I’m proud of those who’ve signed on to this. It will earn them a torrent of abuse and hatred in certain circles — in fact, it has already begun to do so — but it’s the right thing to do:
“LDS Church, 22 Utah senators back Colorado baker in Supreme Court case”
To reiterate: I do not believe that a cake decorator or an artist or a musician has a legal or ethical obligation to join in celebrating something with which she deeply disagrees.
And yes, to the question of whether I think a cake decorator, artist, or musician has both the legal and moral right to decline participation in celebrating, say, a Latter-day Saint baptism or temple wedding, I do indeed believe that.
I might decide, thereafter, not to patronize that cake decorator, not to commission anything from that artist, or not to hire that musician. That is my right. And even, should I so choose, to suggest to other Latter-day Saints and friends that they not retain services from those people. That, too, is my right.
Just as it is the right of a black cake decorator to refuse to design a cake celebrating the birthday of the Ku Klux Klan on 24 December 1865. Just as a Catholic artist has the right to decline a commission for a work that features a crucifix immersed in urine. Just as Andres Serrano had the right to create precisely such a work. Just as it is the right of a Jewish string quartet to refuse to play for a fancy dress ball sponsored by the leadership of the American Nazi Party. (The power to compel Jewish string quartets to play for officers’ balls belongs more fittingly to Auschwitz, where it was exercised, than to a free republic like the United States.)
I do not know which way the Supreme Court will rule on this case. They don’t always get things right. (Think of Roe v. Wade, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and Kelo v. City of New London.) But we can hope. And I do.
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I don’t believe that I’ve yet called attention to this roughly 36-minute podcast:
“Learning from an Impatient Biblical Job”
Enjoy!
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I also very much like this not-quite-five-minute-long video of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:
The word like is actually a bit . . . weak. What he’s saying isn’t “nice.” If taken seriously, it’s profound and difficult.
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Here’s a nineteen-minute video that I also recommend:
“Why I Joined the Mormon Church – Kaku’s Story”
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