The Equalities Commission will not have its cake, nor will it eat it.

In a rare win for freedom of expression, Belfast bakers Daniel and Amy McArthur have been exonerated by the UK Supreme Court of any liability, after refusing to bake a cake promoting gay marriage.

Four years of this high-profile legal battle have exposed the gross injustices of Britain’s ‘hate laws’. Well done to these two steadfast Christians for refusing to give in to the state bullies who have wrongly accused them. This is a real victory!

It is frightening that this case had to go all the way to the Supreme Court to get a verdict that plain common sense should have delivered instantly. It has also exposed the bias of the so-called ‘Equality Commission’ in Northern Ireland (ECNI) – a supposedly ‘independent’, publicly-funded body dedicated to promoting ‘equality’ and ‘human rights’. Here, effectively, is an arm of the state colluding with the LGBTQ+ lobby to punish ordinary citizens and small businesses for failing to affirm LGBTQ+ ideology, wasting £250,000 of tax-payers’ money in the process.¹

But despite these things, the verdict should still be a real cause for celebration. It is not an ‘offensive’ win, taking legal ground back for ‘Christendom’, but it is a landmark ‘defensive’ win, ensuring Christians’ continued freedom to refuse to partake in and affirm the sinful beliefs and practices of this generation.

Freedom for Conscience

Had it gone the other way, it would effectively have spelled the end of freedom of conscience, especially in the sphere of trade, setting a legal precedent for the state to enforce independent businesses to affirm values with which they disagree profoundly. It is therefore a win that should benefit everyone, not just Christians, as Daniel McArthur emphasised to the press after the judgment was given:

The judges have given a clear signal today. In fact, it couldn’t be clearer. Family businesses like ours are free to focus on giving all their customers the best service they can – without being forced to promote other people’s campaigns.

I know a lot of people will be very glad of this ruling today, because this ruling protects freedom of speech and freedom of conscience for everyone.²

By contrast, the ECNI revealed its contempt for the idea of individual freedom of conscience in its post-judgment statement, saying “There is a concern…that the beliefs of business owners may take precedence over a customer’s equality rights, which in our view is contrary to what the legislature intended”.³ Those in charge of equality law enforcement obviously consider their own brand of morality to be incontrovertible; they brook no dissent- and they don’t think that the courts should, either.

Had the judgment gone the other way, it would effectively have spelled the end of freedom of conscience, especially in the sphere of trade.

The Battle Underneath

Underlying the Ashers case is a deep conflict between the freedoms brought about by Judeo-Christian values – the vestiges of which still linger in Britain’s institutions and culture - and the secular humanist values of equality law, which promise freedom but tend towards tyranny.

This latter worldview has been encroaching on Britain for decades, helped along by the commandeering of positive-sounding words like ‘justice’, ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’. Instead of ‘equality’ meaning the dignity that should be afforded to all humans because they are made in God’s image, regardless of their personal beliefs, ‘equality’ has been co-opted to mean enforced compliance with an atheistic, sexually licentious worldview.

This kind of ‘equality’ is grounded in a rejection of the God of the Bible and his created order, and a devaluation of individual freedoms for the ‘greater good’.

Behind this again are spiritual forces of darkness aiming to thwart the salvation of millions by (a) promoting and seeking to compel ungodly beliefs and behaviours, and (b) working to shut down and punish godly behaviours and responses. In the Ashers case, both of these spiritual strategies have been in play. The McArthurs have come under enormous pressure to compromise their own convictions and bow to the spirit of the age.

But – praise the Lord – this time, the attempt to shut down Christian witness has backfired spectacularly. The Supreme Court’s verdict shows that there may yet be hope for our institutions. Even more deliciously, the case has afforded Daniel and Amy many opportunities to testify in front of national reporters and TV cameras to God’s goodness and truth, which they have done with grace, dignity and evident faith:

Victoria Jones/PA Wire/PA ImagesI want to start by thanking God. He has been with us during the challenges of the last four years. Through the Bible and the support of Christians, He has comforted us and sustained us. "He is our rock and all His ways are just.”

