Showing posts with label Aaron and Melissa Klein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron and Melissa Klein. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The American Attack on Christians Reaches an All-Time Low - Michael Brown

The American Attack on Christians Reaches an All-Time Low


The owners of Sweet Cakes were fined for not wanting to cater a same-sex wedding.
The owners of Sweet Cakes were fined for not wanting to cater a same-sex wedding. (Courtesy/Samaritans Purse)

In the Line of Fire, by Michael Brown
The recent events surrounding the court case against a Christian-owned bakery in Oregon are so surreal that they almost defy imagination.
The case itself has been well publicized.
In 2013, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, Aaron and Melissa Klein, politely declined to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, as a result of which they were taken to court and charged with discrimination based on sexual orientation.
On Friday, Oregon's Bureau of Labor recommended that the Kleins be fined a total of $135,000 to compensate "for the emotional suffering they [the lesbian couple] experienced."
Seriously?
Because a Christian couple cannot, in good conscience, bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple, they are fined $135,000?
Let that sink in: $135,000 for not baking a cake.
What if Orthodox Jewish wedding photographers declined a job because it was on the Sabbath?
What if Muslim caterers declined a job because it required pork?
Would they be taken to court and fined?
What if Christian videographers declined a job because it required them to shoot a porn scene for a movie?
Would they be fined?
Yet these Christian bakers have not just been fined, they have been fined a ridiculous amount.
Really now, what kind of "emotional suffering" did the lesbian couple endure?
The women listed a total of 178 symptoms of their suffering—not 7 or 8 or even 17 or 18, but 178 symptoms—90 from one and 88 from the other.
As reported by Kelsey Harkness, "Examples of symptoms include 'acute loss of confidence,' 'doubt,' 'excessive sleep,' 'felt mentally raped, dirty and shameful,' 'high blood pressure,' 'impaired digestion,' 'loss of appetite,' 'migraine headaches,' 'pale and sick at home after work,' 'resumption of smoking habit,' 'shock,' 'stunned,' 'surprise,' 'uncertainty,' 'weight gain' and 'worry.'"
All this—and much, much more—simply because a Christian bakery said, "It's contrary to our religious beliefs to participate in a same-sex wedding ceremony."
Is it possible that these women were not exaggerating?
Yes it is.
But that doesn't mean that the Kleins should be fined $135,000. Instead, it means we should question the overall emotional stability of these two lesbians since it is almost impossible to believe that they really suffered all this simply because a Christian company said they could not participate in a lesbian "wedding."
Since coming to faith in Jesus as a Jewish teenager in 1971, I have often experienced rejection from the Jewish community. For example, a Jewish bookstore wouldn't sell books to my school, a Jewish educational service changed their phone numbers to shut me out once I subscribed to their phone-based teaching sessions, a religious Jewish man spat on my face while we talked on the train one day, also hurling my Hebrew Bible in anger, while others have simply turned their backs on me when I tried to address them.
So what?
We all get rejected and we all have people who don't like us and we sure don't come up with lists of 178 examples of our trauma when someone expresses their polite disagreement with something important to us.
Let's also remember that, before the courts ever ruled on the Kleins' case, the vicious, gay activist attack against them forced them to close their business, which means that the fine now levied against them would have to come out of whatever personal funds they have.
As Aaron Klein said, "The state is now saying that we can award damages above and beyond what you have already suffered ... and they have no qualms about doing this. It is really showing the state is taking a stance on absolutely obliterating somebody that takes a different stance than the state has."
What kind of totalitarianism is this? And how could this lesbian couple possibly think they were entitled to $135,000 in compensation, blaming this litany of 188 symptoms of emotional suffering on the Kleins?
This is beyond ludicrous.
But it gets worse and even more ludicrous.
On Friday, shortly after the fine was announced, an account for the Kleins was set up on GoFundMe, and in about 8 hours, more than $109,000 was raised for them. And then suddenly the page was taken down.
What happened?
According to Jay Richards, "A competitor of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, Lisa Watson of Cupcake Jones, contacted GoFundMe to alert the crowd-funding company that the Kleins had violated the terms of service," as a result of which they disabled the campaign.
This is what Watson wrote to GoFundMe: "This business has been found GUILTY OF DISCRIMINATION and is being allowed to fundraise to pay their penalty. The gofundme terms of service address hate speech, bigotry, criminal activity and sexism among other things in their campaign ... The amount of money they have raised in a matter of a few hours by thousands of anonymous cowards is disgusting."
What a ridiculous complaint, especially in its accusation that it was "anonymous cowards" who came forward to help the Kleins, deeming their actions "disgusting."
So today, you can't even stand with other Christians without being lambasted in the ugliest terms.
This is utterly appalling.
But it is even more appalling that GoFundMe agreed with her complaint and shut down the campaign, claiming that because Sweet Cakes had been found guilty by the court, raising funds for them would violate the GoFundMe terms of services. (Others have already pointed out that GoFundMe is being completely inconsistent in their actions here.)
Thankfully, Franklin Graham stepped forward and continued the campaign for the Kleins on his Samaritan's Purse website.
But this whole episode exposes the moral bankruptcy of the contemporary attack on Bible-believing Christians, first, with the state requiring the Kleins to violate their religious beliefs, second, by blaming them for a ridiculous list of traumas, third, by fining them such an exorbitant amount of money, and fourth, by shutting down the caring campaign meant to help them.
Church of America, wake up.
These are truly urgent times.
Michael Brown is the author of 25 books, including Can You Be Gay and Christian? and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show "The Line of Fire." He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience.
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Sunday, April 26, 2015

Christian Bakery Fined $135,000 for ‘Discrimination’ Against Gays. Then They Get More Bad News.

