Friday, June 06, 2014

The myth of liberal democratic tolerance

J.L. Talmon was right: liberal democracy can become totalitarian and repressive if unchecked by traditional values -- as evidenced by yet another Colorado baker, Jack Phillips, who is being strong-armed by authorities into violating his religious convictions by serving sodomite couples asking for wedding cakes.

Reading Carol Kuruvilla's article, "Colorado baker ordered to serve gay couples vows to stop making wedding cakes" (Daily News, June 3, 2014), our underground correspondent we keep on retainer in an Atlantic seaboard city that knows how to keep its secrets, Guy Noir - Private Eye, writes: "I feel like we are in the Netherlands. Can you imagine the USCCB saying something with such plain clarity? 'We would close down the bakery before we would complicate our beliefs ...'" Good point.

Here is the Daily News article with Guy Noir's highlights:
Colorado baker ordered to serve gay couples vows to stop making wedding cakes This takes the cake.

A Colorado baker has pledged to stop making wedding cakes after his state’s Civil Rights Commission ordered him to start baking for same-sex couples.

Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, was willing to go to court to defend his decision to refuse service to two grooms who walked into his shop last year looking for a way to celebrate their marriage.

Phillips’ crusade turned out to be a giant failure after the Commission unanimously ruled that he had violated civil rights law by discriminating against the couple.

The devout Christian is retaliating by refusing to make wedding cakes altogether.

“We would close down the bakery before we would complicate our beliefs,” Phillips told CBS Denver.

The man said that he would be happy to make cakes for an LGBT person’s birthday party. But he believes making a wedding cake would be equivalent to participating in the ceremony.

My issue is that I don’t want to be forced to participate in a same-sex wedding,” Phillips said.

The grooms at the center of the controversy, David Mullins and Charlie Craig, tied the knot in Massachusetts. They wanted to order a cake for a reception in Colorado.

Phillips isn’t too worried about his business shutting down—he says business is booming at Masterpiece Cakeshop. His brownies and cookies are reportedly flying off the counters, snatched up by people who agree with his stance on gay marriage.

But for the next few months, he’ll have to submit quarterly reports about who he refuses to serve. He’ll also have to give his employees anti-discrimination training.
[Hat tip to JM]

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