Comments on: Check Out https://headhearthand.org/blog/2017/07/06/check-out-1100/  Informing Minds. Moving Hearts. Directing Hands. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.41 By: Andrew Chance https://headhearthand.org/blog/2017/07/06/check-out-1100/#comment-50111 Sat, 08 Jul 2017 16:51:00 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=26520#comment-50111 So, if I understand you correctly, it is sinful to make a cake for a homosexual wedding because it is a participation in a sinful action.

It would likewise be sinful to attend the wedding, the reception, or an anniversary celebration.

And if it is not a conscience issue. If a pastor thought it was a simply a conscience issue, then, to be consistent, he would need to explain why it’s not sinful and why they should actually bake the cake for the wedding.

I just wanted to make sure that I understand. I myself would not participate in those ways, but up to this point, I have not seen it as a moral obligation for a person to refuse a service like cake decorating for a wedding. And I’ve thought that a person should be protected from being forced to participate. But perhaps I’m changing my mind.

Would you work through the ramifications of that (not necessarily here but somewhere)? If it’s clearly immoral to participate in any way, do we exercise church discipline on those who participate? Does it only count as participation if it is artistic expression (cake decorating, floral arrangements)? Or does it also count if you sell dresses, cater food, or rent chairs and tablecloths?

I think that it is a certainty that at some point a church member will be invited to attend (or photograph or make a floral arrangement for) a homosexual wedding. And they will want to attend, for a family member or longtime friend or desire for evangelism. How would you counsel them? What would you do if they attended despite your counsel?

]]> By: David Murray https://headhearthand.org/blog/2017/07/06/check-out-1100/#comment-50110 Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:50:00 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=26520#comment-50110 Hi Andrew, if it’s not sinful, it’s not a liberty of conscience issue. If it’s not sinful then those who think it is need to have their consciences educated and corrected. Those who have been at the forefront of the religious liberty debate and battle have always carefully distinguished between offering homosexuals goods and services (not a sin) and offering goods and services which celebrate the sin of gay marriage and therefore participate in the sin.

]]> By: Andrew Chance https://headhearthand.org/blog/2017/07/06/check-out-1100/#comment-50109 Thu, 06 Jul 2017 15:06:00 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=26520#comment-50109 Concerning John MacArthur’s answer, I thought that he identified the issue. That is, it is not sinful for a person to make flower arrangements or bake a cake for a homosexual “wedding;” but it is sinful for a person to go against their conscience and for the government to coerce someone to go against their conscience.

Is that not the issue? If that’s not the issue, then I must have misunderstood it. Is it clearly sinful for person to make a cake or floral arrangement for a homosexual wedding? Is it sinful to provide food or sell a dress for that wedding (since that does not require the same level or artistry)?

Could you explain from Scripture why it is a moral obligation not to participate instead of a matter of conscience only?

If it is clearly sinful, does that mean that you would begin church discipline and eventually excommunicate an unrepentant person for providing a cake for a homosexual wedding?

If I understand it correctly, MacArthur supports a person’s right to refuse services on the basis of conscience, with which I think many conservative Christians agree. But further than that, I don’t know that I have seen anyone deal with the moral reasoning behind it.

So could you elaborate on your disappointment?

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