By Heather Sells and Efrem Graham
On a summer day in 2012, baker Jack Phillips had no idea just where his actions would lead or that they would place him squarely in the center of a national debate over faith and freedom. He simply knew that he needed to attend to the two men looking at cake designs in his shop.
“The two guys had just opened up a book and were looking at stuff at the desk and said, ‘We’re here to talk about wedding cakes and it’s for our wedding,’ ” he told CBN News. “And I apologized and said, ‘I don’t do cakes for same-sex weddings.’ ”
“And they said, ‘What?’ And I said, ‘I’ll sell you birthday cakes, shower cakes, cookies, brownies, anything else. I just don’t do cakes for same-sex weddings,’ ” he continued.
A Baker’s Beliefs
After the men left, the backlash began. For the next several days, Phillips received a stream of angry phone calls from people who supported the gay couple.
Then Phillips did an interview with Focus on the Family, a Christian radio ministry, and calls of support began. CBN News spoke with a number of customers who say Phillips is entitled to practice his beliefs.
“I’m a supporter of gay rights, gay marriage. I think that’s fine,” Rich Bourguard explained. “But I don’t think they should be able to tell somebody what they have to make to sell.”
Customer Dan Meurer said the state shouldn’t be able to tell Phillips what to do.
“I don’t think that someone should be forced to use their artistic ability to make something that goes against their beliefs,” he said. “I don’t see where it’s discriminatory because he would sell them other items.”
Read more at http://www.charismanews.com/us/43267-bake-or-else-wedding-vendors-face-threats-to-liberty