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If a business owner discriminates on the basis of sex, ethnicity, race, or religion, Americans consider it a big deal if not a constitutional problem. But a ga

If a business owner discriminates on the basis of sex, ethnicity, race, or religion, Americans consider it a big deal if not a constitutional problem. But a gay business owner cannot discriminate against the very religious groups who seek to exclude gay people from their institutions or services. Gay people do not even galvanize around such political positions as, say, banning Christian marriage or Christian adoption, or supporting the firing of Christian employees.

slibhb 5y ago
> But a gay business owner cannot discriminate against the very religious groups who seek to exclude gay people from their institutions or services It's illegal to refuse service to a Christian on the grounds of his religion but it's not illegal for a painter to refuse to paint a mural if he finds its message (which may be religious) revolting.
umvi 5y ago
So you are saying a gay web designer should not be able to refuse a job from a fundamentalist Christian wanting a fundamentalist Christian website (the content of which the gay web designer objects to)?
- threatofrain 5y ago
  That's already the law, and in a way which is permanent enough not to imagine other scenarios of what "ought" be.
  - akvadrako 5y ago
    Deciding this question is what the court case is about. So it's debateable if it's already the law.
    - threatofrain 5y ago
      The question before the court is the opposite one you are thinking of. Whether people can discriminate against Christians is not under debate.
      - shadowgovt 5y ago
        The protection of rights as per sexual orientation and the protection of rights as per religious affiliation are siblings in the Civil Rights Act; they're two of the (equal) protected classes. Any conclusions drawn by the Court in this case will be readily extrapolable to religious affiliation. Web designers don't have to do a "We're gay and we love it" site because it offends their religious beliefs? Then other web designers don't have to do a "This is our Catholic church" site because Catholicism offends their Protestant beliefs. (IANAL, but this would, perhaps, be a good argument for the defendants to bring).
CheezeIt 5y ago
It’s not in any way a constitutional problem.

slibhb 5y ago

> But a gay business owner cannot discriminate against the very religious groups who seek to exclude gay people from their institutions or services It's illegal to refuse service to a Christian on the grounds of his religion but it's not illegal for a painter to refuse to paint a mural if he finds its message (which may be religious) revolting.

umvi 5y ago

So you are saying a gay web designer should not be able to refuse a job from a fundamentalist Christian wanting a fundamentalist Christian website (the content of which the gay web designer objects to)?

threatofrain 5y ago
That's already the law, and in a way which is permanent enough not to imagine other scenarios of what "ought" be.
- akvadrako 5y ago
  Deciding this question is what the court case is about. So it's debateable if it's already the law.
  - threatofrain 5y ago
    The question before the court is the opposite one you are thinking of. Whether people can discriminate against Christians is not under debate.
    - shadowgovt 5y ago
      The protection of rights as per sexual orientation and the protection of rights as per religious affiliation are siblings in the Civil Rights Act; they're two of the (equal) protected classes. Any conclusions drawn by the Court in this case will be readily extrapolable to religious affiliation. Web designers don't have to do a "We're gay and we love it" site because it offends their religious beliefs? Then other web designers don't have to do a "This is our Catholic church" site because Catholicism offends their Protestant beliefs. (IANAL, but this would, perhaps, be a good argument for the defendants to bring).

CheezeIt 5y ago

It’s not in any way a constitutional problem.