Tyranny has come to America.
This form of tyranny is not from ISIS, or Al-Qaeda. It doesn’t use guns or beheadings. Yet it is disturbingly reminiscent of dictatorial nations that oppress Christians for their beliefs, and it is the gravest threat to liberty in America today.
This tyranny is perhaps no better seen in Oregon, where militant LGBT activists have targeted the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa for alleged discrimination. The crime of Sweet Cakes’ owners? Declining to bake a cake for a same-sex “marriage” ceremony.
These well-funded bullies have even managed to convince the state’s bureaucrats to silence owners Aaron and Melissa Klein, and fine them $135,000 for expressing their religious beliefs.
Fortunately, the American people are fighting back.
As of this writing, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised to help the Kleins pay the unjust fine, which is nothing more than state-sanctioned discrimination against religious liberty and free speech. These are freedoms protected by not only the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but as innate parts of each human being.
And what are these dollars protecting? According to LGBT activists and their oppressive allies in government, the Kleins engaged in prejudicial bigotry against people for their sexual attractions. The truth, however, is that the Kleins chose to not participate in a ceremony, which was chosen by two lesbians after they chose to be in a sexual relationship with each other.
In other words: The Kleins were asked to support a relationship explicitly condemned by God. The Kleins believe that participating in a ceremony celebrating the relationship was assisting with sin. So they declined, and were subsequently attacked for this decision.
Many believe the Kleins are acting out of hate. However, modern science shows same-sex sexual relationships are horrifically damaging to the human body. So it is easily arguable that by helping the Kleins, Christian Americans are standing up for love — a love that would not allow a parent to encourage children to play in a busy street, and that does not allow Christians to encourage behaviors that risk the soul and lead to HIV/AIDS, depression, breast cancer, etc.
What the Kleins have faced is nothing short of tyrannical government. Yet rather than bow to the new order, Americans are standing up for truth and liberty. As the United States continues down the path of persecuting Christians for their beliefs on sexuality and marriage — as has been seen in Europe and Canada — I hope that this groundswell of support will only grow and flourish.
Only by standing together can Christians fight for liberty, as so many have in recent days. It is a stark, poignant reminder that while government persecution lasts but a moment, God is forever.
John-Henry Westen is a co-founder of Voice of the Family, an influential international coalition of pro-life and pro-family groups which defends life and family in the media. He is also a co-founder of LifeSiteNews.com, a leading daily news website on life and family issues.