thetorpedostouch


Responses to Comments	It’s About More Than Cake On December 5, 2017 news outlets featured a story concerning a Lakewood, Colorado bakery whose Christian owner refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple on the grounds that the relationship was not recognized by his religion. The incident occurred in 2012. The media touted it as a legal issue, that of discrimination. Others claim that it is more of a freedom of speech issue. Perhaps it is both, but basically it is more than that. It is an issue that goes much deeper than the law. It touches the very heart of religion. Here is the dilemma: on one hand religions like Christianity and Islam teach love and compassion for all people. On the other hand, both religions are steadfast in their commitment to a dogmatic set of ethical and moral standards. If Mr. Phillips, the baker, made the cake showing compassion for the gay couple he would have been in violation of adhering to the moral standard which states that marriage should be between a man and a woman. What should he do? Show compassion or hold fast to a moral mandate? If he had made the cake wouldn’t the couple have been impressed by his willingness to do the job in spite of his belief, making them, in turn, impressed by his religion? Maybe even causing them to consider his religion as one that they might be inclined to investigate? On the other hand, if he refused to make the cake, it would show his commitment to the moral standard of his religion. Of course, he chose to do the latter, resulting in a hailstorm of protests pitting conservative Christians against those who saw the act as discriminatory; reinforcing the opinion of many that Christians are intolerant and arrogant in their attitude of those who do not agree with the Christian benchmark for morality or hold to the ideology of that faith. You see, the implication of this act is that Christians show love and compassion to only those who are sympathetic to their way of life and their creed. All others who do not share those standards or beliefs are not to be tolerated. “Love thy neighbor” becomes conditional. This dilemma between compassion and intolerance has always been problematic in religion, especially in Christianity and Islam. Where does one draw the line? Should there be a line at all? There used to be a motto used by Christians that was abbreviated WWJD (what would Jesus do?). I guess the question that should be pondered by every Christian is: would Jesus have made the cake?
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It’s About More Than Cake

On December 5, 2017 news outlets featured a story concerning a Lakewood, Colorado bakery whose Christian owner refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple on the grounds that the relationship was not recognized by his religion. The incident occurred in 2012. The media touted it as a legal issue, that of discrimination. Others claim that it is more of a freedom of speech issue. Perhaps it is both, but basically it is more than that. It is an issue that goes much deeper than the law. It touches the very heart of religion. Here is the dilemma: on one hand religions like Christianity and Islam teach love and compassion for all people. On the other hand, both religions are steadfast in their commitment to a dogmatic set of ethical and moral standards. If Mr. Phillips, the baker, made the cake showing compassion for the gay couple he would have been in violation of adhering to the moral standard which states that marriage should be between a man and a woman. What should he do? Show compassion or hold fast to a moral mandate? If he had made the cake wouldn’t the couple have been impressed by his willingness to do the job in spite of his belief, making them, in turn, impressed by his religion? Maybe even causing them to consider his religion as one that they might be inclined to investigate? On the other hand, if he refused to make the cake, it would show his commitment to the moral standard of his religion. Of course, he chose to do the latter, resulting in a hailstorm of protests pitting conservative Christians against those who saw the act as discriminatory; reinforcing the opinion of many that Christians are intolerant and arrogant in their attitude of those who do not agree with the Christian benchmark for morality or hold to the ideology of that faith. You see, the implication of this act is that Christians show love and compassion to only those who are sympathetic to their way of life and their creed. All others who do not share those standards or beliefs are not to be tolerated. “Love thy neighbor” becomes conditional. This dilemma between compassion and intolerance has always been problematic in religion, especially in Christianity and Islam. Where does one draw the line? Should there be a line at all? There used to be a motto used by Christians that was abbreviated WWJD (what would Jesus do?). I guess the question that should be pondered by every Christian is: would Jesus have made the cake?