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So on the anniversary of the killings you would make celebratory "I Got Away With It!" cake for OJ because his money is a good as anyone else's?
Business owners have always had the right to refuse service to someone for reasons other than discrimination. A baker could refuse to make a cake for OJ Simpson for any reason besides his sex, race, national origin, color, age or handicapped status.
Whether a business can refuse service because of someone's sexual orientation is up in the air these days. When MS passed a law to protect business owners from having to deal with a LGBT person, it incurred the wrath of many who see it as unfair. Hence the protests. I imagine that MS will back off and change the law before it's over.
Have you read the First Amendment? Where are human rights listed?
The problem is that our courts have decided that statutory 'rights,' such as the 'right' to buy a cake from the business of your choice, are equal to or superior than constitutional rights, such as free exercise of religion.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Care to try to answer the question with an answer instead of a question?
Do you believe that the 1st amendment rights are absolute?
The problem is that our courts have decided that statutory 'rights,' such as the 'right' to buy a cake from the business of your choice, are equal to or superior than constitutional rights, such as free exercise of religion.
Who is being prevented from exercising their religion, business transactions have not one thing to do with religious freedom.
I believe the Constitution. I've stated repeatedly on this forum that I'm a Constitutionalist. Nowhere in the Constitution does it require the prioritization of any protected group's rights over that of any others.
And what you're misunderstanding is that some of us think it's more important to do what's morally right than to follow only what's in the Constitution.
The Constitution is a great document. But it is not the whole of mankind's experience on the Earth. It is not the sole source of wisdom. And, as has been proven more than once, it is not a document which has always been moral and promoted the humane treatment of all Americans. In fact, the Constitution has been the basis for unfair treatment of huge groups of Americans in many instances. So, you cling stubbornly to a highly flawed document. And thus you often support patently unfair treatment for various groups of people.
Relevance? Pope Francis isn't in the catering business.
If your religion prevents you from doing business with all segments of the population, specifically the LGBT community, don't open a public business.
Why is this so difficult for conservatives to understand?
Owning a business = NOT a right.
Because no one is forcing him to open a business to the public?
As you point out, not only is the poster trying to insert Pope Francis into the bakery/catering business, but he is intentionally and repeatedly telling only half the story. He clings to a single document (as he often does), but ignores what the Pope also said verbally about the general treatment of gay people.
And, you make a good second point as well -- that owning a business is not a RIGHT...since the other poster keeps clinging to the rights in the Constitution.
The people who believe this should also be protected. Decency allows for everyone to serve who they wish. We Reserve The Right To Refuse Service needs to be posted in every single business across America. As long as businesses pay tax, they have the right to not be stomped on by the damned government. When they are government subsidized and government owned, then and only then can the government tell them how to run their shop.
Good for Mississippi.
I would call that a perverted definition of decency.
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