Is it exercising freedom of religion for a store owner to refuse service to gays? [Spirituality & Religion]

Right to refuse service applies to all companies in the US.

Kinda fucked up .... I don’t know of any religion that’s states “thou shall not sell cake to gay couple” wow!!! I really don’t like religion ... I view it as the source of all our major global problems today

You're asking two different things. Are you more interested in suppressing religious rights, or inventing forms of discrimination to persecute people of faith?

Ugh sick of this argument !

The 'Religious freedom' is the bakers right to practice his faith unhindered by the state !
Deliberately refusing service to a couple because it conflicts with your religious viewpoint is NOT an INFRINGEMENT of your RIGHT TO PRACTICE YOUR FAITH !

If ANYTHING it's an upholding of THE LAW AGAINST the bakers THINKING that HE has the RIGHT to refuse service to a gay couple.
Why ? Because that is DISCRIMINATION !
PUNISHABLE by LAW !

See the difference ?

It is both religious freedom and it is discriminatory.

This is about intersecting freedoms - two freedoms contradict each other, and thus one has to win. Usually this is decided by which freedom causes the greatest harm if denied.

Is it a greater harm to force a cake shop to sell a cake to gay people, or is it a greater harm for gay people to be unable to buy a cake from that shop?

We typically say it's a greater harm for gay people to be unable to shop because of the prevalence of homophobia and if allowed in practice, a gay person could theoretically be unable to shop anywhere. Forcing someone to sell them a cake may be uncomfortable, but is nowhere near the same sort of harm.

Technically a service can be refused but if it can be proven that its refused on race, sexual orientation etc then more than likely the person refusing to carry out the service will lose in court

They are there to provide a service to everyone who can pay for it, whether their views approve of it or not. They shouldn't get into public selling if they are going to be bigoted about it.

The reason is irrelevant! Everyone has the right to refuse service. They could have gone two blocks away and gotten the cake somewhere else! Problem solved! They wouldn't do that because the idea of causing a problem was more important than the cake.

Fundamentalist Christianity teaches a doctrine that would justify that kind of behavior. The new testament even teaches that effeminate people are going to hell, and that you are not supposed to support or condone same. This is part of the reason for my heresy. You don't have to be gay, you just act feminine and you're a crispy critter! There are plenty of other cake shops that the gay couple can go to. There's no need to deal with fundamentalists unless you're just trying to get attention and promote some political narrative. Yes. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." That would be the best approach.

Nah. Religion is nothing more than an excuse to hate. And I'd bet the house the Mr. Cake Shop Owner is getting a handy in the parking lot by the gay-bashing preacher after Sunday service.

It's discrimination pure and simple. People use "religion" as a way of masking bigotry

I thought a shop owner could refuse service to anyone if they wanted. I tell you its the one wedding cake shop that specialises in same-sex marriages that'll end up making a fortune eventually.

such a big thing for nothing

Unfortunately it is. But I hope hospitals refuse to help religious people based on their religious belief.

No...

What religion expects their adherents to be snobby morons in the name of some invisible asshole? Oh, wait... a lot do.

I think that’s wrong but the owner could at least given the gay couple a Fruitcake on the house. 😜

In this specific instance, yes.

Yes