Richard Land, president of the Southern
Evangelical Seminary, has come to the defense of a Colorado baker who
refused to serve a gay couple.
Last week, Colorado's Civil Rights
Commission told suburban Denver-based Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack
Phillips that he must serve all customers regardless of sexual
orientation.
The panel unanimously agreed with Judge
Robert N. Spencer's finding in December that Phillips violated the
state's civil rights law in 2012 when he refused to consider baking a
cake for a male gay couple celebrating their wedding, which took
place in Massachusetts. The couple's marriage is recognized in
Colorado as a civil union.
Land, who is guest hosting FRC's
Washington Week radio show, asserted that Phillips “did not
refuse to serve these people.”
“He offered them his services. He
just did not want to provide his services as part of a gay wedding
ceremony,” Land said.
“This would be like going to a bakery
owned by an African-American and saying, 'By the way, you have to
bake a cake for a KKK induction ceremony, under penalty of law,'”
he said.
During an appearance on Fox News,
Phillips
said he was no longer accepting orders for wedding cakes.