The Christian bakery owners in Oregon who refused to serve a lesbian couple have been the target of the LBGTQ community in the US and bravely fought legal battles arising from the complaint raised by the couple. But through it all, they have remained calm and optimistic, expressing that their faith in God will triumph in the end.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, Oregon, turned down a service order for a lesbian wedding back in 2013. They were eventually sued for sexual discrimination by the lesbian couple. Just last month, the state Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) issued an order directing the Kleins to pay the women they allegedly offended $135,000 in damages. Not only that, but Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian even issued a "gag order" prohibiting the Christian couple from saying anything that would add fuel to the fire regarding sexual discrimination.
This order prevents the Kleins from sharing their faith and personal beliefs. But they have no intention of keeping quiet.
"This is a manifestation of sin battling against God's righteousness," Aaron told Christian News Northwest.
Even though they were forced to close their business and moved their bakery at home because of the resulting decline in the number of customers, Melissa said these times of anxiety over their finances only helped them draw closer to God.
"The only thing I knew to do was to turn to God's Word," she shared. "But I have complete trust in God now. I have never seen so much blessing in my life as I have since we've gone through this."
The couple is thankful that the incident has had no negative effect on their children as well, noting that their 16-year-old daughter actually developed a stronger relationship with God in the midst of their ordeal.
The Kleins also maintained that they have no ill-will towards the lesbian couple or Avakian. In fact, even after they lost their legal battle, Melissa asked permission to reach out to one of the lesbian women who filed charges against them. "I hugged her," she said. "I told her that it wasn't out of hate that we did what we did, and that I loved her."
Some people might assume that winning a case might mean monetary gains, but the Kleins view it differently. To them winning a case could mean winning someone over to God or getting the opportunity to profess their faith in a big scale. "God's got this, and God is going to win this fight," Melissa said with confidence.
