Colorado Bakery Owner Would Rather Go To Jail Than Serve Gay Couples


A Colorado bakery owner said he would rather go to jail than serve gay couples, despite an order to do so.

A judge ordered Jack Phillips, who owns Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Denver, to “cease and desist from discriminating” against same-sex couples, despite Phillips’ religious beliefs. Judge Robert Spencer said Phillips discriminated against a couple last year “because of their sexual orientation by refusing to sell them a wedding cake for their same-sex marriage.”

On Tuesday’s episode of Fox & Friends, Jack Phillips told host Elisabeth Hasselbeck that he didn’t plan on abandoning his beliefs because of the judge’s order.

Hasselbeck asked if Phillips believed he was acting within his Constitutional rights denying the couple. Phillips said he hadn’t thought about it at the time, but looking back, he would say that “the United States Constitution, as well as the Colorado constitution, both protect my right to practice my religious beliefs while I’m at my work.”

Hasselbeck also asked why it was important for Phillips to stand by his personal religious beliefs instead of just trying to make a buck. Phillips said he isn’t just trying to make money, but genuinely loves baking.

“I believe it’s what God’s designed for me to do, but I don’t believe that I need to drop my religious convictions at any time for any reason,” Phillips said.

Nicolle Martin, Phillips’ attorney, said, “If the government can force you to violate your beliefs under the threat of a jail sentence, there’s really no freedom they can’t take away, Elisabeth.”

Hasselbeck then asked if Phillips would be willing to go to jail for his beliefs.

“If that’s what it takes, I guess I would be,” he said. “I don’t plan on giving up my religious beliefs. It’s not like I chose this team or that team. It’s who I am, it’s what I believe.”

Phillips added, “I don’t feel that I should participate in their wedding, and when I do a cake, I feel like I’m participating in the ceremony or the event or the celebration that the cake is for.”

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