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Meet the baker who lost his business over gay wedding cakes

September 30, 2014
Wilson

Writer

Glenn interviewed Aaron Klein on radio today, he and his wife own and operate Sweet Cakes by Melissa. They were targeted and attacked after they declined to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The media labeled this hate, but these bakers had actually served this particular couple several other times. The only reason they declined is because this wedding cake went against their own personal religious beliefs. Watch the interview and judge for yourself -- does this sound like a hateful person?

Below is a rush transcript of this segment:

GLENN: So glad that you're here today. I want to -- I'm really excited to introduce you to a couple that you knew the story of. You know the story about the Christian baker who lost their shop in Oregon because they refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. Well, I met the -- I met the Klein's. I met Aaron and Melissa Klein, what, Saturday in Washington, D.C. and there's a great story on them on the Blaze today. But I really want you to hear from Aaron himself and is Melissa with you or not.

AARON: No. Melissa is at home with the kids. I'm actually at work.

GLENN: You guys lost your bakery. Tell me the story quickly in your own words of what happened.

AARON: Well, you know, marriage was defined by the State of Oregon's Constitution as between a man and a woman up until I believe it was May of this year. Our belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. And the Bible coincides with that.

You know, we -- we -- you know, we had a small bakery. We did wedding cakes. Birthday cakes. All sorts of cakes.

In January 2013, we had a gal come in and asked us to basically create a piece of artwork for something the Bible clearly states is, you know, not the definition of marriage. So through all this, we've ended up losing our shop due to some really mean-spirited tactics that was used by -- I wouldn't say all the LGBT community. Because we met quite a few of them that are really nice, but there are some that really wanted us to close our doors. And through everything that's been done. You know, they've harassed the wedding vendors that we did business with. They protested. Boycotted. In fact, there's still an only boycott on Facebook going on. And I get it. They killed the wedding end of our business and we did have to close our doors last September. And, you know, I went to back to work driving trucks. So...

GLENN: Now, I saw the wedding cakes. My father was a baker, and he was one of the best cake decorators I'd ever seen. Since he was a little boy, he worked in my grandfather's bakery, and all he wanted to do was decorate cakes. And so he just -- he ice cakes and ice cakes and ice cakes over and over again. And he was just an amazing artist. I've seen your wedding cakes. They're absolutely beautiful. I've met you guys this weekend. You guys have this in your DNA. So what are you going to do now?

AARON: The thing is, we dedicated everything we did in our shop to the glory of God just as we do everything else in our lives. It's all an act of worship. To go against what the Bible says -- how can you glorify God when you're doing something strictly against what his Word says.

GLENN: Before you go any further, I want to read something your wife said in the story on the Blaze: Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is, you disagree with somebody's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. Second is that to love someone means you must disagree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense.

So if I'm a listener and I'm hearing you talk about this, you're talking about the Bible an awful lot, and I'm a listener, and I don't believe the Bible and I'm hearing, okay, get over the Bible thing and whatever. You're a hater. Can you address that and kind of what your wife said in The Blaze story?

AARON: Okay. She posted that to a business page. And that's a quote from Rick Warren. So yeah, it's very true. It's not about hate. It's not about -- it's strictly about adhering to our faith. I don't expect everybody to agree with me, but I expect that I would get the freedom the constitution provides me to do that.

GLENN: So if somebody comes into your -- this is where I am -- look, I believe what I believe. But if you're gay or lesbian, you're telling me you can't change your point of view. Well, I'm telling you the same thing about my lifestyle. I believe in God.

There's times I don't want to believe in this stuff. It's not easy. Just like you would say if you're gay, it's not easy being gay in today's world. I know. It's not easy to be religious in today's world as well. So we have that in common.

So what you choose to do with your life is your deal, man. That's your deal. This is mine. Can't I respect you and say, first of all, why do you want a cake made from somebody who doesn't believe you're doing the right thing? And second of all, just go find somebody else to make a cake. I don't hate you. Can't I have my right to who I am as well?

AARON: And that's what it is in a nutshell. We have no problem making cakes for anybody, any sexual preference. It was that specific event, you know. And, like I said, down there in D.C. they're return customers. It was not the first time they came in. It was not about hate. It was not about discrimination. It was strictly about the definition of marriage and what I believed to be true.

GLENN: So you knew them? They were repeat customers. Did you know them more than just, hey, thanks very much for stopping by. Did you know them?

AARON: They had come in and actually ordered a wedding cake for one of the girl's moms and paid for it a couple years prior. I'm horrible with names and faces. So I didn't recognize her right off the bat. It wasn't until I actually got the complaint from the DOJ that I realized who it was.

STU: You brought up a great point, too, which is the Oregon constitution specifies that marriage is between a man and a woman. This is an amendment approved in 2004 by 13 points in Oregon. I mean, they're basically asking you to make a cake for an event that the constitution says is illegal.

