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Explore the clash between religious beliefs and discrimination laws through a gay cake controversy. Understand the impact of worldviews on actions and discuss the complexities of tolerance, legality, and personal beliefs.
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Title - Rainbow cake anyone? The gay cake controversy! Lesson Intent: To explore the nature of inter-religious dialogue To evaluate to what extend should a person’s worldview have impact on their actions • To consider what happens when worldviews clash • •
Setting the scene - context • In recent years the UK has seen a number of cases where the legal duty not to discriminate has come into conflict with individuals with strongly held beliefs about same-sex couples. • For instance, one Northern Irish bakery refused to make a cake because they felt that the requested decoration was “at odds with our beliefs.” • Tolerance of others can mean making difficult choices about our own beliefs. • Religious groups sometimes have exemptions from laws that conflict with their beliefs and the law often places value on individuals’ conscience and closely held beliefs. • In 2014, a controversy broke out in Northern Ireland, regarding the creation of a Gay Wedding Cake, that a Christian bakery refused to make.
Gaycake-gate! • You will need to work in groups of 4. • Each person in the group will play the part of one character in the play or the narrator. • Listen carefully to the words of the other people in the play. • One group will be chosen to perform the play to the class.
What would you do? Discuss a) Would you boycott the bakery along with Aalia and Kenji? Discuss reasons for your answer. b) Explain what is the central issue in the cake controversy. c) A gay couple who want a wedding cake could go to a different bakery – one that supports gay marriage. Should that be the end of the matter? Why? d) Religious beliefs should not affect the way people run businesses or other ‘public’ affairs. Do you agree?
Questions - Discuss, record and share. 1. Should people whose religious belief is that homosexuality is a sin be allowed to deny services to same-sex couples? Make a table to record the arguments ‘for’ and ‘against’. 2. Under what circumstances in your view, should a person be able to deny services to another person? Make a list. 3. How might it feel to be a person, who was denied the service? 4. How might it feel if you are told your personal beliefs are in contrast to the law? 5. The government has a duty to stop discrimination, but how far should they go in this? Should the government get involved in cases like this? 6. Living in a diverse society, we often have to compromise, making small adjustments to our lives in order to accommodate the beliefs or preferences of others. Can you think of any examples? What might make a compromise a step too far?
And to finish . . . “A person has the right to their own religious belief, even if that causes conflict in modern society.” To what extend do you agree? Respond to this statement. In your answer include: • A religious point of view e.g. Christian or Muslim (world view) • An Atheist point of view (world view) • Your own personal point of view.
