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A gay wedding cake is not in any way equal to a Swastika. One is meant to symbolize the love 2 people have for one another, the other is a symbol meant to strike fear into the hearts of certain people in todays context.
Bad analogy. My ex tried to kill me. Nazis have never tried to kill me. (Note: I have since remarried which simply illustrates the triumph of hope over experience.) When is the last time a group of Nazis organized as a recognized military unit tried to kill anyone? 1945?
The important thing to remember though is that religious freedom is a protected right.
You and I surely agree; turning away a customer because they're gay and wanting a wedding cake is despicable. Ignoring the financial foolishness of alienating a marketable audience, it's rude and incredibly embarrassing for the gay customer.
But religious freedom is protected and a Christian bakery is the private property of the baker.
And yes, I think a certain level of regulation to protect the common good is acceptable. But we should be prudent in what we view as common good. Clean water, access to healthcare services, access to food, and housing options; these are all common good questions. Is a wedding cake truly common good?
In a certain sense I'd say it is. But If we make an exception in this case for religion, what will we make an exception for next? If the Christian baker knows he has a problem with certain people then maybe he should consider another line of work. One where his chances of encountering elements of our society whom he considers distasteful aren't so great.
IMHO if you choose to do business with the public then you should treat all people equally and fairly.
I take the stance that if you are in a business that serves the public, then you have accepted that your job is to serve the public, not pick and choose. If a potential customer becomes abusive, that is a different matter.
There are things about my job that I do not care for, and we have some clients whom I do not agree with religiously, but when I took the job, I accepted the idea that part of that is to give *all* customers good service, regardless of what I think of them. Because that is my *job*.
I never understood why if a person says they have magic powers and can turn into a panther at night, they get laughed at and dismissed, but when a person says that they believe a magic godman died and came back to life 3 days later that is a sacred belief that must be respected. The only reason the second belief is not dismissed out of hand like the first is because it has been passed down through familial brainwashing for a few thousand years, and its age is showing.
As far a businesses, if it is a product that is already offered, it should be offered equitably. No one should be able to force a business to offer a product they do not already offer. If you want to run a business that practices wanton discrimination, start a private club and you are free to only let in people who's (skin color, gender, sexual proclivities, breakfast cereal preference) you agree with.
I would also be fine with businesses being able to discriminate carte blanch against ANYTHING or ANYONE... as long as they were also forced to post a list ahead of time in a prominently visible location outlining exactly the things they plan on discriminating against. Basically, if you want to discriminate with wild abandon the consumers patronizing your business should be able to be aware of your policies.
Last edited by zzzSnorlax; 08-08-2017 at 08:21 AM..
Reagan decided that medical service is a right when he enacted the EMTALA.
The harm is not being treated equal to everyone else.
Emergency medical treatment is the law, not a right. That which preserves life. Ongoing or preventative treatment - dig in your own damned pocket. The rest of us are not obligated to provide it for you, nor do we wish to.
That is a bad law.
Last edited by Workin_Hard; 08-08-2017 at 10:10 AM..
True in a large city but what about the small town where that particular business is the only one of its kind?
Good point, but i still believe that a private business owner has the right to reject our $.
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