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This is going to be controversial. But what the hell.
It can be very confusing living in the Land of The Angles in
this day and age, thinks Cicero.
In recent weeks there has been much debate about British
values with the Nation’s Head Teacher, Michael Gove, admirably supported by the
Two Caesars, creating, upholding and pontificating upon ‘fundamental British
values’.
Do you know what these might be? Nope, neither did Cicero,
but seemingly for the Angles and for those non-Angles who wish to live among
the Angles, these have been defined as including ‘the principles of democracy,
the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with
different faiths and beliefs.
At least we should be grateful these say nothing about the
need to protect polar bears, to comply with the demands of Health and Safety
Gauleiters, or to ensure we all have access to cosmetic surgery. Let’s be
thankful for small mercies.
But Cicero does wonder just how tolerant the Angles are, how
free is speech, how much liberty the individual actually has.
Consider Exhibit One-The Case of the Cup Cake (and there are
many more witnesses to call but we will illustrate the issue on this occasion
with this one case).
In a corner of Angle Land a Christian-owned, -run and
–managed bakery was asked to produce cup cakes with slogans promoting gay
marriage. It politely declined the order as it conflicted with its deeply held
religious beliefs. And now it is being taken to court by the Equality Commission
for breaching equality law. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-28206581)
Now to be clear Cicero is not arguing the rights and wrongs
of gay marriage here but he is arguing that if we are to be true to the
‘fundamental British values’ of the Nation’s Head Master, are the Cup Cake
Makers not entitled to their views?
They are not acting out of blind irrational prejudice but
from deeply held religious beliefs and principles. We should be as tolerant of
these as we are of people’s right to promote gay marriage. Mr Gove and the Two
Caesars say we ought to.
So why is the Equality Commission using Cicero’s and your
hard earned bawbees to threaten and bully?
After all there must be more than one Cup Cake Maker in this
corner of Angle Land.
Surely we must not lose sight of the axiom that while ‘I may
not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say
it’.
Should he ever hear about the Case of the Cup Cake, Voltaire
would be spinning in his grave.
Do you agree, learned readers?
Sis felix. Et sis fortunatus.
2 comments:
As one who works in the public sector, I probably shouldn't say this, but, I AGREE WITH YOU CICERO.
Our money/bawbees should be spent on something that matters - education - to name just one of the nations underfunded, ailing services.
Its good to see you back on form!
Of course this bakery should be sued for discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 is very clear that anyone who shares one of the 7 protected characteristics can not be discriminated against for a reason to do with that characteristic. Sexual orientation is one of the 7 and so the customers have a water-tight case and I hope the compensation puts the bakery out of business!
Apart from the staggering self-righteous arrogance of these narrow-minded bigots who, after all, were being asked to do no more than ice a cake, what they have done makes no business sense what so ever. Who turns away business in the current economic climate?
It's not the first time either. They seem to have made an overzealous presumption to refuse to provide confectionary to previous customers on the grounds that the branding was too sexual! Since when have baked goods and morality become inter-linked? Where's the correlation between a sponge sandwich and moral virtue?
It's as simple as this, the customer requests what they want, they pay, you provide it! If we want bible bashing, we'll go to a church!
The cake wasn't even to do with gay marriage. It was to support an event challenging homophobia. Ironic then that something that was supposed to help to promote the message of equality instead became a vehicle for judgemental Christian curmudgeons to reinforce discriminatory behaviour.
I really don't get Christianity. Where's all the loving thy neighbour as thyself? Where's all the turning the other cheek and showing forgiveness. Gay people don't choose to be gay, it's who they are. It's how they are born. In fact, if you believe in God which I don't, it's how God chose to make them!
I can only hope that, as the owners of this bakery will soon have a lot more time on their hands, they invest it wisely in reading their book of hypocrisy and learn better how to not judge so that they not be judged!
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