A Christian couple who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple due to their religious beliefs said they received a threatening phone call that warned their house would be burned down and their 17-year-old son harmed.
Edie and David Delorme own the Kern's Bake Shop in Long View, Texas. Last Feb. 17, Ben Valencia and Luis Marmolejo came to the shop and asked to buy a cake for their wedding, The Blaze reported.
When Edie realised it was for a same-sex wedding, she politely refused.
"She said, 'I'm so sorry, but we don't make same-sex wedding cakes, but here's a list of other bakers in the area who would most likely be able to meet your needs,' It was pretty civil. The gentleman said, 'Okay' and left," said First Liberty lawyer Michael Berry.
Harassment and threats poured in, including vile posts on the bakers' Facebook page and Yelp page.
The recent threat is the phone call.
"Our son got a call ... where they threatened to burn our house down and violate him with a broken beer bottle. That was probably the worst," Edie said. The couple also have an eight-year-old daughter.
"The Delormes property has been damaged. They've experienced minor vandalism at their home, including their mailbox being destroyed. We reported both the vandalism and the threats they have received to the Harrison County Sheriff. The Sheriff's office sent a deputy to talk to the Delormes and they are now patrolling the area to make sure no additional acts are perpetrated against the Delormes," Berry told LifeSite News.
The Christian bakers said they do not want to discriminate against same-sex couples but that they have to follow their religious beliefs. They have also declined to make baked goods that promote alcohol, tobacco, and gambling.
In deciding not to make the cake for the same-sex couple, Edie said, "We want to make that cake the most perfect for them, exactly what they wanted ... we really pour ourselves into it, and we take delight in seeing their joy in what we were able to create for them."
"That cake is used to celebrate a union. We just don't feel like we're supposed to take part in the celebration of that union, because it's a violation of our faith," she said.
David said they "try to live scripture every day. Our faith is who we are."
He said they treat all with love and kindness despite the threats and harassments.
"We just say, 'You have a nice day,'" Scripture requires us to turn the other cheek, so that's what we do," he said.