An avid promoter of civil rights, Apple on Thursday voiced concern over Mississippi's "religious freedom" house bill that was signed into law this week by Governor Phil Bryant, a piece of legislation opponents say is a tool for discrimination against LGBT individuals.
Yes, in the same way an iPhone is a tool for terrorists.
I've always found it quite ironic that Apple and other companies are quick to criticize certain states, and they're quite vocal about it, yet these same companies are completely ok with selling their products in countries where it's actually illegal to be LGBT and they just might execute you for it too. When it comes to those countries, mum's the word, our lips are sealed.
Apparently, money trumps LGBT rights and even LGBT lives. What other reason is there for Apple being in such countries? What other excuse is there?
Speaking as an Apple stock holder, I wouldn't mind one bit if Apple were to completely pull out of certain countries, and not sell any products at all to Saudi Arabia for example. Apple can do without the revenue from a small group of countries that are completely barbaric. I'm not sure if Apple has done it yet, but I even remember reading a while back about how Apple was looking to get into Iran, where you sometimes might find gays hanging from cranes.
I'm not even gay, but I am apparently more for gay rights than Apple is, because no way would I do any business with any of these barbaric countries.
What's next? Is Apple looking to sell devices to ISIS also? I'm sure that there's some revenue to be made there. Their gays simply get thrown from tall buildings.
Hit the nail on the head. Money talks and bullshit walks. For all those companies expressing their ‘concern’ about this legislation it’s all PR. Actually doing something like pulling out of the state would hurt the bottom line and THAT trumps everything.
There is a difference between not discriminating and being forced to abandon ones personal beliefs. This latest movement is yet another and an endless series of attempts to marginalize or suppress Christianity.
For example, take a random mom and pop Christian bakery with a gay couple as customers. Most would not have problems selling items to the couple, but when it comes to endorsing or celebrating that gay union (bake a cake by that bakery, with those names on the cake, in the bakers box), then they have the right to draw a line, if not an obligation. Within their religion and most closely-held beliefs, to make that cake is wrong, and places their own souls at jeopardy for not doing what they believe to be right.
Sure, there are tons of other bakeries, but none cares. They want to force the Christians to do something that is against their beliefs.
I'd like to see this tried in muslim communities. When good ol' Butch and Billybob go to there to order a "wedding" cake and stir up some kind of controversy, it ends up with a couple beheadings.
It's very easy to judge people. We always want justice for others but mercy for ourselves. Why do you think that difference exists?
The "cake baking" argument has never made sense from a Christian standpoint, as you could just as easily sell a cake to an adulterer or thief as to a gay person. What's the difference supposed to be? If people REALLY believed that their soul was in jeopardy depending on the lifestyle of the customer, wouldn't they require background checks for everyone before they sold them a cake?
Yes, that's why if they went to the supreme court they'd get their ass kicked for being idiots. If you push this thing to the absurd it all fall apart.
For example, take a random mom and pop Christian bakery with a gay couple as customers. Most would not have problems selling items to the couple, but when it comes to endorsing or celebrating that gay union (bake a cake by that bakery, with those names on the cake, in the bakers box), then they have the right to draw a line, if not an obligation. Within their religion and most closely-held beliefs, to make that cake is wrong, and places their own souls at jeopardy for not doing what they believe to be right.
This attitude is barely distinguishable from Fundamentalist Muslim radicalism.
I totally agree. I don't understand why lgbt groups feel the need to push their beliefs onto everyone else. No one else can have an opinion, no one else can disagree with lgbt. If you disagree with Lgtb then you're wrong, you're phobic and you're intolerant. LGBT will NOT tolerate other people's beliefs or opinions, it's just totally unacceptable to have your own views.
If they're allowed to have their opinion, why aren't I allowed to have mine?
You can disagree all you like, you just can't discriminate. Anyway, shouldn't you be leaving the judgement up to god and turning the other cheek if you really are a Christian?
Those fire and brimstone "Christian" all seem to have the new testament god on speed dial, but kinda sent Jesus and the new testament god (the one the actual christian religion is based on) to the outhouse.
Treat your neighbor like yourself you would like to be treated, turn the other cheek, etc. Who needs that they say! Even if you believed that being gay was a sin, you'd still serve him; love the sinner, not the sin. That's the humanistic, and even christian way to do thing. Only god can truly judge, not you or me anyway (yeah, was brought up roman catholic but we were also pretty much very open people, you have to be when you volunteer with young homeless people, many of which are gay, transgender, addicts of various kinds, etc.). What we share is our love and humanity, everything else is blah blah blah.
