Wading into Syria's civil war to aid and comfort the refugees? Riding the Freedom buses in the early '60s or crossing Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge? Surrendering all thought of safety on a life-long mission to end temple prostitution in India?

Those examples of sacrificial fearlessness give me the chills.

But taking a stand atop a wedding cake? How does that qualify as a profile in faith-based courage?

Two years ago, Gresham baker Aaron Klein decided it did, and put his foot down on Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer.

You know the story. Rachel Bowman-Cryer and her mother, Sheryl McPherson arrived at Klein's shop - Sweet Cakes by Melissa - for a tasting.

It wasn't the first time. Back in November 2010, Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman - who were not yet married - spent an hour with Klein at Sweet Cakes, sampling the wares. Because the Portland lesbians wanted a cake for McPherson, who arrived late to the party, Klein was happy to do business with them.

Not so in 2013. Klein insisted he didn't remember Rachel when she and her mother returned. When he asked for the name of the bride and groom for the wedding cake, Rachel laughed and said there would be two brides.

"We do not do cakes for same-sex weddings," Klein told them. They left, Rachel in tears. When McPherson came back into the shop to discuss children and Christian values, Klein went Old Testament on her.

"I quoted Leviticus," Klein said Tuesday.

To be specific, Sheryl McPherson

at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries hearing, Klein said homosexuals were

unto the Lord."

This is what Klein told The Oregonian/OregonLive in 2013: "I believe marriage is a religious institution between a man and a woman as stated in the Bible. When someone tells me their definition is something different, I strongly disagree. I don't think I should be penalized for that."

Maybe not. But Aaron and Melissa Klein should be penalized, administrative law Judge Alan McCullough ruled in January, because they refused the couple a cake.

That's discrimination. That's illegal in Oregon. All we're debating now is the extent of the damages.

In hopes of mitigating the damage award, Aaron Klein and his attorney, Herb Grey, offered several intriguing theories Tuesday morning.

Grey tried to convince McCullough there has been "collaboration if not collusion" between Basic Rights Oregon, BOLI and the Bowman-Cryers.

Klein complained that Oregon's labor commissioner just won't let it rest when it comes to equals rights for the LGBTQ community.

"Most of the time when Brad Avakian talks about equality," Klein said, "he's talking about same-sex marriage, as far as every post he's put on his Facebook page."

Well, except - Klein allowed - for the time Avakian spoke out about Air Force Lt. Col. Linda Campbell wanting to be buried next to her same-sex spouse at Willamette National Cemetery.

Or the time Avakian - civil-rights ball hog that he is - addressed the Boy Scouts' ban on gay adult leaders.

I know a lot of clumsy, silly arguments are made at this costly stage of the discrimination game.

But time and again over the last two years, I've wondered why the Kleins believe this fight is worthy of them. This is their servant's heart? Their Christian witness?

It only got worse when Aaron Klein reminded everyone that the cake-makers are victims, too.

They were slandered on social media, their car vandalized, their vendors forced to abandon them. "I never sought out the media attention," said Klein, who posted the Bowman-Cryers' complaint on Facebook as soon as he received it from Oregon's Department of Justice. "It just happened. It caused us harm as well."

How might that have been avoided?

Aaron Klein spoke to that, curiously enough. Asked Tuesday if he realized back in 2010 that Rachel and Laurel were a couple, he said, "It was somewhat obvious. They were affectionate with each other. Not much different that I would be with my wife."

At long last, Aaron: the God's honest truth.

-- Steve Duin

sduin@oregonian.com

503-221-8597; @SteveDuin