Americans cherish the First Amendment principle of “religious freedom” even as they question its meaning and test its limits, scholars say.
They expect the arguments in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case going before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday will be a window to these tensions.
Is a Colorado Christian baker’s custom cake an “artistic expression,” a protected type of speech entitling him to refuse to produce a custom wedding cake for a same-sex couple?
Or is his religion-based refusal to sell goods to any paying customer a violation of Colorado’s law banning discrimination in public accommodations, one that harms a buyer’s dignity?