At the very end of the 2018 legislative session, Republicans and Democrats came to a resolution regarding the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, ensuring the commission would live to see another day. But should it?
The original debate about whether the commission should exist was around its handling of the Masterpiece Bakeshop complaint, in which Jack Phillips refused to make a wedding cake for a marriage between two men. Phillips’ religion does not recognize marriage between two men. He was happy to serve the two men in any other capacity, but did not want to celebrate their marriage. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruled against Phillips and, eventually, the case ended up at the U.S. Supreme Court where the court blasted the commission for its handling of the situation.
From the official court decision:
“The Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s consideration of this case was inconsistent with the state’s obligation of religious neutrality…The commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee that our laws be applied in a manner that is neutral toward religion.”
Say what? The Colorado Civil Rights Commission was openly hostile to religion? Nooooo. Just kidding, of course it was. Civil rights go both ways, folks. Today’s hostile rhetoric toward religion is tomorrow’s hostility to what? Pick today’s cause celebre.
We say that civil rights should be guaranteed for all, not just liberals. Can we agree at least on that?