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Scorned Christian Bakery Breaks Online Fundraising Record
Townhall.com ^ | July 18, 2015 | Cortney O'Brien

Posted on 07/18/2015 2:45:16 PM PDT by Kaslin

Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Aaron and Melissa Klein had the audacity to defend their religious beliefs two years ago, and they suffered mightily. When a lesbian couple, Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer, requested a cake from the Oregon-based Christian bakers for their wedding, the latter politely declined because doing so would violate the religious edicts they so strongly follow. The Kleins’ religiously motivated decision prompted the gay couple to sue, and the Oregon labor commissioner ruled that the Kleins would have to shell out $135,000 in damages. Thanks to Americans who still cherish religious freedom, however, it appears this Christian family will be more than able to pay that bill. 

The Kleins had a fundraising page set up on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe. After pressure from gay marriage activists, site administrators decided to remove the page. Here’s how GoFundMe got away with that after their initial explanation about restricting crowdfunding pages for companies faced with "formal charges in defense of heinous crimes" didn't fly (the Kleins were not charged with a crime): 

A few days later, GoFundMe changed the policy to include a ban on “claims of heinous crimes, violent, hateful, sexual or discriminatory acts,” making it easier to remove campaigns for Christian-owned business owners fighting discrimination charges after declining to provide services for gay weddings.

Despite being booted from the website, the Christian bakers still managed to rake in and keep about $109,000 from the fund.

Their campaign was picked up by another crowdfunding site, Continue to Give, and it has lived up to its name. As of today, the campaign has reached about 250 percent of its goal. Here are the astounding figures:

A crowdfunding campaign for the Oregon bakery Sweet Cakes by Melissa has set a site record by raising $352,500 in about two months after being kicked off the GoFundMe website, far exceeding the initial goal of $150,000.

That, reports the Washington Times, is a new crowdfunding record for the website.

A similar scene was played out earlier this year in a small pizza shop in Walkerton, Indiana. After Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN) signed the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act into law, which protects business owners from the government infringing on their religious beliefs, tensions were already high throughout the state. The owners of Memories Pizza became unwanted martyrs in the fight. After telling local news reporters they supported RFRA and could not cater gay weddings because their faith would not allow it, the O’Connors received hate mail - even a death threat - and were forced to close up shop. 

In response to the bitter backlash, The Blaze’s Dana Loesch announced she was starting a GoFundMe page for the O’Connors and the response was immediate. The embattled pizza shop owners raked in $35,000 in just four hours (and it seemed the page was permitted to stay active.) Once again, Christian business owners stood up to the backlash - and won.

Both of these instances have proven that lawsuits and threats only make unapologetic Christian businesses stronger.

Now that the Kleins have reached their fundraising goals – and then some – it goes to show that a sizable number of Americans still err on the side of religious liberty.

As for those who are trying to remove the Klein’s crowdfunding page from Continue to Give, founder Jesse Wellhoefer has a simple message:

“Lots of people have been asking us to take it off,” Mr. Wellhoefer said. “Our response has been, ‘Thank you for your concern, have a great day and God bless you.’”



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: bakery; christianity; christians; fagmarriage; gaykkk; homosexualagenda; libertarians; medicalmarijuana; religiousfreedom; ssm
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To: P-Marlowe
Also, is the “labor commissioner” a poof?

Aren't all white male liberals poofs?


Sure seems that way.
21 posted on 07/18/2015 3:08:27 PM PDT by farming pharmer
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To: Gamecock

What you have posited is not an absolute as people gossip, and gossip has a tendency to spread. And even in a large town, if they go to a mega church or the same church that is smaller, both sides would probably know.

Bring on the Christian sectarianism! Not.


22 posted on 07/18/2015 3:10:30 PM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Kaslin
Now that the Kleins have reached their fundraising goals, it goes to show that a sizable number of Americans still err on the side of religious liberty.

"ERR"??? You should reconstruct that sentence, Courtney. How about "...it goes to show huge numbers of Americans are worried about the totalitarians destroying their First Amendment rights"? Grrrr!

23 posted on 07/18/2015 3:12:14 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not, no explanation is possible)
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To: Kaslin
Both of these instances have proven that lawsuits and threats only make unapologetic Christian businesses stronger.

I approve of supporting decent people like the victims of this malicious prosecution, but I pray that not one cent will go to the bullies who filed charges and lied about the so-called trauma of not having their orders to bake the cake obeyed (loss of appetite and weight gain, both? $135,000 in alleged suffering from not being able to order others around? really?). The lesbians in this case, the administrative "judge", and BOLI Commissioner Brad Avakian are shockingly disgusting people, who I hope will be shunned by all decent people until they repent, make restitution to the innocents they have harmed, and reform their thuggish and totalitarian ways. I hope the lesbians will die of old age or other natural causes before they are able to collect from their victims.


