Posted on 02/02/2016 8:11:22 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Like most gay and equality campaigners, I initially condemned the Christian-run Ashers Bakery in Belfast over its refusal to produce a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan for a gay customer, Gareth Lee. I supported his legal claim against Ashers and the subsequent verdict -- the bakery was found guilty of discrimination last year. Now, two days before the case goes to appeal, I have changed my mind. Much as I wish to defend the gay community, I also want to defend freedom of conscience, expression and religion.
The saga began in 2014 when the bakery said it was not willing to ice a cake with the words "support gay marriage" and the logo of the equality group Queer Space, claiming the message was contrary to its Christian beliefs. This struck many of us as anti-gay discrimination based on religious-inspired homophobic prejudice. Ashers believes that the relationships of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are wrong and should not be eligible for the status of marriage. They translated these beliefs into action and declined to make the cake. Ashers would have decorated a cake with a message celebrating traditional heterosexual marriage and promoting a Christian organisation. Surely this was an example of clear-cut anti-gay discrimination?
The ‘gay cake' ruling is a victory for equality in Northern Ireland
Gareth Lee's legal case against Ashers was backed by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland. It argued that the bakery's actions breached Northern Ireland's Equality Act and Fair Employment and Treatment Order, which prohibit discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services on the respective grounds of sexual orientation and political opinion. Last May a Belfast court found Ashers guilty of discrimination on both grounds, ordering it to pay Lee £500 compensation.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
The author then uses the same schtick that “Christian” homosexuals use:
“They claim to be Christians, yet Jesus never once condemned homosexuality, and discrimination is not a Christian value. Ashers’ religious justifications are, to my mind, theologically unsound.”
a day late and a dollar short
I getting sick of this ‘I’m _____, and here’s why’. Sounds too much like the cabana boy.
Libtards explaining Christianity, a religion they totally despise, is like daffy Duck explaining E=MC2.
He was confused before, he’s just as confused now. How is it he’s allowed to be elevated to proliferate his confusion in the media? I know the answer.
While I guess I appreciate the fact that a gay activist is against forcing Christian bakers to bake cakes with gay messages on them, no matter how self-righteous he is in his argument, the irony is that his argument is completely wrong.
Someone who asks for a cake that says “I hate gays” or “I’m against gay marriage”, or who asks a Jewish baker to bake a cake with a swastika on it, or who asks a Muslim baker to bake a cake with a picture of Muhammad on it, is not engaging in a protected status activity. Nazis and people who want a cake with a picture of Muhammad and people who are against gay marriage aren’t protected status under the law. Gays are. And a baker is engaged in commerce, which is not protected speech. So if, in the ordinary course of your business, you bake a cake for a normal wedding and you put slogans on it, then you have to agree to put all slogans on cakes. The alternative is to have a policy of not putting any slogans on cakes.
I’m not saying any of this to make an argument for these Star Chamber witch hunts of Christian bakers. I’d rather see the whole “protected status” BS be shut down all together. But the logic in his article doesn’t hold up.
Weren't the bakers in Oregon ordered to pay $150,000?
I’m surprised this article was published in the Guardian. Like everything else in that trash rag, the article is still dreck, but it goes against the fundamential Leftist tenet that Christians who are minding their own business need to be executed.
-Jesus never once condemned homosexuality-
The Bible does and that’s good enough for me. I see he conveniently failed to point that out. Also, what most homosexuals fail to understand is Christians can love them and also disagree with their life choice. That’s what my Church and I believe. I have seen several “couples” at our Church that I suspect are homosexual but I/we do not judge them......we also do not tell them they can not attend our Church either. I just pray they will understand one day.
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Matthew 19:4-6
Hmmmmmmmmmm
so there were words on that cake...
it wasn’t the cake it was the words...
that’s not discrimination at all...
unless the homosexuals can prove that the bakers iced a cake with opposite words...
Perhaps he couldn’t fight the influence of the letters, “atch” in his last name.
Suppose the bakers refused to bake a cake with nazi slogans? would there be a discussion at all?
Obviously this is being used to silence dissent by normal people against PC dogma.
Just curious, are you gay?
RE: -Jesus never once condemned homosexuality-
Here’s what Jesus said about the Old Testament:
“For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Did the Old Testament condemn the homosexual act? Most assuredly it did.
Leviticus 18:22
“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”
New Living Translation (NLT)
_______________
So, putting it all together, Jesus tells us that the law cannot be abolished, the law tells us that homosexual acts are sinful and an abomination.... therefore?
RE: Just curious, are you gay?
No.
Just curious, why the question?
Jesus never denounced pedophilia and rape but that doesn’t mean he supported it.
Matthew 5
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18”For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19”Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.…”
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