PAT: And then you lost your place because of it. That's --

AARON: The odd part about it is the state of Oregon was actually in violation of their own statute. All the county clerks of the state of Oregon were not issuing same-sex marriage licenses, which actually puts them in violation of their own statute. They're expecting me to abide to something the state itself won't abide by, which is very ironic and hypocritical.

PAT: How did you guys not turn out -- I mean, you don't sound bitter about all this. I think I would have been.

AARON: Well, if you read the book of James, it says to consider it pure joy when you're persecuted for the name of Christ. If they're going to persecute me for standing by God's word, then it's pure enjoy.

GLENN: I have to tell you, I met you guys, Pat was pissed at me because I didn't walk you over to his highness Pat, but he was like, they were there? I didn't meet them? I'm like, I'm sorry your royal highness, but my wife spent some time talking to you both, and I found you both very reasonable, kind, courteous, quiet, gentle, I really felt you guys were really good people, which is good to know. Because there are some people like, yeah, them gays, I'll tell you what. You know, what is that?

AARON: That attitude is not an attitude of love. We're supposed to show the love of Christ to all people we meet. To be downright spiteful and hateful would be wrong, and that's me. Despite the lies that have been spread, it's not about that. You know, I liken it to: If your child wants to go run and play in the streets, they might throw a fit if you tell them no. But you don't let them do it, because that's not loving. In this situation, by no means am I calling anyone a child, but I'm saying I won't help someone do something that might be detrimental to their salvation.

GLENN: It doesn't matter what you think is right or wrong about me. You tell me about my lifestyle. You know, stand in line. I got a lot of people telling me what to do. What matters to me is that we all retain our right to be who we are and really celebrate diversity. They have a right to go do that. Go do that. That's fine.

PAT: It's amazing that wasn't a violation of your religious sensibilities. It's amazing to me that somehow the Constitution, the first amendment didn't protect you guys.

AARON: Yeah. It's totally being ignored by this administrative court. They've totally ignored all constitutional rights. In fact, they've said it's not allowed in the court. The attorney general of the state of Oregon has to take care of that. I don't know. It's a totally different scenario. Brad Avakian, the Commissioner of Bureau, Labor, and Industry, seems to be the judge, the jury, and the executioner.

GLENN: So have you changed your mind at all on like where you live and what you do and --

AARON: I actually don't live in the Portland metro area. You know, and honestly, we're supposed to be salt and light. If I go run and hide, I can't be salt and light. That's one of those things where, you know, change of venue might be nice, but then, again, I'm going to go where God leads me.

STU: This brings up an interesting question, which is, when do we get cake?

GLENN: I thought your interesting question was going to be this: We have 400,000 square feet down in Texas, why don't we have a bakery there?

PAT: That's an excellent question.

GLENN: I do believe a few things fall into place. We may have to have our own bakery at the studios. I'm just saying.

Aaron, God bless you and your wife, Melissa. I urge everyone to read the article on the Blaze. Aaron or maybe Melissa gave a great compliment, they said thank you for having a website that actually cared about getting the story right. I can't imagine how many stories were written about you two and it was not -- it wasn't exactly accurate.

AARON: Yeah. Well, a lot of them were just down right dishonest. But yeah, we really appreciate TheBlaze doing such a good job of telling the truth and telling it like it is. And it was really nice meeting you guys and I appreciate all you do.

GLENN: Thank you very much and it probably was -- the highlight was not meeting Pat. Aaron, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

AARON: Not a problem.

Glenn Beck: One TERRIFYING thing is clear no matter who caused the Nord Stream pipeline leaks

Photo by Danish Defence/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Evidence strongly suggests that the Nord Stream pipeline leaks were the result of sabotage, and U.S. and European officials have been working to discover who could be behind the explosions that damaged the natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

Was it Russia? Ukraine? Germany? But no matter who carried this out, it has put the entire world in grave danger, because if this is indeed an attack, it means that non-military key infrastructure outside Ukraine is now on the "target menu," warned Glenn Beck on the radio program.

"It is so important for you to understand, this is now a non-military key infrastructure that has been destroyed," Glenn explained. "If Russia thinks we did it, they've already said, 'Nukes are now on the table.' That gives us a green light to use nukes," he added.

"This is non-military key infrastructure outside of the borders of Ukraine. To date, as far as we know, combat targets were either in Ukraine, or were military targets hit inside of Russia by Ukrainian Air Force or special forces. But the target menu now includes key civilian infrastructure: electricity, water utilities, energy production. That makes Russia more dangerous than ever. And that would be true no matter who carried out the attack," Glenn stated.

Now, the Russians are saying the Unted States did it, and the U.S. is saying it was Russia. But no matter who carried out the attack, "We are facing a Cuban Missile Crisis," said Glenn.

