Christian Business Owners Bullied Into Closing

Over the Labor Day weekend the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, a bakery in Oregon, decided to close the shop as a result of all the threats, vicious emails and phone calls they have received after refusing to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.  Aaron and Melissa Klein said their business has suffered after the media firestorm earlier this year when they declined to provide a cake for a lesbian ceremony because it would have violated their Christian beliefs.  Emails and phone calls were received by the Kleins saying Aaron should be shot, that he should be raped, and that the couple’s five children should become sick.

“You stupid bible thumping, hypocritical b****.  I hope your kids get really, really sick and you go out of business,” said one email.  “Here’s hoping you go out of business, you bigot.  Enjoy hell,” said another.

In addition to the harassment the Kleins have received, their wedding vendors were badgered and harassed into not doing business with the Kleins, resulting in orders this past summer being down dramatically from the past.  Their attorney called it “economic terrorism.”  The Kleins have closed the shop but said they will still take orders and operate from their home.

This being barely a blip on the news radar I cannot help but wonder how the media response would have been different if this was a homosexual baker refusing to make a cake for an event at a church.  This is the first instance I’m aware of when a Christian business owner had to close up shop due to bullying over sticking to Christian values.  It is apparently the direction our country is headed – forcing Christian business owners to either implicitly endorse homosexuality by providing services in support of their abomination, or close up shop and not do business at all.

The left is very practiced at bullying and harassing those who disagree with them, while at the same time claiming to be the more ‘tolerant’ side. The right is supposed to be tolerant of those with whom we disagree and make allowances for their choices and lifestyles, even to the point of violating our own religious beliefs.  But does the left make room for our views and religious beliefs?  Of course not.  Because they are not the least bit tolerant.