Category: Public Policy
The Practical End to ENDA
Posted on November 20, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
For the time being ENDA appears dead. Even though it passed in the Senate it had no chance of making it through the House where Speaker Boehner opposed it as well as most Republicans; and a few vulnerable Democrats hoping to keep their job in 2014.
In case you don’t know what ENDA is, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act seeks to make it illegal for an employer to hire or fire a person based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
On the surface this might sound like a good idea. After all, no one should be denied a job simple because he is gay. But the problem with ENDA is that it has a back door that would lead to forcing religious organizations and Christian business owners to violate their religious convictions. Here’s how:
The Logical End of ENDA
Posted on November 19, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Remember way back when Ryan T. Anderson said ENDA would threaten the religious freedoms of Christian business owners and people of faith? Well, he said it:
“While it is unclear which religious organizations would be exempted from ENDA, it is clear that the bill would not exempt those who wish to run their businesses and other organizations in keeping with their moral or religious values. Additionally, ENDA’s religious liberty protections extend only to businesses directly run by a church or religious organizations. As a result, other religious business owners would be exposed to significant liabilities. Consider, for instance, a Christian bookstore not formally incorporated as a religious organization. Such a store could be accused of creating a hostile work environment by selling and promoting books stating that marriage unites one man with one woman. Clearly, ENDA would create enormous legal risks for businesses that allowed their employees to express traditional religious teachings on sexuality. Anti-discrimination law ought not to silence religious believers.”
Should Christians Compromise to Receive Government Money?
Posted on November 14, 2013 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
One article has stayed with me since I first read it last week. I’m having a hard time even processing what I’ve read, much less any sort of biblical foundation for the decision.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention’s president of children services is urging the convention to change their hiring policy for Sunrise Children’s Services to allow the hiring of homosexuals. In a recent closed-door meeting the president, Bill Smithwick told trustees that “federal protection for homosexuals in the workplace as a ‘civil right’ just as race, gender, national origin, etc., is certain to become law sooner than later. Sunrise will comply or lose.”
Smithwick then presented three options to the leaders including “Follow current policy and terminate the employees. Then refuse to hire homosexuals even when doing so becomes a condition of receiving federal funding. (2) Terminate the employees according to current policy, wait until the government mandates a change, then comply. (3) Change the employment policy now.