6.04.2018

Religious Freedom in the Context of Wedding Cakes


Today the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission which focused on whether the state of Colorado can force baker Jack Phillips to express his support of a same-sex wedding through his bakery. Jack is a Christian, and while he sold countless cakes to LGBT people, he felt he could not take part in a religious ceremony that violated his Christian beliefs.
The case, argued by Kristen Waggoner (Regent Law 1997), Senior Vice President of U.S. Legal Advocacy & General Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, is about marriage, religious freedom and most of all free expression.  Writing about this previously in How Will the Proliferation and Recognition of Domestic Partnerships Affect Marriage?, it has been clear for quite some time that expanding marriage would have religious freedom implications, as well as  Collateral Effects on Family Law.
The Supreme Court of the United States held in favor of Jack Phillips in that the Colorado Civil Right Commission's hostility to the baker's religious beliefs was inconsistent with the First Amendment.  Read the full opinion at Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colo. Civil Rights Comm., U.S., No. 16-111, 6/4/18.  Today Regent Law Dean Mike Hernandez appeared on CBN Newswatch discussing the Masterpiece Cakeshop victory at the Supreme Court, where the lead attorneys were Regent Law alumni.   





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