Crosstalk: July 3, 2019

With June behind us, the term of the U.S. Supreme Court is over.  Many significant decisions were made. This broadcast looked at a number of them and their impact as well as the new term that begins in October.  

Mat Staver is the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel.  Mat has over 230 published legal opinions, has authored 8 scholarly law review publications and 10 books.  He’s filed numerous briefs and argued in many federal and state courts. He’s also argued two landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Discussion began with the case of Aaron and Melissa Klein, co-owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa.  Mat felt that the decision in that case was a positive one. It was similar to one from last year when the court ruled in favor of Jack Phillips.  In that case it was said Jack violated so-called laws regarding sexual orientation by not providing a special cake for a same-sex wedding. This case said that any kind of decision maker (court or commission) has to be neutral and cannot be biased against religion.  The result was that Phillips won that case. Mat believes that when the case goes back, Aaron and Melissa will win.

What concerns Mat about such cases is this:  What happens when a decision maker reads these cases from the Supreme Court and they come to the same conclusions but hide their motives?  In other words, they hide their hate and animosity toward Christians and Christian values? He feels the outcome from the Jack Philips case won’t help in that situation.  That’s why he believes we need a final decision on the merits between the superiority of the First Amendment (free speech rights) and religious freedom over against newly created LGBTQ laws.