Bryan Fischer Wrong Again On Oregon Baker

This entry is part 13 of 35 in the series Gay Marriage

The latest fabrication from the krazy kristian kooks is that a bakery in Oregon was “forced” to close because of gay marriage. If you read the stories cited by SPLC Designated Hate Group spokesperson, Brian Fischer, the bakery was forced out of business, and equally hateful and dishonest Matt Barber claims they were forced out of business by a “vicious boycott.”

According to a report by KOIN:

A bakery embroiled in controversy after an owner refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple is closing up its Gresham storefront.

According to the “Sweet Cakes by Melissa” Facebook page, “This will be our last weekend at the shop; we are moving our business to an in-home bakery…”

On Aug. 14, Oregon’s state Bureau of Labor and Industries reported its investigation determining  if Sweet Cakes’ actions violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, which states that people cannot be denied service based upon sexual orientation. The law provides an exemption for schools and religious groups, but not for private businesses, according to a BOLI news release.

https://twitter.com/jmattbarber/statuses/374925093442314240

You’ll notice a couple of things in the report by the regular local media. First off, the State agency only just began its investigation. The report clearly states that could take up to a year. So the State didn’t order the bakery closed, nor did it fine the business into bankruptcy.

The owners of the bakery chose to close their business. Their animus was so great that they would prefer to close up shop than give equal treatment under the law as it was written in Oregon’s civil rights law. Not really all that Christian, actually, but we’ve kind of come to expect that.

Gay marriage is against the law and the Constitution of the state of Oregon, so I fail to see how gay marriage is the issue here. As noted, what Oregon does have is a Civil Rights Law which says you can’t discriminate in regard to sexual orientation, which the bakery owners did.

Matt Barber and Bryan Fischer have both supported a broad range of boycotts over the years against businesses which support equality, yet they are opposed to LGBT people and their supporters boycotting businesses which actually refuse their business. It seems like they’d be glad we’re boycotting, since they don’t want to serve “our kind.” And I fail to see how a boycott can be “vicious.” Let’s see; I won’t come into your store and buy your stuff, and I will encourage my friends to shopping with you…yeah, sounds pretty ugly to me.

We always get this argument that “requiring” bakers, florists, photographers, etc. to provide their services equally somehow might infringe on the deeply held religious beliefs of krazy kristian kooks. They clearly don’t understand how the Constitution and society work…and they really don’t get their own holy text, the Bible…remember, it says to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. No one is infringing on their religious liberty. They are still able to hate the same people they have always hated for whatever religious reason they can come up with. They are still free to worship in any house of worship they choose, and they are still free to pray any prayer they’d like to whatever deity they choose.

One commenter has claimed the couple is being forced to celebrate something their religion forbids. They are not being forced to celebrate anything. Even if they are invited for the wedding, they don’t have to attend. They don’t have to be happy for the newly married couple, and they don’t have to send a wedding gift. They do have to offer their advertised services equally though.

I am really tired of the blatant false witness being presented by the likes of Fischer and Barber, and even more tired of the inflammatory rhetoric they use. I guess, though, if one makes one’s living off hate; one has to foment hate whenever possible. These are truly sad and small people, who give Christianity a bad name.