Posted on 03/30/2015 6:42:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Atheists and homosexual-rights activists in Ireland are threatening protest marches. A local government in the overwhelmingly Catholic country has fined a homosexual baker in the village of Inch (County Clare) for refusing to produce a wedding cake featuring, on its icing, the inscription, “A man shall . . . hold fast to his wife — Gen. 2:24.”
The baker, Robert O’Riordan, says that he considers the inscription to be an implicit rebuke of his own domestic living arrangement and an imposition on his right as an atheist to refuse assent to “any material endorsement of religious ceremonies.” Mr. O’Riordan regularly bakes other wedding cakes; the difference here, he says, is that the inscription requires him to acknowledge the specifically religious nature of the nuptials, thus infringing on his freedom of conscience.
O’Riordan suggested that the couple hire the bakery at the nearby Supervalu market — but the engaged couple, Padraig Hogan and Sarah Considine, say the supermarket’s quality is not up to O’Riordan’s. The Clare County Council, in issuing the fine against O’Riordan, said that he is violating the Equal Status Acts, which prohibit discrimination with regard to goods and services. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has taken up O’Riordan’s cause, arguing that nobody should be forced to participate even indirectly in a religious undertaking that shames his sexual identity.
Irish news outlets have been surprised, however, to see that Dylan Sullivan, a Clare County barrister well known for criticizing the Irish Catholic Church for its alleged liberalization and “increasing moral relativism,” has agreed to represent O’Riordan pro bono. “I think Mr. O’Riordan’s sensitivities are rather feeble,” Sullivan said. “But he has the right to act like a gimp if he wants to.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
ASTONISHING
Thank you!
Satire?
One of those stories that makes you pause and have a desire to hit your head.
Yes.
call salt sugar, and make the cake...
fitting for calling something it is not.
I agree with the atheist bake. Miracles never cease.
Doing some research on the RFRA (Religious Freedom Reformation Act) I came across an essay that (summed up) warns that social opinion in America has shifted sufficiently so that tolerance towards lifestyle trumps “traditional religious mores”. You can read it here: http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/01/11728/
There’s always been a segment of residents who think religion and religious people “straight-laced” and “fuddy-duddies” but apparently we’ve now reached the tipping point where those who “think” that way (and would prefer to herd us all into the same cattle-car) out-number us.
These people are guaranteeing that the blood-letting to come will be unprecedented.
The root of the problem is the common presumption that individuals should be barred from making ANY private choices that might offend somebody. That all discrimination is like discrimination against blacks. Conservatives will get nowhere until they screw-up the courage to challenge this presumption. I think we should fight for the right to private choices as long as there is no violence and health and safety is not at issue, i.e., the ambulance picks-up everyone. Maybe choice should be limited for matters like race and religion, but the limits should be few and clear.
There is no homosexual baker in the village of Inch (County Clare) named Robert O’Riordan. There was no wedding cake ordered with the inscription from Genesis 2:24.
Hillyer uses the baker story and other scenarios to show how the homosexual, islamic, and other minority bakers, printers, etc. could be forced to mock their very own beliefs by Christian customers... if Christian customers were to behave as contemptibly as leftist anti-Christian customers (and government officials) have done to Christian bakers, printers, etc.
RE: That all discrimination is like discrimination against blacks.
You hit the nail right on the head.
The argument has always been this “A Baker refusing to bake a cake for gay weddings is discrimination akin to refusing bake a cake for black people.”
The argument to make this comparison takes the following form:
Major Premise: A sexual orientation is analogous to the category of race.
Minor Premise: Race is a category protected by anti-discrimination laws.
Conclusion: Therefore, sexual orientation should have the same civil-rights protections as those afforded to race.
The question we will examine is whether the major premise is true. Is sexual orientation analogous to race?
This is from a couple of years ago, but I just happened across the story. Gov. Susana Martinez was dropped by her gay hairdresser because of her stance on gay marriage. Liberal tolerance is just so amazing...
I have come around to the view that the government should not be in the business of making people cater to people with whom they do not wish to do business.
We are all familiar with the issue of discrimination against blacks. We've heard about the lunch counters and so on, but is not forcing people to provide services against their will also wrong?
Is this not government imposed morality? What is wrong with letting social pressure solve these problems? Why must the government be used to decide that people don't have rights to refuse service to people they don't like?
I think "freedom to associate" implies a converse freedom. A freedom to refrain from association. It might be immoral, but why is it the government's business to enforce morality on people?
So, the shoe only fits one foot?
Tables are turned: THIS is “unacceptable”, but FORCING a Christian baker to bake a cake for a gay wedding is MANDATORY!
God I hate liberals.
The people prosecuting Chridtian bakers admit its a one-way street.
There was always at least one colorful and gorgeously-decorated cake -- with layers made of cornbread -- and with colored butter for frosting! '-)
I like cornbread.
Not corn hole
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