BREAKPOINT: MOPPING UP MYTHS ABOUT MASTERPIECE
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BREAKPOINT: MOPPING UP MYTHS ABOUT MASTERPIECE
Pray that truth will be brought forward in this case for all to see with clarity.
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. (1 Jn 4:6)
With all the misinformation out there about the most important religious freedom ruling of the year, hereās a review of the facts.
After the Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruling, a popular progressive Facebook page posted a meme asking whether āgay heart surgeons have the right to refuse to save the lives of bigoted cake shop owners.ā
Iām going to say this once, and very clearly: This is absurd.
Since its beginning, the Masterpiece case has been plagued by blatant misrepresentations like this one. Itās especially shameful when Christians repeat them.
The first and worst myth is that Jack Phillips refused to serve gay people. This is a complete falsehood. Jack made it clear that heās happy to sell his baked goods to gay people who come into his store. What he refuses to doāvery politely, I might addāis use his artistic talent to promote a messageāthe message that gay āmarriagesā are something we should celebrate.
Why? Because that message violates the deeply held beliefs that Jack has. By the way, so do millions of Americans. That he should be forced by the government to design a cake for a gay wedding is unthinkable.
But thatās not the only myth about his case that just wonāt die. Many say that Christians today are using the same biblical arguments against gay āmarriageā that were once used to defend slavery and Jim Crow laws in generations past. Again, this is flat out false.
Even Justice Kennedy said, in his majority opinion, that this comparison was not only awful but not true. In fact, Kennedy verbally smacked down the Civil Rights Commission of Colorado for making that comparison.
Now to be clear, Americaās shameful history of racism included many Christians. But so-called biblical arguments for racism are and always have been terrible, and areādonāt miss thisāuniquely cultural phenomena. You find them in very narrow historical contexts, like in America and South Africa. Theyāre not consistent throughout Christian history. You canāt find racist arguments across the writings of the Church fathers, or the Reformers, or the major scholars of biblical interpretation and theologyā¦.
But the most troubling thing Iāve heard is probably, āJesus ate with sinners, He would have baked the cake,ā and āJesus didnāt discriminate.āā¦
Second, I wonder whether those who use this argument have ever actually read the gospels. Jesus never endorsed sin. He never celebrated something contrary to Godās design. Loving people is distinct from celebrating behavior. When Christ ate with sinners, we know for a fact He wasnāt celebrating their sin. Thatās why He said things like, āGo, and sin no more.āā¦
Even though the court decided in Jackās favor, itās vital that we lovingly and truthfully counter these myths. This issue is far from settled, and the more people believe these falsehoods, the less likely the next case will go the right way.
Mopping Up Myths about Masterpiece: The Truth about the Cake Shop Case
Itās important to know the facts of this case and to be prepared to present the correct version. Itās also important to understand what our constitutionās guarantee of religious liberty means and how Christians can stand by their beliefs and convictions even in the public marketplace. Check out todayās BreakPoint podcast for Johnās interview with Dr. Robert George on the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision, linked here: (http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/06/john-stonestreet-robert-george-masterpiece-cakeshop-means-religious-freedom-church/ ) (Excerpts from John Stonestreet and G. Shane Morris article in Breakpoint)
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Comments
Thank you for the truth. Satan is not only a liar, but also a deceiver!
Jesus , Son of God said, āi AM the Way, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, No man comes to the Father,
But by Meā.
Great article! I support its content wholeheartedly. I pray for eyes to be opened to the truth of God’s Word, His love and His ways. It is only when we filter what we see and think through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, that true light illuminates our understanding.
LJP Massachusetts