FAITH VS. STATE: Christian Baker Takes Cake Battle to Supreme Court in 7-Year Religious Freedom Showdown
BAKERSFIELD, CA — For nearly a decade, Christian baker Cathy Miller has been fighting the state of California over a single cake—one she refused to bake for a same-sex wedding in 2017. Now, her legal battle may be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark case pitting religious liberty against state-enforced LGBTQ+ rights.
The Cake That Started a War
Miller, owner of Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, politely declined to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, citing her deeply held Christian beliefs. But what she thought would be a quiet matter of conscience exploded into a firestorm.
“Within two hours, we were bombarded by hate mail, death threats, rape threats,” Miller told CBN News in 2023. “The media stormed into our bakery.”
The couple filed a complaint, alleging discrimination—but Miller insists she never turned them away harshly. Instead, she offered to connect them with another baker, one she knew from the LGBTQ+ community.
“I told them, ‘I can’t participate in this union because God says marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman,'” she said. “But I never wanted to hurt anyone.”
California’s Relentless Legal Pursuit
Though Miller initially won in court, California’s Civil Rights Department appealed—and won. Now, the state is demanding she either bake all wedding cakes, including those for same-sex couples, or stop making wedding cakes entirely.
“California courts have not had ears to hear,” said Adèle Keim, Miller’s attorney from religious liberty firm Becket. “The U.S. Supreme Court has said twice—in Masterpiece Cakeshop and 303 Creative—that the government must back off when wedding vendors have sincere religious objections.”
Yet California insists its civil rights laws override constitutional protections.
“The U.S. Constitution was meant to protect all Americans, no matter where they live,” Keim fired back.
A Nationwide Battle Revisited
This case reignites a fierce national debate: Can the government force artists—whether bakers, florists, or photographers—to create custom work that violates their faith?
Precedent on Miller’s Side: The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Masterpiece Cakeshop (2018) that Colorado showed hostility toward baker Jack Phillips’ religious views.
But California Isn’t Backing Down: The state continues to argue that public businesses must serve all customers equally, regardless of personal beliefs.
“Pray for Cathy”
Miller’s legal team is now preparing a petition to the Supreme Court, hoping for a definitive ruling in her favor. Meanwhile, she and her staff continue to face harassment.
“Pray for Cathy,” Keim urged. “Pray for those standing with her through this persecution.”
As the case escalates, one thing is clear: This isn’t just about a cake anymore. It’s about whether faith has a place in the public square—or if the state can silence it.
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