I’ve written before about the idea of bakers refusing to bake cakes for same-sex weddings. Photographers are running into the same issue. 
It’s important to note (I think) that this was not about a same-sex wedding, since that wasn’t legal at the time in New Mexico. The plaintiffs were able to find another photographer whose services were less expensive that Huguenin’s, so availability of the service in general isn’t the issue. The defendant testified that they regularly serviced gays and lesbians, but they declined to shoot the commitment ceremony on faith-based grounds. Huguenin lost her appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court. Religious conservatives were outraged, and LGBTQ advocates were happy. Huguenin has appealed to SCOTUS.
Now Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has vetoed SB 1062, which would have allowed a business to deny services based on the religious beliefs of the business owner. One protest sign said “Civil rights trump religious wrongs.” Yet isn’t freedom of religion a basic human and civil right?
Consider a web guru named Joan. Hugh approaches Joan and asks her to build him a site to host and sell pornography. He assures her that all models are over 18, and that it’s all legitimate. She declines, saying that she simply prefers not to do adult-oriented sites. Should she be forced to provide services to Hugh?
Now consider the same situation, except that Joan says that her religious beliefs will not allow her to work on a pornographic website. Should she be allowed to decline the work?
Mike is a tattoo artist. Marco comes in to his shop with a custom tattoo design that incorporates a swastika, a cross, and several Neo-Nazi slogans that he wants Mike to ink on his back. Mike declines, saying he thinks it’s too intricate for him to do.
Should Marco be able to force Mike to do the tattoo anyway?
What if Mike says he simply finds the design offensive? Should he be forced to do the tattoo?
What if Mike says his religious beliefs won’t allow him to do anything associated with the Neo-Nazi movement?
What if Mike is the only tattoo artist within 250 miles?
Would you force Abdul’s Butcher Shop or Chaim’s Meat Shop to butcher Frank’s pig?
Would you force a photographer named Fatima to shoot a same-sex wedding or commitment ceremony?
Is it now appropriate and legal to force a Jewish caterer to serve pork at a Christian wedding on Saturday?
Why are Christians so worried about cases like these? Most LGBTQ advocates say they’re only asking that business not be allowed to discriminate against them. They’ll never try to force a church or a pastor to perform a ceremony.
But why not? Why is a member of the clergy any different from any other person with a particular religious belief? If it’s appropriate to force a photographer to take pictures in violation of their religious beliefs, why not force a member of the clergy to perform a ceremony that’s in violation of their religious beliefs?
If you’re nodding and saying, “Yeah, that’s right! That’s a great idea!” then you’re missing my point.
Let’s be clear about this trend: people are saying that it’s alright to use government force to compel someone to violate their religious principles.
What would Jesus do? I think He’d bake the cake. Or take the photograph. Or to put it more in line with His skills, He’d build the table, or cabinet, or whatever wooden gift you might take to a same-sex wedding. He’d love on the people. Jesus tended to be that way. The people He was most confrontational about were the ones who were presumptuous and proud in their strict legality.
Every person that Jesus ate with or drank with or healed was a sinner, and considered in many cases to be the dregs of society. What does that say of modern-day Christians who won’t serve people because of their sins?
But would Jesus have asked Caesar to send a legion to make His followers serve others?
Share your thoughts!