"This could end up being the biggest story of our lifetime and ... if it isn't played calmly by every side, this could be World War III," he continued. "Russia has already said that this gives them the right to use nuclear weapons as soon as they find out for sure who did it. That would be catastrophic, absolutely catastrophic."

Watch the video clip below to hear more from Glenn. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Pain IS the point: How to survive Biden’s 'HELL' economy

The White House can try to spin inflation all day long (and it's trying very hard). But you feel the effects of President Joe Biden’s disastrous leadership every time you go to the grocery store or fill up your car. The American economy is on the brink of disaster after less than two years of a Democrat-controlled Congress and White House. And they’ve got plenty more destruction in the works.

The bottom line is they WANT you to get used to a lower living standard. So, what do you do? How do you prepare? What will food and fuel cost in the months ahead? What would the next Great Depression look like? How are you going to feel the effects of ESG and the Left’s war on oil?

On Wednesday night's "Glenn TV," Glenn Beck brings in a panel of economic experts to answer those questions. He’s joined by Carol Roth, former Wall Street investment banker and author of “The War on Small Business,” and Jim Iuorio, a small business owner, stockbroker, and managing director of TJM Institutional Services. While both forecast the worst-case scenario for average Americans, they also offer a glimmer of hope to get us out of this mess.

Watch the full episode below:


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

FBI sends at least 15 agents with 'guns drawn' to arrest pro-life dad, terrifies family — denies abuse of power​

Image source: Video screenshot

The FBI recently sent more than a dozen armed agents to the home of well-known pro-life activist Mark Houck to arrest him for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances or FACE Act. Now the father of seven faces up to 11 years in prison over claims that he blocked a man from entering an abortion clinic and shoved him when he wouldn't stop verbally harassing Mark's 12-year-old son. Now, if that doesn't sound insane enough, this all happened after local authorities dropped the case. So, what's the full story here?

Attorney Peter Breen joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Tuesday to tell the family's side of the story, including how the case was already "won" three years ago, and how, after receiving a target letter from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Mark's legal team agreed to cooperate fully, only to hear nothing back until the day the FBI showed up on Mark's doorstep.

Breen also explained how the FBI has tried to downplay "abuse of power" claims, accusing Mark's wife of making "inaccurate claims" about the terrifying experience.

"Ryan-Marie, who is Mark's wife, she thought she saw 25 [FBI agents.] The FBI came back and said it wasn't 25, it was no more than 15 or 20 heavily armed federal agents. And she had called them a 'SWAT team' because she's a lay person. I don't know the difference between a SWAT team and a bunch of heavily armed, armored, and shield-bearing federal agents," Breen said.

According to Fox News, a senior FBI source said:

There may have been 15-20 agents at the scene, but denied 25 were there. The agents who came to the door had guns out and at the ready, according to this FBI source, but the guns were never pointed at Houck or his family and were lowered or holstered as soon as Houck was taken into custody. Houck was handcuffed with a belly chain.

"So, yeah, they had guns drawn and pointed at Mark in front of his wife and their children. And that whole show of force was done against a man who was not a drug lord, not a mafia boss, but instead, a law-abiding pillar of the community whose attorney said, 'we'll bring him in if you decide to charge, even though you have no case.'"

Breen went on to assert that he believes Congress "needs to" hold Attorney General Merrick Garland accountable for the arrest. "I can't imagine that those 20 federal agents were excited about being called out to a peaceful man's home, guns drawn," he said.

In the video clip below, Breen goes on the explain what he believes should happen next, and why Houck's arrest "should frighten all of us." Can't watch? Download the podcast here.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Gavin McInnes admits arrest hoax was a prank gone DISASTROUSLY wrong: 'This was a $10,000 joke'

Image source: Video screenshot

Gavin McInnes broke the internet last month when his live show was interrupted, and it appeared that he was arrested. He broke the internet again a few weeks later when he admitted that the arrest was staged as part of what was intended to be an elaborate prank.

McInnes joined Glenn Beck on "Glenn TV" to explain the real reason behind his disastrous prank.

"This was a $10,000 joke. I lost 100 subscribers because of it, but I was going away to Paris for a week because my daughter is going to college and I thought let's make it interesting," McInnes said of his decision to fake an on-air arrest in the middle of his live "Get Off My Lawn" podcast on August 25.

"There was a method to the madness, with the prank ... my point was, first of all, this is happening to people in real-time. Tim Poole has been swatted a million times," he explained to Glenn. "The thought police are in full effect. I also wanted to lampoon the media's bloodlust for us suffering."

Glenn played a clip of the now-infamous hoax while McInnes explained what was really going on behind the scenes, including how his very drunk friend "Unrelia-Bill" was supposed to act the part of the arresting officer but ended up being much too intoxicated (at "2 pm") to speak even a few lines, and how smugly gleeful the "far left" was when they thought McInnes had actually been arrested.

Watch the video clip below to catch more of the conversation:


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.