American Family Association has published a list of 7 common careers Christians may no longer hold in America.

This change is due to mounting pressure to prevent Christians from operating their business-life in a manner congruous with their faith-life.

American Family Association writes:

  • Photography – A Christian photographer in New Mexico was fined $6700 for politely declining to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony. The Supreme Court allowed this fine to stand.
  • Baker – A Christian baker in Oregon is facing both civil and criminal penalties, including jail time, for politely declining to bake a cake for a gay wedding ceremony. Her business has closed.
  • Florist – Baronelle Stutzman, a Christian florist in Washington, is being sued by the state attorney general for politely declining to prepare an arrangement for a gay wedding ceremony.
  • Broadcasting – Craig James was fired by Fox Sports Southwest after only one day on the job for expressing his support for natural marriage while he was a candidate for the United States Senate.
  • Counseling – Jennifer Keeton was dismissed from the counseling program at Augusta State University for her religious reservations about the homosexual lifestyle.
  • Innkeeping – The Wildflower Inn in Vermont was fined $30,000 and forced to shut down its wedding reception business after politely declining to host a lesbian ceremony.
  • Teaching – Ms. Gillian John-Charles was kicked out of a doctoral program in education at Roosevelt University for expressing in class her belief that homosexuals aren’t born gay.

Just as students do not forfeit their religious liberties when they enter a public school, so adults do not forfeit their religious liberties when they enter the public square.

People should not be forced to “privatize” their faith, partitioning it into something practiced within the confines of their own home or church, but having no bearing on how they live the rest of their life.

The First Amendment was written to prevent exactly the kinds of situations AFA describes above:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

When the government fines a Christian photographer for declining to photograph a same-sex ceremony, calling it “the price of citizenship,” the government is prohibiting that Christian from freely exercising her religion.

Which do we really think is more egregious: Declining to bake a cake, or violating a person’s First Amendment liberties?