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Melissa and Aaron Klein.
PORTLAND, Oregon, January 3, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A U.S. court of appeal dealt religious freedom another legal blow last week as it upheld a penalty against Christian bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein for declining to create a “wedding” cake for two lesbians almost five years ago.
Lawyers for the Kleins said state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and the state Bureau of Labor and Industries violated the Kleins’ rights as artists to free speech, their rights to religious freedom and their rights as defendants to a due process.
Avakian had ordered the owners of now-closed Sweet Cakes by Melissa to pay emotional-distress damages of $135,000 to the lesbians.
The Oregon Court of Appeals sided with the state last week, the Washington Post reports, saying the Kleins failed to show the state targeted them for their religious beliefs.
The court said the Kleins’ argument that their cakes are an artistic expression is “entitled to be taken seriously,” but it’s not enough for the couple to assert their cakes constitute art; they must show that others perceive their creations like a sculpture or painting.
“Although we accept that the Kleins imbue each wedding
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