Dojo Discussion: Gay wedding cakes, discrimination and religious freedom
Hi Dojo readers,
Today on my way back from a speaking engagement in Atlanta, I was thinking about the recent controversy surrounding the issue of businesses being allowed to refuse service based on religious conviction. The issue has been brought to the cultural forefront by recent Arizona legislation that has been seen as targeting LGBT civil rights. But it’s been an issue in a number of states across the country and has elicited very heated responses on all sides.
I’ve written about it before, but today as I was driving I wanted to talk through what I feel is a particularly helpful distinction that could–perhaps–lead to a “middle way” in upholding both the rights of people to not be discriminated against, as well as the rights of people to operate private businesses according to their religious convictions. And since I had my camcorder and a semi-stable mini tripod with me, I figured what better way to pass the time on a road trip than to discuss a current cultural hot-button issue??
My suggestion in the “drog” below (“driving blog” for those not hip to the lingo coined by my friend and colleague Dave Hickman!) is a result of further reflection and a few Facebook discussions I had with folks after reading a thoughtful response by my friend Lawrence Garcia, a Pastor in Arizona who opposes the law in question. I’m not saying it is the perfect solution by any means. But I feel like if recognized, it could go a long way in establishing legislation that the vast majority of thoughtful voters could be more comfortable with than the current zero-sum game being played by activists on both sides of the socio-political divide.
Take a listen and let me know what you think. And keep in mind that this is an attempt at formulating my thoughts and encouraging respectful and civil discussion. It’s not a polished thesis or eloquent oratory presentation by any means. Just food for thought…
Categories: Arts and Culture, Blog, Church History, Ministry, Political/Social issues, Relationships
Sent you an email about this, didn’t know if you wanted me to post it here as it’s a bit lengthy. If you can post it here, please do so. If not that is also cool.
by Christopher Bowers on Feb 27, 2014 at 7:38 pm
Chris, feel free to share what you sent me here. It was in separate emails so if you want to consolidate your main points and summarize below, I think it would benefit readers and move the discussion forward. You raise some good points that I’d like others to hear and be able to interact with.
by JM Smith on Feb 27, 2014 at 7:50 pm
This was fantastic!!! As an artist myself, I completely identify with your examples of creating something that depicts a certain message. I do commissioned work as well, but regardless of whether the subject matter or theme is provided to me by the person requesting the piece, my own artistic styling, creativity, effort, and most importantly, NAME, go into every single piece I produce. The idea that I could be coerced by the government (or else face lawsuits or fines) to create and put my name on something I have strong moral objections to is terrifying. And as an artist, I recognize the creative piece of themselves that every photographer or custom baker puts into the goods they provide. It deeply saddens me for those few who have recently been targeted in the efforts of certain groups to draw attention to their cause. The fact that those bakers and photographers have lost court cases and even lost their businesses as a result makes me afraid of further pursuing my goals in art as a profession. I so appreciated hearing your insights on the concept of finding a middle ground between the two noisy extremes. I will be sharing this on my Facebook and hope that my friends and family will find it as enlightening as I have.
by Jill on Feb 27, 2014 at 10:32 pm
[…] Dojo Discussion: Gay wedding cakes, discrimination and religious freedom. While the noise of his car was a bit annoying, I really appreciated the thoughts recorded by this blogger as he was driving. Indeed, some of my rambling thoughts come from him – so I should claim him as my bibliography! Worth a few minutes of your time to listen to. […]
by More on the “something” topic | Enough Light on Mar 1, 2014 at 9:37 pm
You are spot on in your dlog, but we have been tying to say this all along. It’s being suppressed by the media. The florist had sold flowers to this homosexual couple for years, but the florist did not want to participate in the wedding. The same goes for the baker. The pizza shop said that it would serve anyone that walked in the shop, but they couldn’t cater a gay wedding. This is exactly what believers have been saying the entire time. No one will listen. BTW, newspapers already have this right. They do not have to print advertising that they find objectionable. It’s called freedom of the press. All we want is the same right for religion.
by J Luther Barnhart on Apr 8, 2015 at 9:12 pm
Hello google
by sergeyigorev on Oct 5, 2019 at 7:24 am