-Atheist-Homosexuals are in charge, and can make us do what they want.

Essentially it is Bow down to us(homosexuals) - or else!


6 posted on 06/07/2018 5:40:13 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: miss marmelstein
I believe the majority of Americans do not understand or condone “gay marriage.”
They may lie to pollsters about it but I suspect they think it is weird and somewhat amusing.

Good point. Gay couples interviewed by the slavishly gay MSM always appear mentally disturbed and very very weird.

7 posted on 06/07/2018 5:41:56 AM PDT by Liz ( (Our side has 8 trillion bullets;the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.))
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To: Kaslin
Good Article.

However IMHO their is a culture war being fought everyday by PDJT and maybe I am the only one who see's how he is running with Boarders, Language, and Culture. On the Culture, always honoring our; Vets, L.E.O's, Fire, 1st responders of all types on the scene of natural disasters, and holding the flag and the national anthem dear..

It is a far cry from what we saw in 8 yrs of "acting stoopid" and beer summits, when you know in your heart that he reviled all those that served.

He is role modeling for a generation seeped in micro-agressions. P.C. and speech codes, that their is something greater, honor of country and those that serve, he is harkening back IMHO of our Halcyon days in the early 60's and I welcome it.

We are so blessed....

8 posted on 06/07/2018 5:43:43 AM PDT by taildragger ("Do you hear the people Singing? Singing the Song of Angry Men!"i)
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To: marktwain
"There is simply no other explanation for what the activists seek to do"

Yes their is, it is the Stalinization and Politicalization of every aspect of your life so the Revolution can go forward, useful idiots, they don't even know they are statist tools. Remember Moochelle, you can't go back? I know exactly who these Rommie Bat Castards are...

9 posted on 06/07/2018 5:47:32 AM PDT by taildragger ("Do you hear the people Singing? Singing the Song of Angry Men!"i)
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To: Liz

It embarrasses me and makes me squeamish to hear men - MEN - talk about being engaged to each other. Look at the photos of the lovely couple who harassed this charming and soft-spoken baker! Society has run amok.


10 posted on 06/07/2018 5:48:19 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: teeman8r
but does religious freedom top LGBQTxyz right to not be discriminated against.

I don't think the Masterpiece decision definitively resolved that. The decision was based on the laws in place at the time and the bias of the government commissioners. I suspect that more cases of businesses refusing to supply gay weddings on religious grounds will have to make their way through the courts. And I believe some already are.

11 posted on 06/07/2018 5:51:09 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: Kaslin

A win is a win is a win. Narrow or otherwise, it’s always better than a loss.


12 posted on 06/07/2018 5:53:16 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: Kaslin

“This was not about gay marriage”

In a real sense, it was. “Gay marriage” was never about rights, but rather about coercing others to recognize and sanctify a rite that they don’t believe in.

Similarly, people have always had the “right” to consider themselves whatever “gender” they please. It’s their own business. Now, though, others are being coerced to recognize, celebrate and sanctify that choice, by force of law.


13 posted on 06/07/2018 5:58:46 AM PDT by rightwingcrazy
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To: Kaslin

My SIL and wife own a little shop in Columbus, OH. They are very liberal. I had a discussion with the wife about this issue at Christmas. Of course she sided with the couple. So I used their own actions as a test. They give great support to all the LBGT crap going on in Columbus. Money, in kind services, etc.. So I asked her what if a Christian group came to them and asked for similar support for a fund raising activity and told them the money was to be used to push back against the LBGT agenda in Ohio, would you work with them? Of course her answer was no. I asked if she thought it would be right if the government stepped in and forced their participation. She was appalled by the thought stating that they had the right to give their support to groups they agreed with in principle. She even went as far as to say she is sure they sell products daily to people who they disagree with political, but that was different than being forced to support someone’s political beliefs. I agreed and then pointed out the disconnect in her thinking. Honest to God even after an explanation she didn’t see it. At age 42 her and her husband are well indoctrinates


14 posted on 06/07/2018 6:04:48 AM PDT by redangus (actually hit her?)
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To: miss marmelstein

The gays struggle mightily to make it all sound so innocuous and natural.......but that’s very far from the truth.


15 posted on 06/07/2018 6:08:18 AM PDT by Liz ( (Our side has 8 trillion bullets;the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.))
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To: Liz

If you go to The Guardian and look at the comments on this issue, you will see the most long-winded explanations as to why this ruling is wrong. That, plus, the usual British Left’s hatred towards America and religion in general. That country is so weird!


16 posted on 06/07/2018 6:10:38 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: taildragger

Yes their is, it is the Stalinization and Politicalization of every aspect of your life


I think we are saying the same thing. You may have made it a bit clearer.


17 posted on 06/07/2018 6:13:55 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: Kaslin
Thanks in part to Mitch McConnell canceling the summer recess...

Trump will soon have appointed a quarter of the judges.

WIN!

18 posted on 06/07/2018 6:18:59 AM PDT by GOPJ (MSNBC Bimbos/democrats demand 'respect' for porn stars, hookers, and MS13 thugs....)
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To: miss marmelstein

True——I was surprised the latest Royal wedding was conducted in a church.....supposedly Meghan was also received into the Episcopal Church weeks before she wed Prince Harry.


19 posted on 06/07/2018 6:31:49 AM PDT by Liz ( (Our side has 8 trillion bullets;the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.))
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To: Kaslin

That’s what I thought back in ‘06 when all the gay marriage initiatives were being voted down.

But the Left never gives up. They just doubled-down and kept judge-shopping.

I’m afraid the same is going to happen here.


20 posted on 06/07/2018 6:48:39 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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