There is a difference between not discriminating and being forced to abandon ones personal beliefs. This latest movement is yet another and an endless series of attempts to marginalize or suppress Christianity.
For example, take a random mom and pop Christian bakery with a gay couple as customers. Most would not have problems selling items to the couple, but when it comes to endorsing or celebrating that gay union (bake a cake by that bakery, with those names on the cake, in the bakers box), then they have the right to draw a line, if not an obligation. Within their religion and most closely-held beliefs, to make that cake is wrong, and places their own souls at jeopardy for not doing what they believe to be right.
Sure, there are tons of other bakeries, but none cares. They want to force the Christians to do something that is against their beliefs.
I'd like to see this tried in muslim communities. When good ol' Butch and Billybob go to there to order a "wedding" cake and stir up some kind of controversy, it ends up with a couple beheadings.
It's very easy to judge people. We always want justice for others but mercy for ourselves. Why do you think that difference exists?
As a Christian you are supposed to abandon personal beliefs when it comes to other people. We're to accommodate the world even if we don't agree with it. A Christian isn't supposed to alienate anyone.
When I was growing up I remember seeing two signs in every establishment:
"NO SHIRT NO SHOES NO SERVICE"
The other one was: "WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE"
When did these two basic concepts become "racially motivated"? I'm a business owner and I still have those signs up. It has NOTHING to do with race it says to my customers: 1. If you're a bumb I'm not serving you food without clothes. This isn't the beach and no one wants to eat looking at your bare nasty feet and arm pit hair -'sorry! 2. If you're an obnoxious ass I'll kick you out. People came for a nice meal not to hear you or your kids screaming for 60 minutes because neither of you were taught any manners.
These are just common sense rules.
In fact now just like our post office we have a third one: 3. No cell phones allowed.
Take it outside. No one wants to hear your big mouth yapping like you're actually important and by the way you're NOT important!!! Even if your mommy said you were your whole life. You're NOT deserving of any special attention over those around you. I even make doctors go upside and they're saving lives.
There used to be a time when if you wanted to make a phone call you went into a phone booth, closed the door and talked not disturbing others. So now its like we've completely lost all sense of manners and every single table at a restaurant has a "phone booth" (cell phone) but without the doors to close so as to not disturb others?? "Not on my fresh salad!"
If people want to refuse business for whatever reason then they should. End of story. It doesn't matter what sex acts you enjoy privately, it's my business and your business is none of my business too. It's my reputation and I just don't like your face so thats good enough for me. Gosh imagine a cell phone free meal? Obviously business is booming. Sorry PC (politically correct) police. Not happening in my business. "You got a complaint? There's the door dude!"
And although i am a die hard apple fan boy who goes so far as to beta test both they're hardware and software... who's business of there's to tell me who I can and can not sell to? Stay out of other people business. Can you image back in the '50s or '60s if Coke started coming out voicing their "opinion!" Who cares? Sell your product and shut up. If you're in business keep your comments to yourself. No one wants to go see Madonna in concert then sit through one of her 15 minute PC rants. People now just walk out. They went to be entertained not to be told how to think or what to wear.
Growing up in SF as a gay man, i was told what to wear, where to where it, what clubs to go to, only shop at gay establishments, "hankie on right or left but you MUST wear a hankie showing what you're into sexually so everyone at Macy's knows"... Oh and believe me if you didn't you were publicly scorned. I mean name listed in the gay rags, etc. I moved to AZ to be free and be able to think and do for myself. Not to be pushed around by gay assholes.
Life as a gay person living in Arizona is so much nicer here. I am 100% respected and not treated any differently because I'm gay living in a 99% straight world. Yeah I've raised my voice and been asked tonleave but not because I'm a fag. It's because I was being an ass. Of which I then went back and apologized. But rather than be shunned as I would have in SF I shook hands and offered a free meal. It's for that reason I both appreciate it and love it here. Treated just like everyone else. Free of the gay police who tells you how to think and what to wear? It's freeing.