We're delighted and relieved at today's ruling. We always knew we hadn't done anything wrong in turning down this order. After more than four years, the Supreme Court has now recognised that and we're very grateful. Grateful to the judges and especially grateful to God.⁴

Praise the Lord – this time, the attempt to shut down Christian witness has backfired spectacularly.

The Light Shines

The victory and the witness are both enormously refreshing. The McArthurs have tasted the truth of Isaiah 54:17: “’no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.”

But just as heartening is the amount of public support the couple has received, including from surprising quarters such as gay activist Peter Tatchell. Tatchell does not agree with the McArthurs’ beliefs, but vehemently defends their right to hold them without fear of punishment, understanding that vital freedoms are at stake. Tatchell joins a growing crowd - like the lesbians protesting trans ideology, and the students rejecting an inherited university culture of alcoholic excess (see last week’s editorial) - who seem to be realising that Britain’s culture change has gone too far. Though they may not understand fully, they can see that society is risking self-destruction and the loss of many hard-fought, hard-won freedoms.

Perhaps (I certainly hope) we are seeing the beginnings of a backlash against the seemingly relentless erosion of Judeo-Christian values in Britain. The war is certainly not over - God apparently still stands ready to intervene for his precious saints, granting continued freedom to the whole nation in the process. Who knows, we may yet see some unlikely characters joining the fight for freedom before long.

Meanwhile, we can pray that the McArthurs’ testimony bears abundant spiritual fruit. When believers stand their ground, graciously but firmly, against the attacks of the enemy, sometimes they are granted worldly victory and vindication - sometimes not. But God will never let their witness go to waste:

Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues…But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you…

…Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:16-33)

Notes

1 DUP MP Ian Paisley has written to the secretary of state for Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the Ashers ruling, calling for a review into the ECNI’s funding.

2 Watch Daniel’s full statement here (1 min 50).

3 Read the full ECNI statement here.

4 See note 3.

The Ashers Bakery case goes to the Supreme Court.

This week, the Supreme Court left its usual place in London and has been sitting in Belfast to hear a case that has fundamental significance for the future of free speech in Britain. The Ashers Bakery case dates back to 2014 when an LGBT activist ordered a cake from the bakery with a message in the icing stating "Support Gay Marriage".

The owners of the bakery, Daniel and Amy MacArthur, who are committed Christians, refused to do this on the ground that it was against their beliefs. The initial judgment found that they were guilty of ‘discrimination’ and this was affirmed by the Court of Appeal. The case has now gone to the Supreme Court, but the Northern Ireland Attorney General, John Larkin QC, has already expressed his own opinion that the Court of Appeal was wrong in their judgment.

The case has attracted an enormous amount of interest because of its significance for our cherished freedom of speech. The central question is whether the law can force someone to make a statement that they do not believe.

The Law vs. Freedom of Speech

Does the law have the power to force a Catholic to make a statement criticising the Pope? Does the law have the power to force a Muslim to make a statement that is insulting to Mohammed? Does the law have the power to force any citizen to make a statement that is directly against his or her personal convictions?

This is a question that, for Christians, goes back 2,000 years to the time of the Roman Emperor Domitian in the year AD 95 when all citizens were required, on a certain day, to go to the local shrine dedicated to the Emperor and say "Caesar is Lord".

The case has attracted an enormous amount of interest because of its significance for our cherished freedom of speech.

Emperor Domitian.The Apostle John was in exile on the island of Patmos when he had a remarkable spiritual experience on the very day, known as ‘Lord's day’ (Rev 1:10), when he knew that many of his Christian friends would be signing their own death warrants by refusing to make a statement which would deny the Lordship of Jesus.

For the MacArthurs, being forced to make a statement declaring support for homosexual marriage, which the Bible declares to be "detestable” to God (Lev 18:22) would be equivalent to denying their faith in the God of Creation and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It would be the modern equivalent of saying "Caesar is Lord" and denying the Lordship of Jesus.

