In a move that would infuriate our nation’s founders, yet was consistent with the June High Court decision “legalizing” same-sex marriage, a Colorado court has ruled that Jack Philips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, must bake cakes for homosexual weddings, despite his firmly held religious beliefs to the contrary! To enforce their decision, the court stated, “CADA (Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act) prohibits places of public accommodations from basing their refusal to serve customers on their sexual orientation, and Masterpiece violated Colorado’s public accommodations law by refusing to create a wedding cake.” So, any business owner, who serves the public, CANNOT live his faith in the public domain, if doing so would mean refusing to accommodate a same-sex wedding. So, sexual “rights” trumps First Amendment religious rights!
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the legal representation for Mr. Philips, released the following statement. “Jack simply exercised the long-cherished American freedom to decline to use his artistic talents to promote a message with which he disagrees,” ADF attorney Jeremy Tedesco said. “Government has a duty to protect people’s freedom to follow their beliefs personally and professionally rather than force them to adopt the government’s views.”
So, sexual orientation has now been elevated to a place of special consideration. In essence, NO liberty that we as Americans possess is more important than sexual liberty! And, one person’s sexual liberty is more valuable than another person’s religious liberty. Can things get any more upside down?
Our United States Constitution made it abundantly clear that we are blessed by God with certain “unalienable” rights. One of those stated rights, the one our Founders called our “First Freedom”–the one from which all others flow–is our right to freely exercise our religious beliefs! So, the legal interpretation of this Colorado court is as skewed and Constitutionally flawed as a top secret document on Hillary Clinton’s email server! The fact that erotic liberty has now been granted, not equal footing, but superior footing to religious liberty, signals that it is now “open season” on Christians! If a Christian is not on board with the homosexual agenda, he no longer has equal rights!
As stunning as is this Colorado court’s decision, the additional requirement by the court that Jack Philips MUST keep his current staff of employees (including his 88 year old mother), who must, of course, comply with the court demand to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples, is UNBELIEVABLE! In other words, if you, for conscience sake, can’t accommodate/participate in a same-sex wedding, you cannot simply quit your job! Rather, it appears that you will be required to stay on in order that your errant and politically incorrect beliefs can be purged from you in some egregious fashion!
How could we possibly have come to this ridiculously absurd moment? In all actuality, the foundation for this was laid many years ago! When we began rejecting God and His word, we commenced down a destructive path–one from which it is incredibly difficult to return! Difficult, but not impossible! The only possible way through which this perverted, anti-God, anti-moral, anti-constitutional thinking can be reversed, is by the overt, unwavering standing up of God’s people! That clarion stand must be preceded by a sincere repentance of OUR disobedience to God’s Word! Then, may all those who fear the Lord and love His word, speak up for God’s truth at a volume that is unmistakeable!! If it costs us our homes, bank accounts, comforts, even our children, may we NEVER surrender our Biblical (and constitutionally protected) stance relative to same-sex marriage, or any other clear Biblical truth! Courageous Christian living–really the only kind that there is–is our privilege and obligation! So, let’s get on with it–and NOW, anticipating that God will observe our repentance, hear our prayers, revive His church, and turn our nation back to His righteousness!
Dave Kistler
President, HOPE Ministries International
President, North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN)
Co-host, Stand In The Gap Radio Program