Bakery owners speak out for religious freedom

Next week, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries will announce the fine that former bakery owners Aaron and Melissa Klein must pay for declining to bake a cake celebrating a homosexual wedding. They could be fined as much as $150,000.

Last week, the couple appeared at the National Religious Broadcasters conference in Nashville, Tenn., to encourage others to stand up for the freedom of religion.

“It would almost appear as if we have lost the battle for the culture as Christians,” Aaron Klein said. “I would say that’s not true. I would say that we can fight for our rights. I’d say we should fight for our rights.”

The Kleins shut down their storefront business at the end of last year, but still do some baking as a home-based business. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, appeared with the Kleins and spoke about the increasing struggles of Christian business owners in the marketplace.

“This is no longer theoretical, it’s happening,” Perkins said. “A firestorm erupted around their bakery and it became ground zero for this battle over religious freedom.”

Klein said he and his wife faced backlash from gay activists before closing their store. At one point, someone vandalized their bakery truck.

“We need to call to action everybody that can to stand up and be a voice in this nation for people like Melissa and myself because we are not where it ends,” he said. “It’s going to continue. It’s going to continue on down the line.”

Listen to Joseph Slife’s report on the Klein family on The World and Everything in It.