They Lost Their Bakery, Now Face Bankruptcy

The Daily Signal ^ | September 29, 2014 | Kelsey Harkness

[Timber Rattler]

A bakery owner in Oregon broke down in tears while discussing the fallout of her and her husband’s decision not to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple on the basis of their Christian beliefs.

Earlier this year, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries found “substantial evidence” that Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, discriminated against the lesbian couple.

Oregon bakery owners face a $150,000 discrimination fine for not baking a wedding cake for lesbians.

They now face a fine in excess of $150,000.

(snip)

The ordeal started in February 2013, when Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman asked the bakery owners to design a wedding cake for their same-sex commitment ceremony.

At the time, Oregon defined marriage as the union between one man and one woman; voters overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment in 2004.

Aaron told The Daily Signal he thought he was “well within” his legal rights to decline the service, citing his traditional beliefs that a marriage is between a man and a woman.

In January 2014, the Kleins were charged with violating Oregon’s Equality Act of 2007, a law that protects the rights of the LGBT community.

[tanknetter]

If they’d spiked the cake with something (ExLax, for example) they’d be hauled in on a variety of criminal charges including felony assault.

There’d also be a slew of criminal threatening charges applicable if they were to make statements along those lines without actually following through.

The easiest way out for them would have been to bake the cake, but also put up a big sign up saying that a portion of proceeds from the cake sales would be donated to organizations specializing in Gay Conversion Therapy.

THAT the owners could have gotten away with. And NOTHING is more offensive to gays than the notion that they are abnormal and that therapy can “fix” them into becoming hetero. The problem would have solved itself.

[trisham]

And they're being played for suckers. If they had agreed to bake it, I bet the couple would've gone and continued to find a bakery that would deny them.

***************************

Agreed.

[Ransomed]

“I also have to right to say they really shouldn’t have exercised that right in this case. It wasn’t worth it.”

Yeah, OK.

Freegards

[teeman8r]

“No matter what horror falls on an American through the heavy foot of government, there’s always some freeper to claim that the American is a cry-baby. Never fails.”

oh cry me a river missy...

just kidding....

[Agamemnon]

And clearly the bakery should have just baked the cake. Its a cake, not vows.

You are not thinking strategically.

As I have advised churches who will be facing this dilemma soon enough on performing "weddings" these people should have rebranded what they do. They would no longer bake "wedding cakes" but "cakes to celebrate Holy Matrimony."

"Holy Matrimony" is an exclusive term for which only heterosexual relationships apply.

If one is not in the business of baking "wedding cakes" one cannot claim discrimination for refusing to bake a cake for them when you don't bake such cakes in the first place.

Churches in particular would do well to modify their bylaws to specify that they perform services of Holy Matrimony only.

FReegards!

[Claud]

This IS the hill to die on.

Baking a cake for this Sodomitic debauch is at very least the sin of scandal.

Don’t underestimate your Enemy. Old Scratch needs the cooperation of folks like you and me to get his claws into the souls of men.

[trubolotta]

They care about crushing Christianity.

That is true and everyone should be aware that is the only concern of the elitists. The dictates of the elitists must be supreme and they will use anything they can to enforce that supremacy.

The apparent contradiction with Muslims is understood in terms of utility. Elitists find a violent minority useful to intimidate the masses and reduce resistance to a police state. Muslims are useful in both respects as deserving protection against discrimination and posing a constant threat.

As you say, "Don’t get the cart & horse mixed up." Our would be masters know exactly what they are doing and that Christianity is a threat to their power.

[tbw2]

Gamergate and several similar scandals are starting to wake people up to the social engineering.

The agenda driven ideologues don’t actually want to make games that tell stories of the marginalized. If they did, they could create their own. No, what they want is rapid (instant) power and status in the existing game development structure. They want power and influence over content and message because games are just another form of media to promulgate their agenda. The SJW method is an end run around merit or talent to get to the powerful positions in the industry.

The method is similar to that used in the atheist community.

Criticize the existing structure from a biased perspective, block or disable dissenting opinions and discussion, wait for the inevitable trollish hatred and nasty comments, display the troll comments as proof of the initial problem, rinse and repeat. Click bait journalists eat this stuff up since it makes the page counter spin and they will publish the trolling as news, often completely overlooking the dozens or hundreds of reasoned rebuttals of the initial criticisms.

Quote from:
http://skeptischism.com/periscopedepth/2014/09/12/gamergate-next-phase-social-engineering/

[Travis McGee]

[Mark17]

I think at that point I'd forget about the 5th commandment since obviously this was an attempt to financially kill me. No, I would not turn the other cheek.

Well, I have been wondering when one of these situations might end badly. Sooner or later, the law of averages says some poor guy is going to be pushed once too often, and he is going to nut up and go ballistic on some dude's head.

[moovova]

“As I have advised churches who will be facing this dilemma soon enough ...”

Last Sunday, our (Presbyterian, PCUSA) preacher mentioned “celebrating the new normal” in his sermon.

I hope he was only referring to the...new coffee bar, the widescreen TVs used in the service, the “Yahni” hymnal (7/11 music...singing the same 7 words, 11 times), holding service in the Family Life Center/gym rather than the sanctuary, folks in short pants/halter tops/flip flops.

I hope...

[butterdezillion]

Or what if a singing group wanted to refuse to sell Sarah Palin’s campaign the rights to play “Barracuda” at campaign events?

Etc.

It’s the principle of the thing - denying the right to obey one’s conscience in a non-criminal matter. Of course, their way around that is to criminalize thoughts.

[mac_truck]

The fine per se doesn't go away, but the ability to collect it does.

There are plenty of opportunities waiting for this couple on the "normal" side of the Columbia River, if they ever decided get their act together.

[FlingWingFlyer]

How ‘bout those sexual deviants? They’re running this chicken coop now!

[Patriotic1]

I think this falls under 'conscience'. As in, that which Christians must follow. While I don't disagree with the way you look at it, I think these people are looking deep within themselves and coming up with what they believe that God wants. And so it should be respected and supported by all people of good will, not just Christians.

If you compare this situation to that of St. Thomas More, many of his peers said the exact same thing. He refused to condemn them for their opinions but couldn't get the same support.

[butterdezillion]

Yes. The two beasts of Revelation are waging war on Christ. Eventually the mark of the beast will be required in order for a person to buy and sell (leading to starvation for Christians) and then those who refuse the mark of the beast will be executed.

Followed by all those who accepted the mark of the beast seeing such intense suffering that they wish they were dead.

The people of Oregon will lie in the bed they are making. It is they who ultimately will suffer the most from their own rejection of God and His Word.

[DownInFlames]

I would have baked the cake and made it taste terrible.

[wbill]

forced on children by Quartering by the EXEMPT Congress

Of all the Amendments, I always thought that the 3rd would probably be the safest. Surprise, Surprise.

[knittnmom]

Re Sarah/Baracuda - Parody is protected speech - perhaps someone should rewrite the words to make it a parody?

[angelsonmyside]

So if a muslim caterer receives an order for a same sex commitment ceremony will they be forced to provide services since muslims detest gays? What if the couple wants Bacon wrapped Shrimp, Pork Tenderloin and Bourbon Chicken on their menu, would the courts force them to provide these products? I highly doubt it. Double standards stink.