Posted on 07/09/2015 7:46:17 AM PDT by xzins
Two Christian bakers who refused to bake a cake for a lesbian wedding have been ordered to pay $135,000 in damages by July 13 or else the state of Oregon could place a lien on their home.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, were punished by the state's Bureau of Labor and Industry (BOLI) for unlawfully discriminating against a same-sex couple.
The Kleins, who are devout evangelical Christians, argued that baking the cake would be a violation of their religious beliefs.
The BOLI ruling ordered the mom-and-pop bakers to pay $135,000 to the lesbian couple. They were also slapped with a gag order that prohibits them from speaking publicly about their refusal to participate in or bake wedding cakes for same-sex unions.
And now they have until July 13 to pay the damages or else face additional fines and a possible lien on their home.
"This is intimidation and bullying—that's exactly what it is," Klein told me in a telephone interview." They are trying to strong-arm me into handing over $135,000 to the two girls and if I win on appeal—they will never pay me back."
A BOLI spokesman confirmed they sent a standard payment letter to the Kleins' attorney.
"The letter informs them that if we do not hear from them, we may turn the matter over to the Department of Revenue, which can place a lien on real property," the spokesman told me.
BOLI said they would also be willing to accept either a full payment or payment arrangements.
"Of course, they can also ask for a stay of enforcement while they pursue their appeal," the spokesman said.
But there's a catch. The person who will determine whether or not to stay the order—is BOLI Commissioner Brad Avakian—a vocal supporter of the LGBTQIA movement.
"The judge, jury and executioner are all in one place," said Anna Harmon, the Kleins' attorney. "He is intent on using his office to root out thought and speech with which he personally disagrees."
Harmon, who is affiliated with Alliance Defending Freedom, said they were expecting the payment letter that came from BOLI.
"This letter, while it's the normal procedure, continues to show the state is not backing down," she told me. "They don't think they did anything wrong here."
Avakian's strong arm tactics against the Christian bakers have outraged Christians across the nation.
"This guy would make Mussolini proud," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research council. "This is a wannabe dictator."
It certainly appears that Avakian and the state of Oregon have declared war on the Klein family.
"Not only do they want to drive them out of business, but they want to make them homeless," Perkins told me.
The Kleins say they are filing a stay and do plan on appealing the state's decision.
"Brad and his cohorts at BOLI have overstepped their constitutional rights in requiring me to cease and desist from my constitutional freedom," Mr. Klein said. "I will fight them with every last breath I have."
Mrs. Klein said she would not be intimidated by Avakian's hard line tactics.
"We are so going to fight this, oh my gosh," she said. "It's making us stronger and emboldening us to stand up to this. Aaron and I are fighting for every American out there—for their freedom. We are not backing down at all."
And while the viciousness of the attacks against the Kleins might be unsettling—Harmon said it really should serve as a source of inspiration.
"What a time to be an American," she said. "It's a hard time—our freedoms are challenged—but what a time to be able to stand and have courage and say, 'I have a moment in time where I can be a voice for that.'"
And the Kleins are not ready to throw in the towel just yet.
"He definitely messed with the wrong Christians," Mrs. Klein told me.
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary, heard on hundreds of radio stations. Sign up for his American Dispatch newsletter, be sure to join his Facebook page, and follow him on Twitter. His latest book is God Less America.
Something similar, yes...
“OK, bakers, we’ve got you surrounded!”
“And Mr Fednazi, WE’VE got YOU surrounded.”
There are funding sites for them, and I don’t want them to lose their house, but I want them NOT to pay.
...
My impression after reading this article and others is that they won’t.
Have them sell their house and all their worldly goods at a yard sale to raise the $135,000
which goes into escrow established by their attorney, pending final resolution of their appeal
except for paying bona fide medical bills presented by the lesbians that shows their actual damage
Encourage them to start a nonprofit ministry that donates wedding cakes for Christian weddings
Buy a parish house for their ministry in which they live for market rent for a lifetime tenancy
Avakian must be held accountable by the rule of law. He must be legally punished for his religious persecution. This kind of stuff won’t stop until anti-religious nuts like Avakian spend time in prison.
When did Oregon go commie?
How about “no”.
Authoritarians will always turn into the likes of Mao, Stalin and Hitler (Totalitarians) once they attain near absolute power.
The ultimate goal of the evil left is to literally exterminate Conservatives.
It seems like he has a gay agenda on Facebook. Are the Oregon taxpayers paying this labor commissioner to post comments all day on Facebook about how great “gay” pride and homosexual “marriage” is?
I don’t either but for this to be a cause there has to be a way to give them material support... not just money.
If there were to be a peaceful insurrection, a protest, an act of civil disobedience... what would it be for? What would be the issue and how would it be done?
These people refusing to pay the fine will result in the same consequence every time an individual stands up alone against the system... they lose, get carted off and that is the end of it. The rest of us say, “Oh my, that’s terrible. I sure hope nothing like that happens to me.” We behave like rodents out on a bare rock picked off by a hawk one by one.
There must be a means of solidarity so that all the participants in the disobedience can’t be carted off. It must have mass.
It worked at the ranch.
Back during the Russian occupation???
:>)
This does not mean they will lose their home, lots of people have liens put on their homes from the IRS for non payment of taxes...
It will ruin their credit, but the Sheriff isn't going to toss their belongings on the street...
Not yet...
These people need prayer...
Avakian has a boss...start putting lots of pressure on him...
Well, I am a smoker, so an “accidental fire” could happen quite easily...
Removing a lien is extremely difficult until the matter is solved with the originator of the lien.
This being a homosexual activist means it will never be to his satisfaction.
“They used to execute believers in the old days... “
Still do in other parts of the world, and they will do it here too, some day.
And before that, it’s a violation of their first amendment religion and speech rights.
You could throw in "due process" if they appeal. They shouldn't have to pay a judgement on a case that is under appeal, because the verdict isn't final.
A massive protest would draw media attention to the judge and what he's doing to these two, very nice people.
There's no such thing as homosexual tolerance. Every state that voted on it voted "Hell no!" It was forced on America by a rouge court.
It's all left wing propaganda, and millions of Americans are being silenced by it. When people are forced to think and act contrary to their conscience, it creates the hate the totalitarians "claim" they're trying to eliminate.
Just spell out "HOMOSEXUAL", it's less letters and it drives them insane...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.