Charity of the Month: Help Sweetcakes by Melissa

King Henry VIII of England divorced his wife and married Anne Boleyn.  One of his officials, Thomas Moore, refused to condemn or affirm the marriage.  Henry also claimed he was head of the Church and required all public officials to sign a document that agreed.  Thomas did not sign.  He did not speak out against Henry, he simply refused to participate in something that violated his conscience.

In Oregon, a bakery named Sweetcakes by Melissa is being fined $135,000.00.  Their crime?  They refused to participate in something that violated their conscience.

Check out the video below:

I do not know the owners and I cannot tell you if they are good people or not.  I do not know if they are people of heroic virtue or if they are heartless homophobes.  I do not know what is in their hearts.  But what I do know is that what is happening to them is wrong.

If they had denied service of their product to people because of their sexual orientation, I would not be writing this.  That case would be a clear example of discrimination and they should be fined.  People who are homosexual have the intrinsic dignity that all human beings have of being made in God's image.

Instead, the bakers said that because of their Christian faith they could not participate in something that would violate their consciences.

If someone went to an erotic bakery and asked them to make a cake that said "Outlaw Erotic Bakeries," wouldn't it be okay for the owner of that bakery to say no?

If someone went to a Jewish baker and asked for a cake to celebrate a Holocaust denial event, wouldn't it be okay for the owner of that bakery to say no?

If I owned a bakery and someone came in and asked me to cater an event that said women are inferior to men, wouldn't it be okay for me to say no?

Sweetcakes by Melissa went out of business after they refused to make the cake for the lesbian wedding.  Fine.  That is the free market.  You may like or not like it, but businesses go bust all the time.  If that was the end of the story, then I would simply suggest that the owners shake dust from their feet and move on.

But the government is coming after them for exercising their consciences.

And that is wrong.

I donated to them because the power of the state is being used to pressure people of faith into compromising their consciences.  And maybe I am wrong, but I believe that this is only the beginning.

For me, this was a real shut up or put up moment.  Will I simply "tsk-tsk" at these injustices or will I give tangible help to them?

If you feel so inclined to to give, please hit the link below:

Donate to Sweetcakes by Melissa.