There has been much debate about religious liberty lately. On one side, evangelical Christians argue that their faith is under attack from those attempting to reduce their influence in culture. On the other side, proponents of church-state separation contend that some Christians breech the wall of separation as they seek favored status in culture. More pointedly, an even greater conflict has emerged since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker’s right to turn away a gay couple when they requested a wedding cake. In a 7-2 decision (Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission), the court ruled that the commission had shown a “hostility” toward the baker’s religion, violating the “State’s obligation of religious neutrality.” Where this becomes confusing is that the court did not rule on the intersectionality between anti-discrimination laws and First Amendment rights. Therefore, the question still looms large on what precisely the court’s ruling means when it comes to a person’s right to discriminate based upon closely held religious beliefs. For example, would a white supremacist barber be allowed to turn away African Americans because the barber believes in a vile interpretation of the Bible? Could a doctor refuse to […]
