Major Hollywood Actor Comes Out in Support of Christian Bakers Convicted of Discrimination For Refusing to Make 'Support Gay Marriage' Cake

"Star Trek" and "X-Men" star Sir Patrick Stewart told BBC's "Newsnight" this week that he's siding with the owners of a bakery in Northern Ireland who were recently convicted of discrimination after refusing to make a cake with a message supporting gay marriage.

Sir Patrick Stewart arrives at the GREAT British Film Reception held at the London West Hollywood, Feb. 20, 2015 in West Hollywood, Calif. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)

Stewart, who quipped that the gay cake debate is a "deliciously difficult subject," said he found himself on the side of Ashers Baking Company and its Christian owners, Colin and Karen McArthur, due to some key details in the ongoing controversy.

"It was not because it was a gay couple that they objected — it was not because they were celebrating some kind of marriage or an agreement between them," he said. "It was the actual words on the cake that they objected to, because they found the words offensive."

The actor continued, "And I would support their rights to say, 'No, this is personally offensive to my beliefs. I will not do it.'"

Watch Stewart's comments on the matter below:

As TheBlaze previously reported, Ashers Baking Company, which is being supported by the Christian Institute, a U.K. legal group, will appeal the recent court ruling that demanded that the company pay $765 in damages for “injury to feelings” to a gay activist.

The judge ruled that Ashers Baking Company had discriminated based on sexual orientation and political beliefs after a man named Gareth Lee asked for a cake that included the line “support gay marriage,” and the bakery declined.

“After much careful and prayerful consideration given to legal advice, we have decided to appeal the judgment handed down last Tuesday,” the McArthurs said in a statement last week. “We continue to insist that we have done nothing wrong as we have discriminated against no individual but rather acted according to what the Bible teaches regarding marriage.”

The McArthurs said the judge’s ruling seems to trample Christian ideals and that it will have a negative impact on society.

“Our hope and prayer would be that an appeal will allow us and other Christians to live out their faith in Jesus Christ in every part of their lives, including their workplace,” they said.

(H/T: Independent)

—

Front page image via Shutterstock.com