The media are mischaracterizing a Supreme Court case by reporting a “false image,” according to the sponsor of a SCOTUS rally supporting Christian baker Jack Phillips.
On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court heard the oral arguments in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. The case surrounds Jack Phillips, a Christian cake designer in Colorado, who refused to create a wedding reception cake for a gay couple, David Mullins and Charlie Craig, in 2012. Conservative pro-life groups joined outside the Supreme Court in support of Phillips as justices considered the case.
The Radiance Foundation, a pro-life organization led by Ryan and Bethany Bomberger, sponsored the rally with other organizations, including Alliance Defending Freedom (representing Phillips), Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America and The Heritage Foundation.
Ryan Bomberger spoke at the well-attended event to supporters of Phillips who enthusiastically chanted, “We got your back, Jack!”
“It is an honor to introduce a lot of amazing people who are willing to stand for what is right and still love people at the same time,” Bomberger began. “That’s what this is all about.”
In a USA Today piece Monday, Phillips cited his faith, which teaches that “God designed marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” for declining to create the cake.
“I’m happy to sell a cake to anyone, whatever his or her sexual identity,” Phillips said, but this was “a message tailored to a specific couple and a specific event — a message telling all who see it that this event is a wedding and that it is an occasion for celebration.”
“As a creative professional” himself, Bomberger said he didn’t want the government dictating his art.
“The government is good for some things, and not good for a lot of other things, especially when they ignore the constitution,” he continued. “There is no America without free speech and religious liberty.”
He also wanted the “other side” to remember the “crucial element” that “when the government starts dictating what you’re able to say creatively, they will dictate what you’re able to say period.” Instead of a “license to discriminate,” he said the case was a “license to celebrate” the First Amendment, with free speech and religious liberty.”
Later on, he called out the “historically challenged” media’s coverage of the case.
“I do love some of those in mainstream media, because there are some who are willing to speak the truth,” he urged. “But sadly, a lot of journalists have abdicated their responsibility, that have chosen opinion over objectivity and agenda over accuracy.”
While CBS and NBC covered the case during their morning shows Tuesday, ABC didn’t mention the case once.
At another point, he brought up the media again.
“The mainstream media loves to characterize this whole thing and people, and try to give you a false image of who we are,” he said. “You can still love and interact with people who are different. And that makes us a better people. When you interact with those and serve those and love those who are different than you.”
“But we cannot have a government that gets to dictate where and when we use our creative expression,” he concluded. “And that is what’s at stake here.”
