Discrimination can cut two ways

Re “No ‘wedding cake’ exception,” editorial, Sept. 13

High court justices inclined to side with the devoutly Christian baker in Colorado who refused to make a cake for a gay couple’s wedding reception should ask whether they want to shield both believing and nonbelieving bigots from discrimination lawsuits.

How about salespeople whose “inherently communicative” efforts are so vital to businesses’ success? Can a humanist employer, for example, turn down a Southern Baptist for sales work if she feels that his faith’s antipathy toward gays will impede his solicitation of LGBTQ customers?

Religion historically has been a singularly divisive force. Hence our courts should review “religious liberty” claims with great skepticism — and bear in mind that faith-based discrimination works both ways.

::Solana Beach

The Colorado baker did not refuse service on the basis of sexual orientation or any other characteristic.

In fact, he said he would have served the couple anything other than a wedding cake. The baker refused to produce that cake because he found the message of the cake offensive.

What if an African American baker was asked to bake a cake with the Confederate flag on it? Should he have no right to refuse service in that instance? ::

Los Angeles

Here’s a simple test: Replace the word “gay” with another minority.

If the baker in question had told a Jewish couple that baking a cake for them would equate to endorsing their refusal to practice his personal religion, he would rightly be called a bigot. Blaming one’s bigotry on Christian teachings is just a smokescreen.

Claremont