Significance for Equality Law

But there are significant legal aspects as well as moral aspects to this case, which is no doubt the reason why the five judges are not expected to announce their decision before the autumn and it may even be delayed to the beginning of next year. Their judgment has profound significance for the future of the Equality Commission and the interpretation of equality law in Britain.

This case is creating panic, not only among LGBTQ+ supporters but across the whole left-wing postmodernist philosophical camp, which has been driving the movement for social change and social engineering in the nation since the 1960s.

Suddenly, there is fear gripping the far-left political elite that they have gone too far, too quickly. They have had enormous success in achieving their objectives since the publication of the Gay Manifesto in 1972 declaring the LGBTQ+ intention of destroying the ‘family’ as the central pillar in the Judeo-Christian structure of the nation.

The judgment will have profound significance for the future of the Equality Commission and the interpretation of equality law in Britain.

The Idol of Equality

They have succeeded, probably beyond their wildest dreams, in persuading the nation that the supreme ethical values in society are ‘equality’ and ‘tolerance’ – that all ethical judgments should be taken at the bar of ‘equality’.

Hence, postmodernists have even succeeded in changing the legal definition of marriage by framing it as an issue of ‘equality’. This worshipping of equality is a recycling of Marxism, which falsely assumes that enforced equality will lead to justice and a better world. Jordan Peterson rightly calls postmodernism the “new skin that the old Marxism now inhabits”.¹

Marxism was totally discredited through the fiasco of Communism last century, but it didn’t disappear entirely - later reappearing under the guise of postmodernism, trying yet again to force upon the population the flagship lie of ‘equality’.

But forcing a Christian baker to declare his support for gay marriage may prove to be a step too far which could cause the whole of their false edifice of society to collapse. It is like pulling out a single brick from the base of the Tower of Babel, sending a shockwave right through its structure that brings the whole lot down!

Enough is Enough

The central tragedy of recent history over the past half-century is that neither Church leaders nor politicians have understood the philosophy of postmodernism, with its objectives of destroying Judeo-Christian civilisation. The great question facing us now is: will there be a great awakening of common sense among ordinary people in the general public before it is too late?

The central tragedy of recent history is that neither Church leaders nor politicians have understood that postmodernism seeks to destroy Judeo-Christian civilisation.

Will ordinary people arise and say, "Enough is Enough! We do not want to be driven by Big Brother political correctness. We cherish our freedom of speech and we will not let our children be educated in schools that brainwash them in the false values of ‘equality and tolerance’ and ‘political correctness’.”

Is it too late to reclaim the nation from the clutches of those who wish to destroy Western civilisation?

To the Church of Sardis

The Apostle John had a message for the Christians in Sardis who were facing persecution by the Roman Empire. He warned "You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Rev 3:1-2). The alternative was that their names would be blotted out of the Book of Life.

The warning signs are there today for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. If we do not wake up soon and challenge those who are driving the nation towards self-destruction, we and our children and grandchildren will perish in the forthcoming holocaust of social destruction.

That destruction has already begun, the evidence of which can be seen all around us, in the breakdown of the family and the consequent rise in crimes of violence, lawlessness and corruption. But this is only the beginning – unless we wake up!

References

1 Jordan B Peterson, Postmodernism and Cultural Marxism. Interview, The Epoch Times, 6 July 2017.

Dr Clifford Hill comments on the Asher's Bakery ruling.

The High Court decision on the Asher's Bakery¹ is nothing less than a national scandal! The bakery owners Daniel and Karen McArthur did not insult or in any way abuse Gareth Lee who ordered a cake from them.

They were perfectly willing to bake the cake but unwilling to put a message on it that was offensive to their beliefs and values. Surely they had every right to do this - but not according to the High Court Judges' interpretation of British law.

Some Are More Equal Than Others

What is happening to our basic human rights: our precious heritage of freedom of speech, and our right to follow the dictates of our own conscience? Does the law really mean that anyone can be forced to declare something that is totally against their beliefs and values?

What would happen if it were not Christians but Muslims involved? If a Muslim baker had been asked to bake a cake with a message on it that offended his beliefs as a Muslim, would he not emphatically refuse to do so? And quite rightly so! He would no doubt claim that he was being asked to do something that was offensive to his beliefs - but according to the present law, as interpreted by the High Court Judges, he would be guilty of discrimination because he was refusing to offer a service to a customer.

