by | July 9, 2023 · 6:10 am

The First Amendment

Wrongs don’t agree with our founding fathers that our rights are endowed to us by God. They think they are endowed by government, and that what the government hath given, the government can taketh away.

Ever since SCOTUS legalized same-sex “marriage” throughout the United States, Wrong activists have been targeting Christian wedding vendors – e.g., bakers, photographers, invitation designers, etc. It’s never about them being denied the right to get these services, but about finding and suing them for suggesting they shop elsewhere.

Back in 2018, the court sided with Jack Phillips in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission that a state human rights commission had violated the baker’s First Amendment right to free exercise of religion by fining him for refusing to make cakes for same-sex weddings. Masterpiece Cakeshop is in a large city with many, many other bakers.

Colorado is after him again, this time for refusing to make a cake to celebrate a trannie, a lawyer who made very, very sure that Phillips knew the blue and pink cake was for her trans birthday, then trotted off to file a lawsuit. S/he probably had the paperwork all drawn up before going to the cake shop. Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against Masterpiece Cakeshop, just as they did eight years ago. The Alliance Defending Freedom says they will appeal, which I think means they will ask SCOTUS if they will either hear the case or allow the ruling against Phillips to stand.

On June 30, SCOTUS ruled (6-3) in two related cases against Wrong efforts to destroy the religious freedom of Christian artisans. In the first case, the justices ruled again against Colorado for punishing Lorie Smith, an artist and graphic designer, for refusing to create websites for same-sex weddings. Smith says her case is about freedom of speech for all artists.

“I want the LGBT graphic designer to be free to create consistent with her beliefs, and the Democrat speechwriter and the atheist photographer. A win in my case is truly a win for all Americans.” The New York Times editorial board wrote, “The Supreme Court Has Opened the Door to Discrimination.” But I’m sure it’s just a po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to thing, right?

Hours later, the supremes ruled in favor of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in its battle with Oregon state over their refusal to make same-sex wedding cakes. Under a public accommodations law, the business was fined $135,000 and the couple forbidden to discuss their case or their religious beliefs in public. The financial penalty and an internet-based boycott campaign forced their bakery out of business. First Liberty Institute, a Plano, Texas-based nonprofit legal organization that defends religious liberty, organized the couple’s legal representation.

  • In 2016, the Court of Appeals of Oregon upheld the fine, but removed the gag order. (Ya think? Telling Americans, “You can’t talk about your faith.” Yowza!)
  • In 2019, the case got to SCOTUS, which remanded it back to the state in light of the Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling.
  • In 2022, the Oregon Court of Appeals overturned the $135,000 fine, but held that the couple had still violated state law and remanded the case back to the commissioner.
  • In July 2022, the commissioner fined the business $30,000, without holding a new hearing.
  • On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the Court of Appeals of Oregon, remanding the case to that court in light of its own decision earlier that day in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.

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