Twitter users unleashed a tidal wave of support this week for Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop, who won at the Supreme Court after refusing to bake a cake affirming a same-sex wedding because it would violate his Christian faith.
The state of Colorado filed a complaint accusing him of “discrimination,” and the Supreme Court ruled his faith was unconstitutionally treated with “hostility.”
He’s back in court after Colorado renewed its intolerance of his faith, accusing him of refusing to affirm a “gender-change” celebration, and he responded with a lawsuit.
Twitter user Amy reacted: “I have to wonder what the cakes from this place taste like at this point. They must be amazing.”
Pointing out Colorado’s new prosecution, she added, “Maybe he couldn’t make a cake that turned into a pie.”
“Funny how these people keep coming to Masterpiece Cakeshop knowing the owner is a Christian who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding,” said a post on the Twitter news-aggregating site Twitchy. “There are other bakers, you know.”
“It’s almost like these people are targeting him for his religious beliefs or something,” added Twitter user Ironic Glasses. “But that can’t be right, because I’ve been assured for years that LGBQ is all about live and let live.”
“Diversity means forcing other people to believe what you do while not having to honor and respect their beliefs,” explained Anthony.
Others charged “harassment,” and Nuclear Dave pointed out, “It’s almost as if people don’t actually want a cake, what they want is to force their perverted beliefs on others.”
In the case over Phillips’ refusal to use his artistry for a same-sex wedding, one member of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission compared the baker to a Nazi, a comment that undoubtedly contributed to the Supreme Court’s determination of state “hostility.”
“Completely intentional to destroy his business,” charged Twitter user KC VOL. “The problem with libs is they can’t let well enough alone, win or lose you must be destroyed.”
The Denver Post reported that at a hearing Tuesday, the judge said he likely would deny Colorado’s demand to dismiss Phillips’ claims as well as Phillips’ request to dismiss the state’s new complaint.
The problem for the state is that the same commission that has prosecuted Phillips repeatedly has given a free pass to several homosexual bakers accused of refusing to create a cake with a message they oppose.
Phillips’ position from the outset has been that he will sell a cake to anyone, but he cannot be forced to create messages with which he disagrees. Previous court rulings have affirmed protection from “compelled speech.”
Phillips has alleged in court the Colorado Civil Rights Commission is harassing him, and U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Daniel withheld a final ruling at the hearing.
The victory at the Supreme Court did not resolve the fundamental issue of conflicts between First Amendment religious rights and the newly established right to same-sex marriage.
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys defending Phillips asserted in court this week that the state commission is biased because the law requires four of the seven members to be from a “diverse” background. The requirement affords special privileges to minorities, which would be discrimination itself, the attorneys argued.
WND reported last month that Phillips won a big victory when a federal judge ruled he had access to a state law providing a path to public records in the case.
At the time, state Assistant Attorney General LeAnn Morrill complained that the Colorado Open Records Act requests filed by Phillips “burdened” the state. Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak denied the state’s motion to prevent him from using that law.
Meanwhile, Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., has asked the Department of Justice to intervene.
“Both Mr. Phillips and Masterpiece serve everyone. All people – no matter who they are, what they believe or what protected class they belong to – are welcome in Mr. Phillips’ shop and may purchase anything available for sale,” the congressman argued. “But as a devout Christian, Mr. Phillips cannot create custom cakes the express messages or that celebrate events in conflict with his deeply held religious beliefs.”
And the state’s second prosecution of Phillips prompted James Dobson, the noted Christian psychologist and founder of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, to call for reform of the commission, decrying the new claim as “a continued attack on the First Amendment and religious freedom.”
Read more at https://www.wnd.com/2018/12/social-media-jack-phillips-cakes-must-be-amazing/#a3iK7qPMff8J3T3s.99