I personally believe there is not a court of law in this country that would deny the right of Muslims to uphold their beliefs in a similar way as the MacArthurs have tried to do. So why are Christians denied a similar right? Have we reached such a stage of denial of our Christian heritage in this country that we must force Christians to deny their faith? Is this what we mean by equality – that we uphold the rights of all citizens to practice their faith in Britain, except Christians?!

Has Britain reached such a stage of denial of our Christian heritage that we must force Christians to deny their faith?

Outcry Against the Ruling

There has been no great outcry from church leaders, petitioning Downing Street on behalf of a lowly Belfast baker. Do the pastors no longer care for the flock?

Strikingly, some of the loudest voices shouting against the Judges' ruling have been in the mainstream, secular humanist press – voices including LGBT activist Peter Tachell (writing in The Independent and The Guardian) and gay journalists Matthew Wiggins (writing for the Belfast Tab) and Neil Midgley (writing for The Telegraph), who said:

Having won these political battles by exercising our own political freedoms, then, it is ironic that many gays are so keen to deny similar freedoms to Christians (or anyone else who disagrees with the gay agenda)...as a gay man, I vehemently support the Christian bakers' right not to bake pro-gay cakes. Because one day, the prevailing political consensus may change again. Our lawmakers may once again be tempted to turn against gay people. And on that day, I hope the Christian bakers will stand by me in my fight to protect fundamental freedoms that transcend any cake, any religion and any daft law.²

These commentators are wisely realising the implications of this ruling for the civil liberties of all, not just for conservative Christians – that it sets a dangerous precedent for denying anyone the freedom to conscientiously object, a precedent which could easily spread to affect other minorities in future, in an increasingly authoritarian state.

No Room for Conscientious Objection?

Traditionally in Britain we have always respected a person's conscience, even in the most extreme matters of national importance such as the right to refuse to fight when the nation is involved in war. Conscientious objectors who could prove the sincerity of their faith were always respected, even in the darkest days of war when the nation was fighting for survival. They were allowed to do alternative service such as ambulance-driving or working as medical orderlies on the front line rather than actually taking up a gun and killing the enemy.

Some of the loudest voices shouting against the ruling have been LGBT activists, who see its implications for future freedom of speech.

But those days seem to be over - this is now the brave new world of the tolerant society, where everything is tolerated except sincerely held convictions which conflict with the anarchy of secular humanism!

If the judges are right in their interpretation of the law in Britain as it stands, there needs to be a call for a change in the law from all right-minded citizens – all who value our right to freedom of speech and our right to hold different views. With this judgment we are well on the way to becoming a Nazi state, where we are all forced to accept the same set of social values and no-one dares express a contrary view.

The Road of Suffering

This was the situation that faced the first Christians living in the Roman Empire when they were forced to declare the divinity of the Roman Emperor. Thousands of Christians were tortured and died the most terrible deaths because they refused to say "Caesar is Lord". They were publicly humiliated, stripped naked and forced into the arena to be torn to pieces by wild animals for the entertainment of the crowds.

But is not this similar to what is happening today? The MacArthurs have been publicly vilified on social media. They have been called vile names for the stand they have made for marriage being part of God's creation and essential for the health and stability of society. They have suffered two years of abuse and public humiliation for their faith. They will certainly be honoured by God.

The Apostle Peter writing to the Christians in Rome said, "If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4.16-17).

Let us pray and hope that the nation continues no farther down this dangerous path towards persecution – and that the MacArthurs receive an apology for the injustice they have suffered. But for every step Britain does take on this road, let us also praise God for the example being set by those Christians called to suffer for their beliefs, and pray that the clear message they are living brings many others to faith in Jesus.

References

1 Named after the tribe of Asher (Gen 49:20).

2 Midgley, N. As a gay man, I'm horrified that Christian bakers are being forced to surrender their beliefs. The Telegraph, 24 October 2016.