The decision of the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in the case of Lee v Ashers Bakery Co. is a defeat for Christians. But if we look at its implications and see the case in the context of the ongoing debate on how religious freedom should be protected, then there are reasons for hope.
The facts were simple. Gareth Lee made an initial general enquiry at Ashers Bakers in Belfast about ordering a cake. He said he was from a small voluntary group and wanted a cake with a logo on it. He was told that if he brought the logo in it could be scanned and put on the cake. There was no other discussion about the content of the logo or the nature of his group. As it turned out, Lee wanted the cake for a private event to mark the end of “Northern Ireland Anti-homophobic Week” and to mark the political momentum towards same-sex marriage legislation, which of course is not lawful in Northern Ireland.
