Would Jesus Bake a Cake for a Gay Wedding?

If Jesus owned a bakery, would he bake a cake for a gay wedding?

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council would probably argue “no” in a recent article for Charisma News defending a Oregon couple whose bakery is under fire for refusing to provide a cake for a lesbian couple’s ceremony.  That in itself is not to startling. As a general rule of thumb if you have the words “family” and “council” in your job description you probably aren’t on the short list for a GLAAD award.

The couple in question are Aaron and Melissa Klein who, after refusing to provide a service for which their bakery is no doubt licensed, have the uncanny ability suggest that they are the ones being discriminated against.  In face of a complaint filed with the state Aaron Klein responds, “it’s almost as if the state is hostile toward Christian businesses.”

Really?

You don’t sell someone a cake because you don’t like where it’s going to be used and the state is hostile to you?

Can you imagine if every business passed judgement on people that resulted in their selling a product based on the endorsement of how it was going to be used?

Aaron & Melissa Klein

OK, personal confession;  When I worked at Barnes & Nobles Booksellers I mentally passed judgement on people’s reading choices all the time (Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert…really?) but I never insisted someone else make the sale because of my personal conviction.

The Charisma News article goes on to explain,

“they (the Kleins)  couldn’t take the order because it would violate their faith to participate in a same-sex marriage ceremony.”

Now, my guess is the couple in question never asked them to participate in their “same-sex” marriage ceremony.  I’m sure the Kleins were not asked to officiate it, sing at it, speak at it, dance at it, or were even invited to it.

Like the shop which provides the flowers, or the hall where the mass produced fish or chicken buffet is served, they were asked to provide a product in exchange for money…as no doubt their licensed bakery is in the business of doing.

So bake a cake…

Political Pawns

I don’t blame the Kleins per se.  They themselves are pawns in a much bigger power game.  Aaron and Melissa are front line soldiers for the Culture War generals like Tony Perkins and para-Christian groups like the Family Research Council.  These “generals” convince people like the Kleins that this is what God wants and the hardships and sacrifices they make will be rewarded one day. Says Perkins in his article:

While the couple debates their next move, surrender is not an option. In a Facebook post to her 12,000 fans, Melissa thanked people for their support.

“I know that your prayers are being heard,” she wrote. “I feel such a peace with all of this that is going on. Even though there are days that are hard … we still feel that the Lord is in this. It is His fight and our situation is in His hands.”

See the language used

* Surrender is not an option

* It is His (God’s) fight

Somehow a simple business transaction involving a baked good gets elevated to a DEFCON 1 war footing!

Poor Melissa!  She wants to do whats right.  She thinks this is God’s fight and this is what He wants.  But this is not what God wants.  Instead this is a perfect example of what happens when the Kingdoms of this Earth co-opt the Kingdom of Heaven for its own purposes.

This is not how Christ taught his followers to engage the world around us.  I wrote in a previous post:

Jesus had no interest in their “culture wars”.  He had no interest in using the systems of this world to bring about change.  Kingdoms established by sword or gun eventually crumble when the other guys get more swords and guns.

Instead Jesus came announcing the Kingdom of Heaven and inviting all who heard the opportunity to become citizens.  This Kingdom did not fight “culture wars”.  In fact, it did not fight at all.  It would not be founded on the systems of power, coercion, and antagonism common to every other Kingdom or nation that had ever been established  but instead on love, forgiveness, and mercy.

And the cornerstone of that new Kingdom would be Jesus Christ himself; the Prince of Peace.

So my advice to Aaron & Melissa Klein is this; Don’t listen to pastors and other “Christian” leaders who tell you that you are standing up for God’s way.  You aren’t…you’re being used…and you’re paying a price for it.   Instead of creating news that draws our Lord’s name through the mud, use the wonderful baking skills God has given to you to bless your community and all who come through your door.

Demonstrating our love to God by showing love to our neighbor is the real way to fight the “culture war”!

To answer the original question; “Would Jesus bake a cake for a gay wedding?”

Yes, I believe he would!