A Christian baker whose contentious religious freedom case will head to the U.S. Supreme Court later this year appeared on “The View” on Friday alongside his attorney to discuss why he chose not to make a same-sex wedding cake.
Baker Jack Phillips defended his 2012 decision to turn away a gay couple, discussing with host Joy Behar, among others on the show’s panel. In a cordial yet pointed discussion, Phillips made it clear that he serves everyone, but said he simply doesn’t make cakes for gay weddings or other events or themes he objects to.
READ: Is it Sinful for a Christian Baker to Make a Cake for a Gay Wedding?
“It’s a difficult thing to be in my position and know that somebody’s requesting me to do something that I can’t in good conscience do,” he said. “I believe that the Bible clearly teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman.”
Behar, though, said she can’t imagine that Phillips believes everything that’s in the Christian scriptures.
“There are other things in the Bible that I’m sure you don’t believe,” she proclaimed.
And co-host Sara Haines also pushed back against Phillips, quoting the Bible on multiple fronts to question whether his turning-away of the couple was appropriate.
“[The Bible] says, ‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman,’ but it also says, ‘Don’t judge others’ … it also says, ‘Love thy neighbor,'” Haines said before asking Phillips how he reconciles his decision with these latter verses.
The baker, though, remained calm and measured as he attempted to explain his perspective on the matter.
“I’m not judging these two gay men that came in,” Phillips said. “I’m just trying to preserve my right as an artist to decide which artistic endeavors I’m going to do and which ones I’m not.”
Perhaps the climax of the segment came when Phillips was asked if he believes Jesus would have made the cake, to which he said he did not believe so. Behar jumped in at that moment to make her own views on the matter more than known.
“Oh come on, Jesus would have made the cake,” she said. “That’s a deal breaker. Jesus is going to make the cake.”
While it was clear that no one on the panel was going to overwhelmingly support Phillips’ decision, he spent more than 10 minutes going back and forth and explaining his theology, beliefs and take on government-mandated artistry. Additionally, he discussed the financial toll his decision has taken on his bakery.
“We’ve stopped making wedding cakes, period,” he said, briefly describing that the decision has taken a great financial toll on his business.
Watch the segment below:
As Faithwire previously reported, the country could soon have some clarity on the legal front when Phillips’ Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case is heard by the Supreme Court in the fall.
Read more about the contentious case here.