I don't want to be singled out. And here I'm not. If someone brought me a picture of a penis and asked me to make it into a wedding cake I'd point to the sign "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" because that's NOT what my company does. Take your request somewhere else. And if no one wants to make it then maybe it's just in bad taste? Ever think of that?? It's not racists it's just vulgar to me, so go somewhere where they think that's funny. I don't see Apple making a penis shaped iPad when I asked them to, so either put your money where your mouth is or shut up Apple! Why don't you get back to making product that actually works out of the box again and stop proofing the world. If they want to support something keep it to themselves or start selling that penis shaped iPad Pro
I've always found it quite ironic that Apple and other companies are quick to criticize certain states, and they're quite vocal about it, yet these same companies are completely ok with selling their products in countries where it's actually illegal to be LGBT and they just might execute you for it too. When it comes to those countries, mum's the word, our lips are sealed.
Apple is a US company so they feel that they have a right to voice their opinion on US matters. They don't feel it is their place to stick their nose into the politics or laws of other countries. They don't discriminate against anyone, anywhere.
Hmmm. "Religious beliefs" just sounds like an excuse to be discriminate against gays because they don't like it.
I have my own personal beliefs too.
I believe that all religion exist for no other purpose than to enslave humanity (well thats not really a belief, historically religion was invented by kings to control populations).
foregoneconclusion said: The "cake baking" argument has never made sense from a Christian standpoint, as you could just as easily sell a cake to an adulterer or thief as to a gay person. What's the difference supposed to be? If people REALLY believed that their soul was in jeopardy depending on the lifestyle of the customer, wouldn't they require background checks for everyone before they sold them a cake?
It is not a matter of discriminating against people who are not upstanding Christians, it is refusing to bake cakes that celebrates behavior contrary to their beliefs. I'm pretty sure a Christian owned bakery would be happy to sell a birthday cake to a gay couple if they even knew they were gay.
I totally agree. I don't understand why lgbt groups feel the need to push their beliefs onto everyone else. No one else can have an opinion, no one else can disagree with lgbt. If you disagree with Lgtb then you're wrong, you're phobic and you're intolerant. LGBT will NOT tolerate other people's beliefs or opinions, it's just totally unacceptable to have your own views.
If they're allowed to have their opinion, why aren't I allowed to have mine?
You can disagree all you like, you just can't discriminate. Anyway, shouldn't you be leaving the judgement up to god and turning the other cheek if you really are a Christian?
So, I'm not judging anyone, I'm just wondering why I don't get the right to say that I disagree with homosexuality. And, according to the Bible, so does God.
You can disagree all you like, you just can't discriminate. Anyway, shouldn't you be leaving the judgement up to god and turning the other cheek if you really are a Christian?
So, I'm not judging anyone, I'm just wondering why I don't get the right to say that I disagree with homosexuality. And, according to the Bible, so does God.
Because that's like saying you disagree that certain human beings are people, and like saying that people choose to be white, black, Indian, Japanese, gay, short, tall, heterosexual, cis gendered, male, female... Your "sincerely held belief" is false if your position is that these are "choices".
Belief doesn't change facts, but, if you're a reasonable person, facts should change your beliefs.
You can disagree all you like, you just can't discriminate. Anyway, shouldn't you be leaving the judgement up to god and turning the other cheek if you really are a Christian?
So, I'm not judging anyone, I'm just wondering why I don't get the right to say that I disagree with homosexuality. And, according to the Bible, so does God.
Who's saying you can't disagree? Disagreement, and discrimination are 2 different things. Nobody leads a spotless life. If you looked hard enough you could find something you vehemently disagree with in anyone's life. Sins are weighted, one isn't worse than another in God's eyes. A gay person isn't a worse sinner than a straight person.
It's selective outrage. Apple and many companies do business in less tolerant countries.
I think these religious freedom laws are too vague. You shouldn't be able to deny any service because the person is gay or whatever. However, you should be allowed to decline to make a wedding cake or officiate a gay marriage. Heck, other companies should then promote they're "gay friendly".
Heck, divorce couples can't get married at Catholic Church unless the previous marriage was annulled.
An open letter is a good gesture, but if they really want to make a statement, Apple and other big companies would threaten to leave the states in question. What better way to say FU than to take away tax revenue. Since most conservative states want the US to be run 'like a business', why not speak the language of business.
So you're suggesting that Apple (and others) ought to exercise their right to not do business with certain people based on their sincerely held beliefs, values and morals?
Beliefs and "morals" end when they deny others their basic rights and freedoms, which reach BEYOND "beliefs" and (religious) "morals." This is actually LAW in most places in modern, democratic countries.
For foamy-mouthed Christians, it's probably bad news, but when was this absurd level of monotheism ever good news?
Beliefs and "morals" end when they deny others their basic rights and freedoms, which reach BEYOND "beliefs" and (religious) "morals."
