Religious Freedom Increasingly Trumped by "Gay Rights"

An article in the Washington Post recently highlighted the disturbing trend of religious groups losing discrimination lawsuits to gay groups. The lawsuits, which are the direct result of states and communities banning "discrimination based on sexual orientation", are creating a "clash between the right to be free from discrimination and the right to freedom of religion". Unfortunately, it appears that religious freedom is increasingly losing to the interests of gay groups, putting the nation "on a slippery slope that inevitably takes us to the point where we punish religious groups because of their religious views." 1 A few incidents cited in the article highlight the disturbing trend:

- A Christian photographer was forced by the New Mexico Civil Rights Commission to pay $6,637 in attorney's costs after she refused to photograph a gay couple's commitment ceremony.

- A psychologist in Georgia was fired after she declined for religious reasons to counsel a lesbian about her relationship.

-- Christian fertility doctors in California who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian patient were barred by the state Supreme Court from invoking their religious beliefs in refusing treatment.

- A Christian student group was not recognized at a University of California law school because it denies membership to anyone practicing sex outside of traditional marriage. 2

Though gay groups constantly try to demonize their opponents with accusations of hatred, homophobia, bigotry, etc., many religious groups oppose the gay agenda primarily because of its implications for religious freedom:

"It really is all about religious liberty for us," said Scott Hoffman, chief administrative officer of a New Jersey Methodist group, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which lost a property tax exemption after it declined to allow its beachside pavilion to be used for a same-sex union ceremony. "The protection to not be forced to do something that is against deeply held religious principles." 3

Religious freedom is my central concern as well. Yes, I believe that homosexuality is a sinful behavior based on my Christian beliefs, but most concerning to me is the impact that the gay agenda will have on my freedom to have my beliefs. Jennifer Pizer of Lambda Legal certainly doesn't offer any comfort on the religious freedom issue:

But gay groups and liberal legal scholars say they are prevailing because an individual's religious views about homosexuality cannot be used to violate gays' right to equal treatment under the law.

"We are not required to pay the price for other people's religious views about us," said Jennifer Pizer, director of the Marriage Project for Lambda Legal, a gay rights legal advocacy group. 4

Though many gay activists will argue that religious conservatives have nothing to fear from gay groups over the issue of religious freedom, reality says otherwise. It is clear that gay groups intend for "gay rights" to trump religious freedom whenever and wherever the opposing views clash.

We are moving into the dangerous and Orwellian realm of thought-control in this country; either religious conservatives embrace certain forms of thinking or they will be penalized. The Christians in the examples above landed in hot water because they refused their services explicitly because of their religious opposition to the homosexual lifestyle. But what if they didn't express opposition to homosexuality as the reason for refusing service? What if the New Mexico photographer and the Georgia psychologist were merely too busy to provide their services to the homosexuals that later sued them? Who is to say that they still wouldn't have been sued? Once it came out in court that they were religious and opposed to homosexuality the suit would have been a done deal anyway. Merely refusing service to homosexuals for any reason , no matter how non-discriminatory, might still land a Christian business owner in court.

Folks, let there be no illusion in your mind that the radical liberal Left truly believes in freedom. They do not, unless of course the freedom applies to them and their views. Gay groups have no qualms whatsoever about trampling underfoot your religious freedom for the sake of their radical agenda. It should be noted as well that Barack Obama fully embraces the homosexual agenda. It is highly doubtful that he could be relied upon to defend the interests of religious conservatives, even though he has repeatedly made the highly dubious claim of being a Christian.

References

1. Faith Groups Increasingly Losing Legal Battles Over Gay Rights. (April 10, 2009). Retrieved April 11, 2009, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040904063.html?hpid=topnews
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.

Photo courtesy of freefoto.com.