Christian Bakery Fined $135,000 for ‘Discrimination’ Against Gays. Then They Get More Bad News.

Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Oregon-based owners of Sweet Cakes Bakery, learned Friday that the judge overseeing the sentencing of their discrimination conviction recommended a $135,000 payment to the lesbian couple which was refused service.
The backstory: two years ago, the bakery refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, citing religious beliefs. In January, 2014, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries brought charges against them for violating Oregon’s Equality Act of 2007. They were found guilty in January, 2015, with a financial penalty potential of up to $150,000, to be determined at a later date.
The judge’s recommendation was issued Friday. In a statement on the ruling, which awards $135,000 to Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer, for “emotional suffering,” the Bureau of Labor and Industries said this:
The facts of this case clearly demonstrate that the Kleins unlawfully discriminated against the complainants. Under Oregon law, businesses cannot discriminate or refuse service based on sexual orientation, just as they cannot turn customers away because of race, sex, disability, age or religion. Our agency is committed to fair and thorough enforcement of Oregon civil rights laws, including the Equality Act of 2007.
The amounts are damages related to the harm suffered by the Complainants, not fines or civil penalties which are punitive in nature.
According to the Washington Times, the order is not final and both sides have 10 days in which to respond before a final amount is issued by the labor commissioner. Also, either party could appeal the decision via an appeals court.
Melissa is clearly distraught about the decision in an interview she did for The Daily Signal:
In an interview with the Family Research Council, the Kleins responded to the news:
It’s very discouraging. This is not money coming from a business, this is not money coming from an insurance fund, this is money coming straight from our bank account.
This is money that should be used to pay my mortgage, money that should be used to feed our kids, not something that should be given to others. This is a decision I made because of my faith, and now the government is now saying it doesn’t matter, your kids can suffer for it as well.
You have unsubstantiated emotional damages — that’s what this came down to. There was never any physical or financial harm done to the plaintiffs. This was specifically to emotional damages. It takes a lot to explain where $135,000 comes from.
Immediately after the ruling was issued, the Facebook page for the bakery announced that a GoFundMe account was set up but a subsequent post stated that it was shut down:
This is what is written:
“The gofundme account that was set up to help our family was shut down by the administrators of gofundme because they claimed it was raising money for an illegal purpose. We have told gofundme that the money is simply going to be used to help our family, and there is no legitimate breach of their terms and conditions. We are working to get the account reinstated.
However, in the mean time, if you would like to donate, you can do so here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/christian-couple-faces-135000-fine/
For all of you who gave to the gofundme account before it was shut down, we so appreciate your love and generosity. Gofundme has told us that we will still receive those funds.”
There is a donation page that people are taken to upon following the link:
sweet_cakes_top_img_by_g-f_017-764x460 (1)
Image credit: Samaritanspurse.org

Samaritan's Purse to Help Persecuted Oregon Bakers - Franklin Graham

Samaritan's Purse to Help Persecuted Oregon Bakers




Samaritan's Purse, headed by evangelist Franklin Graham, says it will help with expenses for persecuted Oregon bakers, Aaron and Melissa Klein.

The Kleins lost their baking business in the Portland suburb of Gresham, after they refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple in 2013.

The couple filed a complaint with the state of Oregon, which ruled the Kleins discriminated against the couple.

An administrative law judge fined them $135,000 on Friday and ordered them to pay the couple for "emotional, mental and physical suffering."

The Kleins also became targets for gay activists, who protested outside the Sweet Cakes shop and harassed vendors who came to supply the Kleins' business, which had been thriving.

"Basically, what has happened is that I have been stripped of my religious freedom. I cannot speak freely," Aaron Klein told Decision magazine.

"Now, all of a sudden, if you're in business as a Christian, you have no recourse. I have been told by some people that if you want to be a Christian and stick to your convictions, you should not be opening a public business," he said.

Conservative radio host Erick Erickson sent a link to the website Go Fund Me, where an account had been set up to help the Kleins. But Erickson sent out a message saying "Go Fund Me has taken down the account and cancelled the fundraiser."

Samaritan's Purse took up the cause. President Franklin Graham said, "They (the Kleins) have taken a stand for the Word of God, and they should not have to stand alone."

He added, "Please pray for Aaron and Melissa, and pray for our nation. When our judges are punishing Christians for practicing what they believe, that's persecution, plain and simple."

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Christian Bakery Must Pay Damages to Gay Couple

Christian Bakery Must Pay Damages 

to Gay Couple

Associated Press photo
The owners of a bakery in Oregon are being ordered to pay "damages" to Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman, a lesbian couple, after declining to bake a cake for their same-sex wedding.

A hearing is scheduled in March to determine how much the owners of Sweet Cakes Bakery will be required to pay.

The judge says the Aaron and Melissa Klein discriminated unlawfully against the lesbian couple by denying them full and equal access to a place of public accommodations.

The owners say they don't have a problem serving gays and lesbians, but they cannot make a cake celebrating a same-sex wedding because of their religious beliefs.

"First Amendment, Constitution. Freedom of religion. I'm free to exercise my religion however I see fit," Aaron Klein said. "If I'm told to make a wedding cake for a same sex marriage, I feel that I'm violating my beliefs. I don't think I should have to do that."

The Kleins had to close their shop and work from home after gay rights activists organized protests and threatened vendors against doing business with them. Their children were subjected to death threats, Fox News host Todd Starnes reported.

Investigators for the State Bureau of Labor and Industries recommended each of the Kleins pay $75,000 in damages.