Exactly. And no one has a right to enslave others. No one has a right to force someone to bake you a cake, be your DJ or photographer.
You're digging the hole deeper.
Do Restaurants Have the Unrestricted Right to Refuse Service?
No. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly prohibits restaurants from refusing service to patrons on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, most courts don’t allow restaurants to refuse service to patrons based on extremely arbitrary conditions. For example, a person likely can’t be refused service due to having a lazy eye.
But Aren’t Restaurants Considered Private Property?
Yes, however they are also considered places of public accommodation. In other words, the primary purpose of a restaurant is to sell food to the general public, which necessarily requires susceptibility to equal protection laws. Therefore, a restaurant’s existence as private property does not excuse an unjustified refusal of service. This can be contrasted to a nightclub, which usually caters itself to a specific group of clientele based on age and social status.
So Are "Right to Refuse Service to Anyone" Signs in Restaurants Legal?
Yes, however they still do not give a restaurant the power to refuse service on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. These signs also do not preclude a court from finding other arbitrary refusals of service to be discriminatory. Simply put, restaurants that carry a "Right to Refuse Service" sign are subject to the same laws as restaurants without one.
What Conditions Allow a Restaurant to Refuse Service?
There a number of legitimate reasons for a restaurant to refuse service, some of which include:
Patrons who are unreasonably rowdy or causing trouble
Patrons that may overfill capacity if let in
Patrons who come in just before closing time or when the kitchen is closed
Patrons accompanied by large groups of non-customers looking to sit in
In most cases, refusal of service is warranted where a customer’s presence in the restaurant detracts from the safety, welfare, and well-being of other patrons and the restaurant itself.
The private sector is already legally regulated by the state, and businesses are accountable for how they carry out their operations.
Restaurants and stores, even if they're private businesses, qualify as "public accommodations."
As such, discrimination laws apply just as much on private property and to private businesses as they do in any public place.
Whether you post a sign or notice, or whether you choose to discriminate some other way on premises, businesses never have the right to refuse or turn away customers because of their race, gender, age, nationality or religion.
In addition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, several states have their own civil rights legislation designed to prevent discrimination.
In a number of states like California and New York, discrimination based on sexual orientation by private businesses is prohibited by state law.
The clash here is between Liberty of Conscience (protected by the First Amendment) - that is, "religious beliefs", vs. Freedom from Discrimination (protected by the Civil Rights Act.)
Bigots are using "religious beliefs" as an end-run around freedom from discrimination.
But the first few decisions in cases involving same-sex couples have found what?
That businesses do not have the right to refuse service to gay or lesbian customers any more than they do to those of certain races or nationalities.
While folks might have their own beliefs – whether they were simply raised that way or because God told them or whatever, places of public accommodation (even if they are privately run) must be open to all patrons who follow reasonable rules (regarding behavior and dress, for example). Using sexuality as a factor in refusing service is the same as using race, skin colour, gender etc.
Shows how ridiculously petty Christians are these days
The problem with that "feel good" meme is that Christians already "serve" pizza to gay people, serve cakes to gay people, serve whatever to gay people... The issue is when it comes to endorsing a wedding, gay event, etc. The meme is comparing apples and oranges. My wife bakes for a farmers market and we have plenty of gay customers whom we serve gladly. Endorsing them being gay never comes into the picture as we just conduct a business transaction.
Beliefs and "morals" end when they deny others their basic rights and freedoms, which reach BEYOND "beliefs" and (religious) "morals."
Exactly. And no one has a right to enslave others. No one has a right to force someone to bake you a cake, be your DJ or photographer.
You're digging the hole deeper.
When you're running a business - a store or restaurant, etc., private or otherwise, Liberty of Conscience cannot trump Freedom from Discrimination.
BOTH are written into law: the right to your religious beliefs, AND the right to be free from discriminatory practices.
HOWEVER, when operating a business (in this case), your right to your religious beliefs must be made amenable to fair and ethical, non-discriminatory practices. Your PERSONAL BELIEFS cannot undermine another's civil rights.
I’ll repeat: Your PERSONAL BELIEFS cannot undermine another's civil rights.
Why is this important in the case of businesses?
Because in your private life - in everyone's private life, your conduct is variable. It's just you. There's no institutionalization of anything. If you refuse to speak to or associate with the LGBT community, you can do that (with certain very specific exceptions.)
However, in terms of operating a business, you become an employer, a proprietor, and a member of the goods and services sector in a certain capacity. You now become ACCOUNTABLE to the way you operate with the public. You have a new set of responsibilities.
