The United States Supreme Court announced its decision Monday on the high-profile 'Masterpiece Cakeshop vs Colorado Commission on Civil Rights' case, siding with Colorado baker, Jack Phillips, who refused to make a same-sex wedding cake based on his religious principles.
Phillips was sued under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, and found to be in violation of the law. But in a surprising 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court flipped the Colorado court decision.
“Whatever the confluence of speech and free exercise principles might be in some cases, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission's consideration of this case was inconsistent with the State's obligation of religious neutrality," wrote Justice Kennedy. “The reason and motive for the baker's refusal were based on his sincere religious beliefs and convictions."
However, when it comes to the big-picture issue of whether religious beliefs give business owners the right to refuse service to same-sex couples, the court refrained from making a decision, deferring instead to “further elaboration in the courts."
“The outcome of cases like this in other circumstances must await further elaboration in the courts, all in the context of recognizing that these disputes must be resolved with tolerance, without undue disrespect to sincere religious beliefs, and without subjecting gay persons to indignities when they seek goods and services in an open market," wrote Kennedy.
Read more in our explainer article here.
On today's show, Glenn Beck said that the Supreme Court failed to answer “the bigger question," choosing instead to settle the case on “a technicality by basically saying that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission didn't seriously enough consider the baker's religious freedom…. The court was also saying the outcome of cases like this in other circumstances must await further elaboration in the courts. Okay, that's exactly what's going to happen."
Watch the clip below to get more of Glenn's take on this decision.
Supreme Court ruling on the bakery in Colorado
The Supreme Court dodged "the bigger question" in same-sex wedding cake case.