Colorado Christian baker Jack Phillips has reportedly been asked to make a birthday cake for Satan this Halloween season, as he prepares to defend his rights before the Supreme Court not to work gay weddings, the Christian Post reports.
According to an email sent on September 30 and obtained by The Daily Signal late last week, the cake is described as being “religious in theme.”
“As you see the birthday cake in question is to celebrate the birthday of Lucifer, or as they are also known Satan who was born as Satan when he was cast from heaven by God. The cake only needs to be a simple 9×13 single layer cake, with red and black icing. As well as to contain an upside down cross, under the head of Lucifer,” the email reads.
“I thought I would seek you out, to bake this cake since you appear to be a very moral person since you refused to bake a cake for same sex couples. And since religion is a protected class, I hope you will be willing to bake this cake, so my small group of religious friends can celebrate the birthday of Lucifer this coming November, just a few days after Halloween.”
Phillips was found guilty by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission in 2014 for discriminating against same-sex couple Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012, when he refused to make a cake for their wedding.
The Christian baker is going before the U.S. Supreme Court to argue that his First Amendment rights are being violated, however, with oral hearings scheduled for December.
The nonprofit law group representing Phillips has said that the latest request once again is an attempt to force the baker to violate his beliefs.
“The request for Jack to make a cake celebrating Satan proves the danger of using these kinds of laws to force people in the artistic profession to create artwork that violates their beliefs,” said Jeremy Tedesco, a senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom.
“The request from the Satanists is essentially the same as the request that Jack Phillips received from the same-sex couple to create a cake that violates his beliefs, because in both instances, the requester can say the law covers my request. For the Satanists, they’re going to say it’s religious discrimination for you to say no to a cake that I’m requesting because of my protected status.”
Satanic-oriented groups have called for their followers to challenge Christian bakers to make cakes that go against their beliefs.
Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, argued in a patheos blog called “According to Matthew” at the end of September that Christian business owners are discriminating against gay people.
“For this reason, The Satanic Temple has announced a plan for those who feel alienated or oppressed by the privileged status that religion holds over sexual orientation: Request your homophobic baker make a cake for Satan,” Greaves wrote.
ADF has insisted that Phillips and other business owners should not be forced to use their talents when they go against their beliefs, however.
“The government does not have the power to force creative professionals like Jack — or anyone for that matter — to celebrate events that violate their faith. That’s the kind of freedom the First Amendment guarantees, and that’s why we seek justice for Jack,” the law group contended.
