I think this being a little bit blown of proportion in terms of what the law actually says.....

If I'm a baker and I don't want to bake a cake for a gay wedding, I could refuse to do so. The couple getting married, their friends, family and the community at large could protest, boycott my store and so forth. The couple could even file a civil suit for discrimination if they wanted. None of this would be the result of this law.

My understanding is what it does is it prevents a city council or the state legisalture from theoretically passing a law that would make it illegal for a private business to decline to provide a service based on one's faith based belief that gay marriage is wrong.

And while I'm 110% on board with marriage equality, I would also be a little uneasy with government forcing private businesses to servea customer that may be uncomfortable with  for any reason.

But as far as I know, there isn't a bunch of laws in the Indiana state and local pipeline that would address this.

So I guess the question becomes is this one of those things that make for a good battle in the culture wars but doesn't have any widespread affect in the real world?

Last edited by TheLagerLad (3/30/2015 12:46 pm)

I'm trying to figure out how refusing to sell a cake to people you don't like qualifies as the exercise of religion.

"I would be a little uneasy with government forcing private businesses to serve a customer that may be uncomfortable with for any reason."    LagerLad

You mean like riding on a bus? Or using a restroom? Or drinking out of a fountain? Or staying in a hotel? Or ordering a banana split at the soda fountain?

"So I guess the question becomes is this one of those things that makes for a good battle in the culture wars but doesn't have any widespread affect in the real world?"    LagerLad

I guess that depends upon whether or not you have been a victim of discrimination. Maybe we should call it a matter of perspective, dependent on your personal reality.

Goose wrote:

You know, there isn't a biblical admonition against same sex marriage, there is a biblical condemnation of homosexuality. 

So, I should think that if Lager finds it reasonable for a christian to refuse to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple on religious grounds, that it would be equally "reasonable" for the christian to refuse to sell any type of cake at all to a gay person, or refuse to sell them a cup of coffee, rent a hotel room, seat them in his restaurant, etc.
Why get riled about the wedding, it's the fact that the person is homosexual in the first place that has them all worked up.
No?

Is this what we want?

That sounds more like exclusion than inclusive. I would expect a real Christian to be more inclusive:
Romans 15:7 - Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

 

Rongone wrote:

Goose wrote:

You know, there isn't a biblical admonition against same sex marriage, there is a biblical condemnation of homosexuality. 

So, I should think that if Lager finds it reasonable for a christian to refuse to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple on religious grounds, that it would be equally "reasonable" for the christian to refuse to sell any type of cake at all to a gay person, or refuse to sell them a cup of coffee, rent a hotel room, seat them in his restaurant, etc.
Why get riled about the wedding, it's the fact that the person is homosexual in the first place that has them all worked up.
No?

Is this what we want?

That sounds more like exclusion than inclusive. I would expect a real Christian to be more inclusive:
Romans 15:7 - Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

 

Amen!

One thing I get a kick out of,,, it's always some poor baker being forced to sell a cake for a same sex wedding that's thrown out there. I guess it gets the blood up.
But, if it's OK to not serve people in your business on religious grounds,,,,,,,,, slippery slope time.
Two guys on a date come into your restaurant. You could refuse them service.

If you decide to do business with the public, you should set aside your prejudices for the sake of a harmonious society.

Hey, I don't like self righteous douchebags, but I'd still sell Mike Pence a cake.