Equality and Diversity; Can We Really Have Our Cake & Eat It?

I was struck this week by yet another ‘equality’ story which pitted gay rights against religious beliefs. We saw the case a few years ago of the bed and breakfast that refused a gay couple a room because it was against their Christian values, in that case the Christians lost. This week’s case has similar overtones, though I think there’s an element of entrapment going on here.

The story this week involved a Christian family business in Northern Ireland being threatened with legal action for refusing to bake a cake in support of gay rights. Ashers Bakery (incidentally, they’re named after a verse in the Bible) turned down an order for a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie and the slogan ‘Support gay marriage’. They’ve now been threatened with legal action after the gay rights activist who placed the order complained that equality laws had been breached.

The bakery owner is quoted as saying “I would like the outcome of this to be that any Christians running a business could be allowed to follow their Christian beliefs and principles in the day-to-day running of the business and that they are allowed to make decisions based on that”. - Sounds a reasonable view to me.

It’s interesting that the cake was to have the slogan ‘Support gay marriage’ on it. Interesting in the fact that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where it has not been made legal. It was also to have the logo of the activist’ campaign group, QueerSpace. After the bakery rejected the order and offered a refund, the activists complained to the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland, which has written to Ashers warning of legal for breaching the law by discriminating against the customer on the grounds of his sexual orientation.

 

Equality v Diversity

As I have written previously, I’m an atheist so have no cut either way regarding religions, what is interesting though is the fact that in this case they’re pitting equality against diversity. The lefty’s heads must be in a spin over this one. Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

In the last few decades, we in this Christian country have been forced to respect others, particularly gay and Muslims. But this case seems to prove that while we respect them, they don’t respect the views of others. There are many bakers in Northern Ireland, why go to this one? If you were tolerant you’d find another baker, why make it a thing?

While I support gay marriage, each to their own I say, at the moment not everyone has that view. It seems the activists have deliberately targeted this business which is silly. It's like me asking a Jewish or Muslim bakery to bake an "Eat More Pork" cake. They wouldn't want to. I wouldn't be offended, but then again I wouldn't ask them in the first place.

Entrapment

I would like to see these activists go into a Muslim cake shop with the same cake order; they’re obviously not brave enough to try this blackmail and coercion on them. They knew the owner was going to say no and break the law, so is that not entrapment?

Conversely, if I walked into a halal butchers and asked for meat slaughtered according to my religious beliefs, would I get it? I doubt it somewhat. You cannot do for one what you will not do for another.

If you're going to let other religions follow their beliefs in their work life i.e. Islam then you have to do the same for all. Unfortunately white Christians are an easy target when you live in a lefty society.

It seems, as we’ve seen many times before with the left, that activists use threats to force people to agree with their position. I'm sure the fact they are actually demonstrating dogmatic intolerance is lost on them.

Freedom

Personally like I’ve said, my opinion is to live and let live. I support everyone’s right to choose and that has to include this bakery. Surely serving a customer should be at the discretion of the business owner? If you run a business you should have an absolute right to decline any order you don’t want to service.  If you choose, you should be able to run your business in line with your religious beliefs.

We may not believe in the same ethical principles whether they be religious or sexual preference as one another, it’s still important to respect people’s right to hold their opinion or beliefs.

Many many people in this land have fought, suffered and died fighting for our right to live in a democratic society. Today we generally live in times where we can express our religious, political and ethical opinions freely; it’s called freedom of speech! To take that right away from just one person makes us just as bad as the dictators and fascists our predecessors fought against over all those years.

Freedom of conscience must take precedence over state legislated "equality" provisions. The state should not be forcing people to do something that in their conscience they morally oppose. And at the end of the day is gay marriage really anti-Christian? Shouldn't we all 'love our neighbours' no matter what?