As many of you are aware, yesterday a judge ruled against a bakery's owners who refused to make a cake for a gay couple. The owners were christian and didn't wanna do it as it went against their beliefs.
People who have offered support to the bakery owners say they should be allowed to serve who they want but anti-discrimination laws say they had to do it no matter what they thought.
Having half my family from Belfast I can say it is a very backwards city where religious attitudes are quite set in the past. It is said that Northern Ireland is 50 years behind England when it comes to religious tolerance and gay rights so i'm quite happy the judge ruled in this way. Set a great precedent for others to follow.
What are your views guys?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32791239
Belfast Cake-gate
posted on 21/5/15
Let me give another example... Again, extreme, but it displays that political/moral/religious rights can be a reason to deny service.
It is not illegal to be a white supremacist. It is a political view point, just as "supporting gay rights" is.
If a person walks into a bakery and asks for "I support white supremacy" to be put on a cake, do you think, by law, that bakery should be forced to make that, even if it went against every fibre of their beliefs?
posted on 21/5/15
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posted on 21/5/15
Does anyone acutally know what the details of the case are? It sounds to me like they had already had some kind of set to with the cake people over them being gay, so set up the the whole cake thing to trap them. This cannot be just about the cake, it's just too stupid.
posted on 21/5/15
You need to let go of the message on the cake Ji and focus on the matter that was brought to court. That is, discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The message on the court is the distraction from the real issue that they were found guilty of
posted on 21/5/15
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posted on 21/5/15
Right, so the cake has nothing to do with the case at all and is just a bit of colour to the story. Why didn't anyone just say so then? I've asked the fecking question enough fecking times.
posted on 21/5/15
You are clearly missing the point.
Refusal of service based on your religious, political or ethical beliefs is NOT the same as refusing service based on equality (and therefore covered by the equality act).
posted on 21/5/15
comment by Manfrombelmonty (U1705)
posted 2 minutes ago
You need to let go of the message on the cake Ji and focus on the matter that was brought to court. That is, discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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Why though, if that is what I find a dangerous precedent and think that the sexual orientation IS the side issue? Courts sometimes get it wrong or abuse their power.
The government must be laughing that no one cares anymore. They take a grey area case and people then just accept it as the new reality without considering the consequences.
Equal rights = good
Having to provide a service, even if it goes against your religious/ethical/politcal views = bad, and actually goes against the idea of equal rights
posted on 21/5/15
Gay rights and Christian rights need to be respected,and some gay groups are being openly hostile towards Christians,and then it will be muslim's etc.
Much focus is on anti-gay feelings from Christian's,but both so called sides need to respect each other.
A snarling LGBT activist is no better than religious bigotry.
posted on 21/5/15
manfrom
The court ruling may lead to a muslim being told to do a picture of the prophet,or a Catholic business to publish abortion info,and is this tolerable.
I live and work in the Belfast area,and know that the Alliance mayor who was to receive the cake,wanted mediation,and not confrontation with anyone,so the gay activist,equality commission and court may have jumped the gun,and opened a can of worms.