They exercised the freedom of association and religion they thought they still possessed as evangelical Christians, and were targeted by a lesbian "couple," attacked, and "reported" to the State of Oregon for "discrimination". The State of Oregon levied a whopping, viciously punitive fine of $135,000 against the Kleins, which they could not afford, putting their family-run cake shop out of business. Compounding the their plight, gofundme.com shut down the attempt by friends and supporters to raise money for the family on the same grounds of being "homophobes," which is now an official State capital crime,
You'd think that all of that outrageous persecution would have been punishment enough. But no; not only is the State of Oregon demanding that the full six-figure fine be paid, even though the Kleins have already been driven into bankruptcy, but now they're being forbidden from defending themselves in any setting by an official gag order, upon penalty of more fines and even jail time:
Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian finalized a preliminary ruling today ordering Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers who refused to make a cake for a same-sex "wedding," to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to the couple they denied service.
“This case is not about a wedding cake or a marriage,” Avakian wrote. “It is about a business’s refusal to serve someone because of their sexual orientation. Under Oregon law, that is illegal.”
That is a lie. The Kleins didn't refuse to serve their lesbian attackers; they refused to participate in the latter's perverted "ceremony"on religious conscience grounds, as they thought was their First Amendment right. And now they're not allowed to combat that lie and set the record straight:
In the ruling, Avakian placed an effective gag order on the Kleins, ordering them to “cease and desist” from speaking publicly about not wanting to bake cakes for same-sex "weddings" based on their Christian beliefs.
“This effectively strips us of all our First Amendment rights,” the Kleins, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, which has since closed, wrote on their Facebook page. “According to the State of Oregon we neither have freedom of religion or freedom of speech.”
Precisely. Because they are Christians. Thus the bitter irony of this entire sordid saga: there is indeed a party in this case that is being flagrantly discriminated against and having emotional trauma inflicted upon it - but it most definitely isn't the lesbian "couple," whose ridiculous damage claims included:
"Felt mentally raped....
Please. You couldn't find any cake shop that would comply with your request? None? In Oregon? If that was the case, why did you only attack the Kleins?
....dirty and shameful....
That has nothing to do with the Kleins, but your evidently not entirely combusted consciences.
....dislike of going to work....
You worked at Sweet Cakes by Melissa? Seems like you'd already have known that they were Christians, then,
....doubt; pale and sick at home after work....
Maybe that was from your dislike of going to work,
....sadness....
Yeah, you're sad, alright,
....felt stupid....
Not felt; are.
And my favorites:
....loss of sleep; excessive sleep”.
Sounds like either one is a self-correcting problem to me. And one that, again, has bupkis to do with the Kleins, who probably haven't slept in months after all you've had the State of Oregon do to them.
Jazz Shaw sums it up:
Applying a $135,000 fine on a closed business isn’t about damages. It’s not even about setting a precedent. It’s a flat-out abuse of bureaucratic power for one’s own agenda — and vindictiveness for not acquiescing to government power. Avakian is peeved that the Kleins embarrassed him and his state over their petty power grab and he wants to make them pay for it, literally and figuratively.
Happy Independence Day. Sounds like Oregon needs to recall why we needed it in the first place.
UPDATE: A call to civil disobedience:
Defiant Oregon bakers fined $135,000 for their 2013 refusal to make a cake for a lesbian wedding reportedly vow to "fight back" against the state labor commissioner's stiff penalty – and are calling on "Christians … to take a stand."
"For years, we’ve heard same-sex marriage will not affect anybody," Aaron Klein, co-owner of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, told the Blaze.
"I’m here firsthand to tell everyone in America that it has already impacted people. Christians, get ready to take a stand. Get ready for civil disobedience."
What do you do when all other options are taken away from you? You choose what's left. Which is a lot easier to do when you have little or nothing left to lose.
A word of caution to the Kleins, however: A lot of Americans will rally to their support at their living martyrdom as they're hauled off to jail in handcuffs and legirons, but a lot more will be cheering their incarceration as political prisoners, with calls for the rest of us to be forced to join them. Once again, remember why we do what we do - not in any realistic expectation of winning in the short term, or even planting the seeds of a future cultural and civic revival, although that's part of it, but because it's the right thing to do.
The Kleins are being ordered to deny Christ and swear allegiance to Crisco as Lord. They are refusing. And whatever the consequences here, the true Messiah Who judges justly will see and reward their courageous faithfulness, and judge Brad Avakian accordingly.
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