For those who are not religious, this will not seem to be a big deal.
The disagreement comes on one issue only — should a Christian provide goods and services to a gay wedding. That's it. We're not talking about serving a meal at a restaurant. We're not talking about baking a cake for a birthday party. We're talking about a wedding, which millions of Christians view as a sacrament of the faith and other, mostly Protestant Christians, view as a relationship ordained by God to reflect a holy relationship.
Many DEVOUT Christians, including a significant number of Catholic and Protestant preachers, believe that a gay marriage is a sinful corruption of a relationship God himself ordained. Because they try to glorify God through their work, they believe they cannot participate in a wedding service. Yes, because they believe they are glorifying God in their work and view it as a ministry, they view providing goods and services as a way to advance, even in a small way, God's kingdom. TRY PUTTING YOURSELF IN THESE PEOPLE's SHOES. It is their deeply held belief, one which they are willing to suffer for.
Herein lies the dispute of the day. Devout Christians do not stand in the way of others providing cakes, flowers, and pictures for a gay wedding. Some people, however, believe the government should coerce DEVOUT Christians ( Yes, those who take their faith as seriously as the Pilgrims did) to violate their conscience. They only see the transaction through the customer's eyes as if the vendors are passive participants.
That's the problem.
We are not talking about race. We are not talking about restaurants. We are talking about a specific institution people of faith believe God himself created and ordained. Should the state force people to violate their conscience in that regard?
THAT is the issue and THAT is what the First Amendment should be for if it means anything.
You want to talk absurd -- here's the absurdity --- The gay couple, instead of going to another bakery, INSISTED on filing suit. The State of Oregon could have easily told this couple to go to another shop. Instead, they fined this Christian Bake shop $135,000 effectively ruining their livelihood.
It is not surprising that there are aggrieved gay rights activists who think the state should be able to force people to recognize as normal that which most Christians view as sinful. What is staggering is the number of self-styled conservatives or libertarians who apparently think the State has the right to decide and enforce this issue and ruin an honest livelihood.