The Baker and The Same Sex Wedding

The Supreme Court ruled today that the order by the Colorado state authorities that found a local bakery guilty of discrimination due to its refusal to bake a wedding cake for a gay bakery was improper and in violation of the law that requires fair treatment for sincere religious beliefs.   The court decided by a margin of 7-2 that the state authorities did not conduct themselves properly.  It specifically did not rule, however, on the issue of whether or not religious beliefs that gay marriage is wrong can overcome a local ordinance requiring service providers not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.  I could go into all the court's reasoning, but the main point is that the big issue in the appeal wasn't decided.

You would think from the media coverage, however, that the court actually ruled on the main point.  Most of the slant comes from stories announcing that the court did not find that religious belief overcome the anti-discrimination statutes.  The stories make it sound like the court found the opposite is true.  The reality is, however, that the court didn't rule either way.

It's often annoying to read stories in the mainstream media that butcher the facts and the rulings in a court decision.  It's even worse when, as in this case, the media intentionally twists the terms of the ruling so that it fits the media narrative.

This is an issue that will be revisited sometime in the future.  When that happens, we will learn the court's view on the main question.  Until then, however, we just won't know, no matter what the media says or does.