A baker has been threatened with jail time and fines if he continues to refuse to make cakes for same-sex weddings regardless of his religious beliefs,
his attorney told Breitbart News Thursday.
Jack Phillips and his Lakewood, Colo., Masterpiece Cakeshop has been embroiled in a fight with same-sex couple Charlie Craig and David Mullins since they visited Phillips’ store on July 19, 2012, wanting a cake for their union.
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Administrative judge Robert N. Spencer said last week that Masterpiece Cakeshop discriminated against the couple "because of their sexual orientation by refusing to sell them a wedding cake for their
same-sex marriage," according to The Associated Press.
The order stated that Phillips' business must "cease and desist from discriminating" against gay couples and would suffer fines if it continued.
Phillips attorney Nicolle Martin told Breitbart News, though, that her client was threatened with jail time as well.
"American citizens should not have to live in fear of a prison sentence merely for disagreeing with the government’s opinion," Martin said. "All Americans should remain free to honor God in our lives and in our work. The government has no business threatening Americans with jail time for simply exercising their constitutionally-protected freedoms of religion and speech. Every American, whatever you think about this issue, should fear a government that ignores the First Amendment in order to exercise this kind of power over its citizens."
Martin told the court on Dec. 4 that Phillips should not be forced to abandon his Christian values, as he has run the business for almost 40 years.
"(He is) privileged to design and create the cakes that celebrate the joyous events of people's lives," Martin said. "He believes this is a vocation chosen for him by God, and as a man of God, Jack Phillips lives by certain biblical principles."
Phillips told Fox News on Tuesday that he would rather go to jail than violate his religious beliefs.
"They would be taking away my rights to do what I do as a business owner, as an American citizen,"
Phillips said on Fox News. "And as a follower of Jesus Christ, I don’t believe that's what he wants me to do. And so my priorities would be towards my faith rather than towards my safety or security."
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