The Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple on religious grounds received another cake order last month that probably didn’t jive with his Christian beliefs: a birthday cake for Satan.
Jack Phillips, who has found himself at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case after being sued by the gay couple to whom he refused service, was asked to make “a simple 9×13 single layer cake, with red and black icing” featuring “an upside down cross, under the head of Lucifer.”
Here’s the full request:
Dear Mr Phillips,
I would like to get a quote on a birthday cake, for a special event. It is a cake that is religious in theme, and since religion is a protected class, I am hoping that you will gladly bake this cake. As you see the birthday cake in question is to celebrate the birthday of Lucifer, or as they are also known Satan who was born as Satan when he was cast from heaven by God. The cake only needs to be a simple 9×13 single layer cake, with red and black icing. As well as to contain an upside down cross, under the head of Lucifer. And I thought I would seek you out, to bake this cake since you appear to be a very moral person since you refused to bake a cake for same sex couples. And since religion is a protected class, I hope you will be willing to bake this cake, so my small group of religious friends can celebrate the birthday of Lucifer this coming November, just a few days after Halloween.
Sincerely,
(Name redacted)
Because the name of the person who requested the Satan cake has been redacted by the conservative website The Daily Signal, where the news of the request was first published, it’s unclear whether they acted alone.
But the request is reminiscent of political stunts that have been pulled nationwide by the Satanic Temple, which is more of an advocacy group than a congregation of devil worshipers. They tend to adopt a satirical approach in advocating for freedom from religion and the separation of church and state, like in 2012 when they applied to have a Satanic monument to Baphomet placed next to the statue of the Ten Commandments on the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Attorney Nicole Martin, who has represented Phillips, was appalled at the request.
On The Peter Boyles show on KNUS Tuesday, Martin called the request “blasphemy” and another example of what she called the “coexist or else” mentality behind the supreme court battle. Boyles described Phillips as a “really nice, simple baker” and said that the gay couple, along with the alleged Satan worshipers, have “ruined his life with their politics.”
Phillip’s refusal to make the gay couple’s wedding cake was ruled a violation of the state’s public accommodations law, which bars discrimination based on sexual orientation. The U.S. Supreme Court will likely hear oral arguments on the case during its December sitting.
