WASHINGTON, D.C. (Wordnews.org) Feb. 25, 2021 — A number of Christians have urged their supporters to contact their representatives to voice opposition to the so-called Equality Act, calling it, as one group did, “a wrecking ball to religious liberty.”

The American Family Association said in an email to supporters that the legislation introduced back in 2019 and expected to be reintroduced now is designed to punish Christians’ religions liberty.

AFA cited a Feb. 16 letter House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) sent to his colleagues which reads: “Members should be aware that the House may need to remain in session through the weekend next week to [consider] … the Equality Act, which will end legal discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.”

The bill would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act and supporters say it prevents discrimination of individuals because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. But the measure would impact federal funded programs as well as “public accommodations,” which NPR notes is a broad category. NPR said the bill would trump the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

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“Under the Equality Act, an entity couldn’t use RFRA to challenge the act’s provisions nor could it use RFRA as a defense to a claim made under the act,” NPR reported.

Liberty Counsel said: “This bill literally sets the stage for banning the Bible, which offers the power to free those wanting to turn away from homosexual conduct.” 

“This destructive legislation goes far beyond the recent and disastrous Supreme Court decision to add sexual orientation and gender identity as a civil right for government employment purposes under Title VII,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “If the House and Senate were to pass Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi’s bill and Democratic President Joe Biden were to sign it into law, it would unleash radical liberals to attack those whose faith teaches that marriage is only between one man and one woman and that sexual identity of male and female is a fixed, biological fact.”

According to the AFA, business owners, employees, and customers alike will be subject to a radical LGBT agenda:

• Female business owners, customers, and employees would be forced to share spaces in restrooms and dressing rooms with men who claim to be women.
• Women’s sports would be forced to open up to the participation of men who claim to be women.
• Health care providers and professionals would be forced to perform gender transition procedures (sex changes) and provide medical services (hormone therapy) that would violate their moral and religious convictions.
• Adoption and foster care agencies will be forced to place children into same sex households and into homes of individuals suffering from gender confusion. College and professional sports stadiums would be required to open their restrooms to either sex.

AFA is urging supporters to call their lawmakers, making it easy to look up their information. Click here for information. Concerned Women for America provided a tool to write, call or tweet your lawmaker. Click here for more information.

Liberty Counsel said the bill, if passed, would preempt every state law and federalize abortion. Liberty Counsel said the act essentially erases any sex-based protections for women.

Liberty Counsel added, that the Senate version states the “Q” in LGBTQ stands for “Queer,” which includes the entire universe of about 550 paraphilias outside of LGBT – one of which is pedophilia (euphemistically called “minor attracted persons”).

“The so-called ‘Equality Act’ will be harmful to girls and women,” said Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel’s founder and chairman. “It will undo all the gains made by women, and it will devastate women’s sports. It is a slap in the face to young girls and women who are entitled to safety, privacy, and fairness in athletic competition. This bill will increase sexual assaults because it gives males ‘identifying as females’ legal access to use female bathrooms, locker rooms, and all private facilities for women. It will also erase all that women have worked so hard for in all levels of athletic competition.”

Staver said there are already examples of where this is headed, citing as one example a report out of Palm Springs, Calif., where three teenage female water polo players were traumatized by encountering a naked man showering in the women’s locker room. Liberty Counsel said the girls reported this to the police, who did nothing, because the man “identifies as a woman.” According to the report, coaches confronted the person, who told them he was in the locker room because he identified as female.

Penny Nance, President and CEO of Concerned Women for America, said the bill is deceptive and Big Tech and the media are giving Democrats who support the measure cover.

“This bill is not about equality; it is about imposing a new form of discrimination against women and all who believe in the basic truth and dignity of our creation as male and female,” she said. “Women’s rights to safety, privacy, and conscience are abandoned under this bill. Vulnerable women in prisons and violence shelters have nowhere to be safe when any male claiming identity as a woman can occupy our spaces.”

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, sent an email blast to supporters with the headline: “We cannot remain silent!” Calling the legislation “dangerous,” Graham added: “I cannot say this more emphatically — for people, for businesses, and for ministries of faith, the Equality Act is a threat to life as we know it in our nation today. It’s a real game-changer.” Graham urged supporters to contact lawmakers and the White House.

Graham also encouraged people to pray.

“Churches need to recognize the significance of this and pray corporately, asking for God’s intervention and mercy to extend the religious freedoms we have been blessed with so long,” he said.

The Coalition for Jewish Values, which represents 1,500 traditional Orthodox rabbis in matters of public policy, urged lawmakers to reject the bill, calling it “a direct attack on Jewish religious values and practices.”

The legislation refers to “the sex stereotypes that marriage should be only between heterosexual couples” as a discriminatory believe.

In a letter sent to Speaker Pelosi, the coalition said: “The Equality Act expressly declares that the Book of Genesis [see 2:24] and all of the Jewish laws pertaining to marriage as a sanctified union between man and woman (called “kiddushin” in Hebrew, from the word “kadosh,” Holy) are nothing more than engagement in discriminatory stereotypes. This is a disgraceful attack upon Jewish Biblical beliefs, rendered no more excusable by the fact that other traditional groups have similar tenants.”

“It is outrageous that Congress would declare us bigoted for simply maintaining our time-honored traditions,” said Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, Chairman of the CJV Rabbinic Circle. “And it is no mere insult; the law even explicitly rejects religious freedom as a defense, meaning it provides Anti-Semites with a new way to persecute the religious Jewish community.”

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