Christian Family face possible legal action

Didn't we do this quite thoroughly on this thread, last year?

Although I'm not quite so sure now as I was then. I just don't know. Are gay rights being given precedence over the rights of freedom to follow one's religious beliefs?

thjis is interesting (as Mollie has already referred to)

Yes, I agree Mishap, and I see from the news that Coleen Nolan is in trouble for saying something similar on Loose Women (although I think she referred to ISIS). The difference being, I suppose, that gay marriage doesn't represent a repressive or violent culture.

I wonder what I would have done if I were a baker and asked to produce a cake with a swastika on it for instance. I would feel very strongly that should not do it - but would I be obliged to? I suppose I would feel that I was, by default, endorsing the message of such a symbol. Maybe this is what these bakers feel - I don't agree with them of course, but I am just trying to understand where they are coming from.

BTW, what did Jesus ever say about homosexuality? Anything? Bet he, if he'd been a baker, would have made them a cake and decorated it as they desired.

So the bakers and anyone else can hold whatever religious beliefs they like. Their beliefs and their religion (as they see it) is not affected.

The orderer of cake was not asking the bakers to be gay. Making a cake for someone is not "endorsing" whatever the slogan you put on the cake says, it's just doing your business without prejudice or discrimination against any of your customers.

The bakers can carry on thinking homosexuality is a sin. No-one is asking them to do anything other than be tolerant of others and to treat people equally whatever their race, religion or lack of religion, sexual orientation, age, etc, etc.

this is a very valid point made by DUP MLA Paul Givan

"What we cannot have is a hierarchy of rights, and today there's a clear hierarchy being established that gay rights are more important than the rights of people to hold religious beliefs."

I am quoting - his words not mine

Well I was wrong on this when I said I thought they wouldn't be prosecuted - they were, and found guilty.

Cake

I'm very surprised.

PS
But business is business, and as long as they words were not extreme or offensive to most other people I would probably just go ahead and do the work.

PPS I'm a Yorkshire woman though: such a decision might seem a bit dirty, we know that 'where there's muck there's brass (money)'.

Oh dear - what a mess. The cake shop people were being ridiculous, but I would just have cheerfully gone elsewhere and told the gay community and friends not to use that bakery. After all, as a left-winger I would not have wanted to decorate a cake with right wing slogans. Or religious slogans for that matter.

J B F, is that not a type of running with a Sat Nav in the woods?
No I am not, are you?

Of course this thing was ''set up'', and probably the local, regional and national press, on all sides was warned.
The business of wearing religious symbols are set up too - its free publicity, no?
Interesting that the Sun - Fake Sheik has been rumbled, Max Clifford is in gaol for a long time, C of E is to have Women Bishops, and the Conservatives support Gay / Les. marriages - so maybe we'll get less Press push for these cake, crosses, and double bed stories, please.

Having read all the posts on this, I think it really was a set up.However it does make you think about our 'rights' doesn't it? I had always thought that a shop did not have to serve you if it didn't want to [unkempt, smelly, drunk, disorderly etc] what if you were black or gay and all those other things besides?Can you imagine the fall out? This town hall should have better things to do [with our money] than host Bert and Ernie [weird!] cakes with gay slogans.If the cake shop did not want this commission, then surely it has every right to refuse it?Just as it may not wish to decorate a cake with the slogan 'support communism' or any other thing, which is lawful [to support] but the shop manager does not agree with.Hopefully we have not gone so far down the road in this country that we cannot stand by our own views but that we are fearful of litigation.I agree with Lilygran and her posts on here on this one.No shop should ever refuse to serve somebody for reasons of colour/race etc but this cake decorating thing is another matter.The other thing is the Bert/Ernie cake choice, they were popular childrens characters from Sesame Street and everyone knows that.Not meant to be gay at all.Ridiculous.

Thanks, jingl!

My whaaat? was to LM. Not A.

Are you a woman LovingMan?

Or do you mean wrong orientation?

Whaaat?! Totally.

From cakes and Christianity to leering....

I would, Ana, but I'm the wrong gender for you, however if you're ''Bi'' ......

"I'm Gay - Try Me!"

I would just like a cake. #soddingdiet

I think I'd like a cake with the slogan "This cake is gay" or "I am a gay cake". Can't decide which I prefer? Help me, gransnetters!

Shows it's just the press building it up.

I live in the local area of the Bakery under discussion and an excellent establishment it is with several outlets with coffee shops. My understanding is that there was no difficulty in baking the cake, it was the slogan that they would not do.

In all the years that I've bought their products, used their local coffee shops, I did not know that it was a 'Christian Bakery'.

And certainly from my own point of view the incident does not appear to have affected their custom.
Their shops still appear to be as busy as ever.

There is the small factory where everything is baked and there are two of their bakery shops within walking distance, it seems that although the matter is getting a lot of national publicity, here in the area all goes on as it always has, the matter was on the news, in the press... and since the first time the news broke I don't think I've even heard anyone mention it.....