24 posted on 07/18/2015 3:13:23 PM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist
I asked a question. That is what the question mark at the end of that sentence is about. I did not make a statement.
25 posted on 07/18/2015 3:13:43 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Proud Infidel, Gun Nut, Religious Fanatic and Freedom Fiend)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist
Re: 7

You started out well - before the first coma - but then you started engaging in broad-brushing comparisons.
You are dealing in hypotheticals. The baker is not going to know if someone who is asking for a Wedding cake has previously been married - unless the purchaser feels compelled to blab about it and give an account of the grisly details. At that point, the baker can do as he/she feels. It is her business, she can accept the order, or not. If the business was refused, I also doubt the blabber would care two bits about it - they'd just move on to another baker (and maybe not blab so much).

The requirement for a Christian baker to prepare and sell a Wedding Cake for a Sodomite 'marriage' (there is no such an animal - but hypothetically speaking) is analogous to forcing a humanist who runs a general store to sell gasoline to someone who says he is buying it to pour on himself to commit self-immolation. I would hope that the Government would not force said General Store humanist owner to sell that gasoline.
Now multiply that by a million (or more). The Christian knows that the Sodomite, unless he/she repents and turns will end up in the everlasting fires of Hell. The Christian would rather go to jail than willingly participate in this self-immolation of someone's soul.

26 posted on 07/18/2015 3:13:59 PM PDT by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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To: Gamecock

So why didn’t they just go to a different baker?


27 posted on 07/18/2015 3:13:59 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist
Never mind, you have answered the question.

You do indeed support forcing people to do things that violate their religious beliefs.

Now that is a statement. See the period at the end?

28 posted on 07/18/2015 3:16:02 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Proud Infidel, Gun Nut, Religious Fanatic and Freedom Fiend)
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To: Kaslin
Lez-bo bitches wanna destroy Christians...it won't go well for the carpet-munchers


29 posted on 07/18/2015 3:17:24 PM PDT by MuttTheHoople (Ob)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Why didn’t they just go down the street to a different baker? The baker has rights to decline service to people who are flaunting their perversions in his face.


30 posted on 07/18/2015 3:18:35 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!)
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To: beethovenfan

I dont understand how its lasted this long. The commissioners demands are in clear violation of the Oregon Constitution

ARTICLE I
Sec. 2. Freedom of worship

3. Freedom of religious opinion

8. Freedom of speech and press


31 posted on 07/18/2015 3:19:20 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Kaslin
“claims of heinous crimes, violent, hateful, sexual or discriminatory acts,”?????

This could only be by the Discriminatory Gay Mafia.

32 posted on 07/18/2015 3:19:39 PM PDT by yoe
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To: Kaslin

I hope they use the excess funds to sue the so-called “labor commissioner” into oblivion, like Mike Nifong after his evil persecution of the Duke lacrosse team.


33 posted on 07/18/2015 3:19:46 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (If you can't make a deal with a politician, you can't make a deal. --Donald Trump)
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To: beethovenfan

You can tell by his Facebook page he’s a big Poof supporter.


34 posted on 07/18/2015 3:19:57 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: Jim Robinson
So why didn’t they just go to a different baker?

Yeah...and the Gay Bakers in the town were discriminated against by not getting their cake order....

....and all those mail (no pun intended) out of state LBGT bakeries were also loosing business....

So hit them with a RICO

35 posted on 07/18/2015 3:20:24 PM PDT by spokeshave (If an illegal alien is undocumented immigrant a drug dealer is an unlicensed pharmacist)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist
IMHO owners of lawful businesses of ANY kind have a right to either refuse or accept business from anyone or any group they choose.

If I owned a store that supplied mining companies with dynamite and a Muslim customer wanted to buy a couple of cases I wouldn't sell it to him. Should the mayor of my town be legally able to bring charges against me before a labor commission?

I don't think so here in GA, but in the liberal never-never land called Oregon the mayor probably could and would.

36 posted on 07/18/2015 3:21:04 PM PDT by epow (Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Gamecock

The children look so happy and well-disciplined. Not.


37 posted on 07/18/2015 3:21:20 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (If you can't make a deal with a politician, you can't make a deal. --Donald Trump)
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To: Albion Wilde

I’m pretty sure they’ve already stated they are NOT paying the fine & instead are going to court. We’ll see if the Supremes take the case.


38 posted on 07/18/2015 3:22:11 PM PDT by Twotone (Truth is hate to those who hate truth.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

No, it is not stronger than the Lord intended. Romans 1:32 states that those who approve of homosexuality and sexual immorality are as bad in the eyes of the Lord as those who practice them.


39 posted on 07/18/2015 3:22:28 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: Kaslin

Ok but how much are these useless (to humanity) mouth breather lesbians going to be raking in? Its a major crime if they score $100,000 off this phoney claim plus collusion with the phony baloney gov’t official who imposed the high fine


40 posted on 07/18/2015 3:24:12 PM PDT by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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