CBN's David Brody Interviews Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Christian Cake Bakers Have a 'Fundamental Right and Ought to be Respected'

David Brody : Oct 11, 2017
CBN News

"...in the 1990's we passed a religious freedom restoration act that said the government should not constrict a person's religious belief without a compelling reason to do so. So we think that statute has been ignored too often and not respected sufficiently." -AG Jeff Sessions

[CBN News] Attorney General Jeff Sessions sits down with CBN's Faith Nation in a wide-ranging interview that touches on the subjects of religious liberty, DACA, the NFL National Anthem controversy and much more... [Look for the show on the CBN Facebook page] You can watch the whole interview at that time. BUT we're releasing a couple clips beforehand. (Screengrab: David Brody with AG Jeff Sessions/via CBN News)

In this clip, Attorney General Sessions talks about whether Christian cake bakers are within their legal religious liberty rights to not make a cake for a gay wedding.

David Brody: Is it the Department of Justice's view that cake bakers... these Christian, is it the view of the Department of Justice from a guidance perspective, not law, I understand law is different, that they have a right, if you will, to not sell a cake to someone if they're having a gay wedding? Is that what the Department of Justice is saying as it relates to the guidance that they put out?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions:"Well what I would say to you now, while the matter is in litigation, but I would just say to you that too often we have ignored what the Constitution actually says. It says Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. So the question is, the cake baker has more than just a personal view here. He has a religious view and he feels that he is not being able to freely exercise his religion by being required to participate in a ceremony in some fashion that he does not believe in. So we think that right is a fundamental right and ought to be respected as we work through this process. Of course in the 1990's we passed a religious freedom restoration act that said the government should not constrict a person's religious belief without a compelling reason to do so. So we think that statute has been ignored too often and not respected sufficiently. And so when you consider those two things, then you're getting not only greater protection for people's religious beliefs, that I think should be given." (Screengrab: AG Jeff Sessions/via CBN News)

Click here to watch this video clip, and click here to read more from The Brody File.