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Showing again how you know nothing. Go look up the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The SC has long recognized that individuals and groups can be exempt from certain laws This is not new.
It was also ruled that the RFRA doesn't apply to states. The case in question is about a state law.
Yes, I do get the point of the baker in question...he believes that he shouldn't be coerced into performing a labor that he sees as enabling an action which he finds religiously reprehensible.
Thing is, he's baking a cake for a gay wedding reception, not for a gay marriage ceremony - his only leg to stand on is that he finds the sexual orientation of his potential customers offensive to his religious beliefs. His problem with that stance is that the Supreme Court has recognized sexual orientation as protected by the 14th Amendment. And with recently confirmed Justice Neil Gorsuch being added to the Supreme Court, that recognition may be rescinded.
The reception is part of the ceremony.
At least by any rational, non nitpicking definition.
Don't believe it?
Ask any woman planning a reception how important it is to the wedding as a whole lol.
It is pulled out of thin air. This concept that anyone can declare themselves exempt from any law anytime they want is not even in the same ballpark as an employer making reasonable accommodation for an employee.
You are asserting a right to break any law that you want anytime you choose based only on a self declaration. The whole idea is absurd on its face.
Please.
Gay marriage and homosexuality in general has been taboo in just about every religion on the planet for thousands of years.
It's not like this is anything new or even unique to Christian bakers.
It was also ruled that the RFRA doesn't apply to states. The case in question is about a state law.
Right. The point is that sincerely held religious beliefs isn't a new concept for Courts and administrative agencies. Obviously, not everyone knows that or we wouldn't see weird 'what if' a baker claims his religion calls for killing a toddler every week.
Right. The point is that sincerely held religious beliefs isn't a new concept for Courts and administrative agencies. Obviously, not everyone knows that or we wouldn't see weird 'what if' a baker claims his religion calls for killing a toddler every week.
Yes, and the court has ruled numerous times that religious belief does not exempt one from following generally applicable law.
The reception is part of the ceremony.
At least by any rational, non nitpicking definition.
Don't believe it?
Ask any woman planning a reception how important it is to the wedding as a whole lol.
By the non-nitpicking definition, the bachelor party is an extremely important part of a wedding as a whole...or at least that's what my brother's friend let me know, when I was chosen by him as his best man.
But then, we're veering off topic. The question was whether baking a cake is a religious act. IMO, it's not.
If you're operating business that serves the public, then that's what you need to do. You aren't allowed to pick out certain groups that you decide not to serve.
Operate your business as a "club" with service/products available to "members only" who pay a membership fee.
To live, you must have money. To make money, you must either run your own business, or work for another business. But let us pretend that you ran your own business, and let us even pretend that you ran a business which required a membership. Where do your members get their money?
Let us even assume that in the ideal situation, each and every member of your business, ran businesses of their own, also requiring a membership. And so it would theoretically mean that this network of people would entirely operate as a "closed system", separate from the rest of the economy. Where money only flows back and forth between members.
But this leaves us with a problem, how then do they pay their taxes? If money is constantly being removed from a closed system, then it cannot last. But it is one thing if that closed system is losing money because of some kind of trade-deficit with external members, than if their income is being stripped away from them through government compulsion(IE taxes). Thus forcing at least some/most of the members to seek income outside the system.
We might assume that it could be possible that the members within this system, could simply barter for goods/services instead of trading for dollars. But, technically a barter is still a trade, it is still an income, which is taxable. Though for sake of argument, let us assume that this provision was unenforceable. Where then do these people live? A house? Possibly on some land, where they could grow their own food? Well, how then do they pay their property taxes? And any other fees associated with simply living?
Basically, imagine that you wanted to build some religious compound in Texas, or some other state, and you wanted to grow all your own food, and make your own tools/houses/etc. How are you going to pay your property taxes?
Your only option would be to run a public business, or depend on others who do. There is no alternative.
So long as taxes exist, no one is free. The moment taxes cease, there is no government. And without government, there is no society, there is no civilization.
The simple reality is, the "public business" argument, is flat-out stupid. And I don't see why anyone believes it or repeats it. Other than that they WANT to believe it, because they like the results.
To live, you must have money. To make money, you must either run your own business, or work for another business. But let us pretend that you ran your own business, and let us even pretend that you ran a business which required a membership. Where do your members get their money?
Let us even assume that in the ideal situation, each and every member of your business, ran businesses of their own, also requiring a membership. And that would theoretically mean that this network would entirely operate as a "closed system", separate from the rest of the economy. Where money only flows back and forth between members.
But this leaves us with a problem, how then do they pay their taxes? If money is constantly being removed from a closed system, then it cannot last. But it is one thing if that closed system is losing money because of some kind of trade-deficit with external members, than if their income is being stripped away from them through government compulsion(IE taxes). Thus forcing at least some/most of the members to seek income outside the system.
We might assume that it might be possible that the members within this system, could simply barter for goods/services instead of trading for dollars. But, technically a barter is still a trade, it is still an income, which is taxable. Though for sake of argument, let us assume that this provision was unenforceable. Where then do these people live? A house? Possibly on some land, where they could grow their own food? Well, how then do they pay their property taxes? And any other fees associated with simply living?
Basically, imagine that you wanted to build some religious compound in Texas, or some other state, and you wanted to grow all your own food, and make your own tools/houses/etc. How are you going to pay your property taxes?
So long as taxes exist, no one is free. The moment taxes cease, there is no government. And without government, there is no society, there is no civilization.
The simple reality is, the "public business" argument, is flat-out stupid. And I don't see why anyone believes it or repeats it. Other than that they WANT to believe it, because they like the results.
We already have all kinds of laws against discrimination that cover businesses that are open to the public. There are many other laws that public businesses are subject to. Don't take my word for it.
The precedent is set. It isn't something that I've constructed.
Of course, you're free to "believe" otherwise.
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