To allow you - in this capacity - to discriminate based on race, skin colour, gender, and sexual orientation, means a level of discrimination that is no longer just a private choice that those affected can simply ignore by leaving your presence. What you're doing is still wrong, but it’s a question of attitude (notwithstanding certain exceptions where there are legal considerations) and you being a bigoted dick. But when you operate a business, it's now an INSTITUTIONALIZED form of discrimination; much wider reaching, with the potential for substantial, invasive and lasting effects on another’s (that is, as a group) quality of life.
If someone can't understand the obvious nuances regarding when it is ok and not ok to exercise their rights under Liberty of Conscience, then no one can really make them understand them. Maybe in time they will. Life has a way of throwing lessons (sometimes uncomfortable ones) our way, no matter what we do or want.
Comments
-kp
If you push this thing to the absurd it all fall apart.
Those fire and brimstone "Christian" all seem to have the new testament god on speed dial, but kinda sent Jesus and the new testament god (the one the actual christian religion is based on) to the outhouse.
Treat your neighbor like yourself you would like to be treated, turn the other cheek, etc. Who needs that they say!
Even if you believed that being gay was a sin, you'd still serve him; love the sinner, not the sin.
That's the humanistic, and even christian way to do thing.
Only god can truly judge, not you or me anyway (yeah, was brought up roman catholic but we were also pretty much very open people, you have to be when you volunteer with young homeless people, many of which are gay, transgender, addicts of various kinds, etc.).
What we share is our love and humanity, everything else is blah blah blah.
"NO SHIRT
NO SHOES
NO SERVICE"
The other one was:
"WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE"
When did these two basic concepts become "racially motivated"? I'm a business owner and I still have those signs up. It has NOTHING to do with race it says to my customers:
1. If you're a bumb I'm not serving you food without clothes. This isn't the beach and no one wants to eat looking at your bare nasty feet and arm pit hair -'sorry!
2. If you're an obnoxious ass I'll kick you out. People came for a nice meal not to hear you or your kids screaming for 60 minutes because neither of you were taught any manners.
These are just common sense rules.
In fact now just like our post office we have a third one:
3. No cell phones allowed.
Take it outside. No one wants to hear your big mouth yapping like you're actually important and by the way you're NOT important!!! Even if your mommy said you were your whole life. You're NOT deserving of any special attention over those around you. I even make doctors go upside and they're saving lives.
There used to be a time when if you wanted to make a phone call you went into a phone booth, closed the door and talked not disturbing others. So now its like we've completely lost all sense of manners and every single table at a restaurant has a "phone booth" (cell phone) but without the doors to close so as to not disturb others?? "Not on my fresh salad!"
If people want to refuse business for whatever reason then they should. End of story. It doesn't matter what sex acts you enjoy privately, it's my business and your business is none of my business too. It's my reputation and I just don't like your face so thats good enough for me. Gosh imagine a cell phone free meal? Obviously business is booming. Sorry PC (politically correct) police. Not happening in my business. "You got a complaint? There's the door dude!"
And although i am a die hard apple fan boy who goes so far as to beta test both they're hardware and software... who's business of there's to tell me who I can and can not sell to? Stay out of other people business. Can you image back in the '50s or '60s if Coke started coming out voicing their "opinion!" Who cares? Sell your product and shut up. If you're in business keep your comments to yourself. No one wants to go see Madonna in concert then sit through one of her 15 minute PC rants. People now just walk out. They went to be entertained not to be told how to think or what to wear.
Growing up in SF as a gay man, i was told what to wear, where to where it, what clubs to go to, only shop at gay establishments, "hankie on right or left but you MUST wear a hankie showing what you're into sexually so everyone at Macy's knows"... Oh and believe me if you didn't you were publicly scorned. I mean name listed in the gay rags, etc. I moved to AZ to be free and be able to think and do for myself. Not to be pushed around by gay assholes.
Life as a gay person living in Arizona is so much nicer here. I am 100% respected and not treated any differently because I'm gay living in a 99% straight world. Yeah I've raised my voice and been asked tonleave but not because I'm a fag. It's because I was being an ass. Of which I then went back and apologized. But rather than be shunned as I would have in SF I shook hands and offered a free meal. It's for that reason I both appreciate it and love it here. Treated just like everyone else. Free of the gay police who tells you how to think and what to wear? It's freeing.
