This is not the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado we’re talking about, although owner Jack Phillips is back in court, this time for refusing to make a cake for a gender transition celebration.
No, the bakers we’re talking about today in connection with a Supreme Court decision are Aaron and Melissa Klein of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, which had been ordered by the state of Oregon to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to a lesbian couple who said they felt “mentally raped” when the bakery refused to make them a same-sex wedding cake on religious grounds.
We’re going to repeat that “mentally raped” bit because it shows just how ridiculous this is. The Daily Signal reported that the damages were meant to cover the couple’s trauma, which included (in alphabetical order) “acute loss of confidence,” “doubt,” “excessive sleep,” “feelings of being mentally raped, dirty and shameful,” “high blood pressure,” “impaired digestion,” “loss of appetite,” “migraine headaches,” “pale and sick at home after work,” “resumption of smoking habit,” “shock,” “stunned,” “surprise,” “uncertainty,” “weight gain” and “worry.”
Or they could have gone to the next baker down the road.
On Monday, the Supreme Court “wiped away a ruling that went against a bakery in Oregon,” CNN reported. However, CNN’s tweet is all wrong:
The Supreme Court dodges a case involving a baker's refusal to serve gay customers on religious grounds, sending it back to the lower courts https://t.co/XWj4Erv9BA pic.twitter.com/El1ucQbRSg
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 17, 2019
That makes it sound as if the bakery wouldn’t sell baked goods to gay customers; this issue, as it was for Masterpiece Cake Shop, is whether someone should be compelled to create something that doesn’t yet exist in opposition to their religious beliefs.
.@CNN is incorrectly stating on air that the case in front of SCOTUS involves a baker refusing "to serve gay customers." The case is specifically about the refusal to provide services for a same-sex wedding. They would not decline to serve a gay couple otherwise.
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
Suggesting this is about personal discrimination against gay people misses the whole point of the dispute
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
I'm not making any sort of moral argument here. This is an important distinction because it affects the nature of the arguments in the case.
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
For example, one argument in Masterpiece case was as to whether Phillips' cakes constituted art and if he could be bound to create art that celebrated something he was genuinely religiously opposed to
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
That argument doesn't hold for refusing to sell any cake or baked good to the gay couple (which Phillips offered to do) because those cakes were not created with the intent of conveying a message like the wedding cakes were.
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
The defense for Phillips was just as focused on his free speech rights as they were his religious rights
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
CNN lies.
Is anyone surprised?
— Habitual Linestepper (@FergusFSU) June 17, 2019
They just lie. They don't care.
— Some guy tweeted something ??♂️ (@jtLOL) June 17, 2019
They dont care because no one holds them to task
— Mike Gnad (@mikejgnad) June 17, 2019
Mike is right. They lie without fear because they know outside of Fox and conservative online media no ome will hold them accountable. The dishonesty in our media may be the biggest threat facing this nation domestically. It is a massive problem.
— Fair Debate (@Come_On_Ground) June 17, 2019
Who is the reporter ?
— Emily Miller (@EmilyMiller) June 17, 2019
It was a chyron that was left up for at least a couple of minutes. Can’t remember which reporter was on at the time.
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) June 17, 2019
Since when does @cnn care about reporting actual, unbiased truth?
— Chris VanCampen (@cvc1228) June 17, 2019
If a gay coupe walks in and wants to buy an already made cake and the baker refuses to sell it to them, that’s one thing….they are under no obligation to accept a job to make a special cake if they don’t want to.
— Toledo_Tribe (@Toledo_Tribe) June 17, 2019
The question boils down to whether a craftsman can refuse making a custom item when they disagree with the message of that item or the event it supports. Where does freedom of press start or end?
Making this about either religious or gay rights clouds this question.
— Brian Petters (@BrianPetters1) June 17, 2019
The difference is btwn SELLING them a cake and MAKING a cake for them. If the bakery refused to SELL them one out of the display case, that’s discrimination. But declining to MAKE one for them is within their right to not actively participate in something they believe is sinful.
— Tom Nolley (@colTom106) June 17, 2019
And that is an important difference.
— Rosemary Bogdan (@RosemaryBogdan) June 17, 2019
Q. How does forcing anyone to do anything, not in violation of the 14th amendment?
— B.A. (@frazman1) June 17, 2019
CNN inaccurately reporting? Surely you jest.
— Ron Shipley (@89_RED_RAIDER) June 17, 2019
They always go for “hysteria” instead of facts.
— Anya080 (@anya0080) June 17, 2019
Words mean something else to @cnn – they need to be twisted to fit a narrative – get with the program missy
— RatNutz (@RatNutz) June 17, 2019
The freedom to go to another bakery is under threat
— Fexil Starface (@SithLordFelix) June 17, 2019
And now the case has been kicked back to the Oregon courts.
For what it’s worth, labor commissioner Brad Avakian, who levied the $135,000 fine, was defeated in 2016 by Republican Dennis Richardson in his bid to be Secretary of State. So sad.
Related:
'They just want to destroy his life'! Alleged attorney once again suing Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips for discrimination https://t.co/iwV7GfhaCN
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 10, 2019
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