Can a business deny service to a gay couple?
That a recent panel discussion was even held at an Ivy League school on Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission shows what a far-reaching impact the Supreme Court case will make on society.
Princeton University’s Daily Princetonian reported that five philosophers debated where to draw the line between religious liberty and discrimination. It examined whether a bakery owner in Colorado had the right to refuse to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, or as business serving the public he can’t discriminate.
Ryan Anderson, who co-authored a book in 2004 defending traditional marriage, said the bakery case is similar to abortion, where women can choose to undergo one, but doctors have a right to refuse to perform one.
While anti-gay bigotry is wrong, this is not a case of anti-gay bigotry, Anderson insisted.
But Kevin Vallier of Bowling Green State University said upgrading religious exemptions would produce a “Swiss cheese legal system.”
Regardless of how the Supreme Court rules, Christian business owners must soon decide how they will address this issue in their day-to-day operations.
More on Faith in the Workplace
- There are no excuses for not sharing your faith (by Tom Crenshaw)
- Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry (by )
- Why politically driven CEOs are prone to breaking the rules (by Christian Muntean)
- At work…on two jobs! (by WorkLife Success)
