A Colorado baker who refused to participate in a same-sex marriage ceremony by providing the wedding cake was a guest on "The View" along with his attorney to discuss his Supreme Court case and insisted that Jesus also wouldn't have baked the cake.
Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, declined an order to bake a cake for same-sex couple Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012.
"I serve everybody all the time but I don't make every cake for every event that's required," Phillips told the hosts of "The View" on June 29. "It's a difficult thing to be in my position and know that somebody is requesting something that I can't in good conscience do.
"I believe the Bible clearly teaches marriage is between one man and one woman," Phillips added. "I'm not judging these two gay men who came in. I'm just trying to preserve my right as an artist to decide which artistic endeavors I'm going to do and which one's I'm not."
In 2014, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission found Phillips guilty of discrimination, claiming that he violated Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act, or CADA.
The commission ordered Phillips to undergo sensitivity training and provide them with updates on any cake orders he refused to take, providing an explanation for this reasoning.
In August 2015, the Colorado Court of Appeals sided with the Civil Rights Commission, prompting Phillips to file a petition for appeal with the state supreme court last October.
In April 2016, the Colorado Supreme Court refused to hear Phillips' appeal, prompting an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in July 2016.
The Supreme Court decided on June 26 to grant an appeal in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, setting the stage for a major legal struggle on the question of religious liberty and LGBT rights.
"The View" co-host Paula Faris, who has openly talked about her Christian faith, asked Phillips what he thought Jesus would do in his situation.
"Would Jesus have made the cake? I don't believe he would have, Phillips replied, because that would have contradicted the rest of the biblical teaching. I don't believe that Jesus would have made the cake if He had been a baker."
Joy Behar, who frequently shares her liberal beliefs on the show, snapped at an audience member who applauded after every comment Phillips made and responded to Phillips' statements, saying, "Come on — Jesus would have made the cake. You can believe the Bible and everything, but Jesus — that's a deal breaker. Jesus is gonna make the cake."
In an interview with The Christian Post on June 2, 2014, Phillips and his lawyer explained that his Christian faith is on trial because he had been serving gay customers for several years. He simply did not want to participate in a same-sex wedding by baking the cake because homosexuality goes against his Christian faith.
"Jack has a long history of serving everyone in the community. However, he does not serve all events. Everyone can agree a wedding cake is qualitatively different than a box of brownies," said Nicolle Martin.
Phillips has since stopped making wedding cakes altogether. He also declines orders to make "adult-themed" cakes, Halloween cakes, anti-American cakes and any cake that would "disparage somebody."
He told "The View" hosts that he isn't anti-gay, but he doesn't support same-sex marriage. Phillips also emphasized that he welcomes all gay people in his store and that his case is really about artistic freedom.
"These two gentlemen are welcome in my store today, they're welcome in my store every day — I welcome everybody that comes in," he added. "I don't make every cake for every event."
This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