I don't want to be singled out. And here I'm not. If someone brought me a picture of a penis and asked me to make it into a wedding cake I'd point to the sign "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" because that's NOT what my company does. Take your request somewhere else. And if no one wants to make it then maybe it's just in bad taste? Ever think of that?? It's not racists it's just vulgar to me, so go somewhere where they think that's funny. I don't see Apple making a penis shaped iPad when I asked them to, so either put your money where your mouth is or shut up Apple! Why don't you get back to making product that actually works out of the box again and stop proofing the world. If they want to support something keep it to themselves or start selling that penis shaped iPad Pro
I have my own personal beliefs too.
I believe that all religion exist for no other purpose than to enslave humanity (well thats not really a belief, historically religion was invented by kings to control populations).
Belief doesn't change facts, but, if you're a reasonable person, facts should change your beliefs.
I think these religious freedom laws are too vague. You shouldn't be able to deny any service because the person is gay or whatever. However, you should be allowed to decline to make a wedding cake or officiate a gay marriage. Heck, other companies should then promote they're "gay friendly".
Heck, divorce couples can't get married at Catholic Church unless the previous marriage was annulled.
Beliefs and "morals" end when they deny others their basic rights and freedoms, which reach BEYOND "beliefs" and (religious) "morals." This is actually LAW in most places in modern, democratic countries.
For foamy-mouthed Christians, it's probably bad news, but when was this absurd level of monotheism ever good news?
Someone seems to get it:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/europe/vatican-pope-family/
But the Church is still kicking and screaming out of the Dark Ages. Maybe in another generation or two...
Do Restaurants Have the Unrestricted Right to Refuse Service?
No. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly prohibits restaurants from refusing service to patrons on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, most courts don’t allow restaurants to refuse service to patrons based on extremely arbitrary conditions. For example, a person likely can’t be refused service due to having a lazy eye.
But Aren’t Restaurants Considered Private Property?
Yes, however they are also considered places of public accommodation. In other words, the primary purpose of a restaurant is to sell food to the general public, which necessarily requires susceptibility to equal protection laws. Therefore, a restaurant’s existence as private property does not excuse an unjustified refusal of service. This can be contrasted to a nightclub, which usually caters itself to a specific group of clientele based on age and social status.
So Are "Right to Refuse Service to Anyone" Signs in Restaurants Legal?
Yes, however they still do not give a restaurant the power to refuse service on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. These signs also do not preclude a court from finding other arbitrary refusals of service to be discriminatory. Simply put, restaurants that carry a "Right to Refuse Service" sign are subject to the same laws as restaurants without one.
What Conditions Allow a Restaurant to Refuse Service?
There a number of legitimate reasons for a restaurant to refuse service, some of which include:
In most cases, refusal of service is warranted where a customer’s presence in the restaurant detracts from the safety, welfare, and well-being of other patrons and the restaurant itself.
When you're running a business - a store or restaurant, etc., private or otherwise, Liberty of Conscience cannot trump Freedom from Discrimination.
BOTH are written into law: the right to your religious beliefs, AND the right to be free from discriminatory practices.
HOWEVER, when operating a business (in this case), your right to your religious beliefs must be made amenable to fair and ethical, non-discriminatory practices. Your PERSONAL BELIEFS cannot undermine another's civil rights.
I’ll repeat: Your PERSONAL BELIEFS cannot undermine another's civil rights.
Why is this important in the case of businesses?
Because in your private life - in everyone's private life, your conduct is variable. It's just you. There's no institutionalization of anything. If you refuse to speak to or associate with the LGBT community, you can do that (with certain very specific exceptions.)
However, in terms of operating a business, you become an employer, a proprietor, and a member of the goods and services sector in a certain capacity. You now become ACCOUNTABLE to the way you operate with the public. You have a new set of responsibilities.
To allow you - in this capacity - to discriminate based on race, skin colour, gender, and sexual orientation, means a level of discrimination that is no longer just a private choice that those affected can simply ignore by leaving your presence. What you're doing is still wrong, but it’s a question of attitude (notwithstanding certain exceptions where there are legal considerations) and you being a bigoted dick. But when you operate a business, it's now an INSTITUTIONALIZED form of discrimination; much wider reaching, with the potential for substantial, invasive and lasting effects on another’s (that is, as a group) quality of life.
If someone can't understand the obvious nuances regarding when it is ok and not ok to exercise their rights under Liberty of Conscience, then no one can really make them understand them. Maybe in time they will. Life has a way of throwing lessons (sometimes uncomfortable ones) our way, no matter what we do or want.