What Oregon Sweet Cakes Bakery Owners Have Learned Through Their Trials and Why They're Not Giving Up

Leah Marieann Klett : Mar 1, 2016
The Gospel Herald

"It's strengthened my faith. He can deliver us from it, but if He doesn't, it's okay, too. We'll continue serving Him, because the alternative is just out of the question—it's not an option. We're going to continue following the Lord regardless of the consequences." -Aaron Klein

(Nashville, TN)—Despite risking the loss of all they own, Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Oregon bakers who were ordered to pay $135,000 for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, are continuing to obey God rather than man, taking their case before the Oregon Court of Appeals. (Photo via Gospel Herald)

In an effort to win the ongoing legal battle against state officials, the couple is now represented by First Liberty—formerly known as the Liberty Institute, a conservative law firm that frequently engages in First Amendment cases.

"We're praying that the state of Oregon will back off," First Liberty attorney Jeremy Dys told The Gospel Herald during a sit-down interview in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday. "We're hoping the state will recognize the freedom of religion—we're hoping that it can be restored, not just for us, but for everybody in this nation. We're going to continue to fight on."

The case dates back to 2013, when Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer filed a lawsuit against the Kleins and Sweet Cakes Bakery after the Christian duo refused to bake a cake for their wedding, citing their religious beliefs.

Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries found the owners had violated anti-discrimination laws because their shop was not a registered religious institution, and ordered them to pay the couple $135,000 in damages.

"We wanted to honor God with our business, and dedicated everything to Him," Aaron Klein told The Gospel Herald. "We believe in a Biblical definition of marriage, and we believe that we have the freedom of religion in this country."

In December 2015, the Kleins were forced to pay state-ordered damage fees and interest totaling $136,927.07. Much of the money came from the thousands of dollars that people contributed to their cause via crowd funding sites like Samaritan's Purse.

"The government of Oregon cleaned out their bank account to penalize them without their permission, but that wasn't enough," Dys said. "Thankfully, they had a whole bunch of..."

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