Communities of Faith at Risk

Faith-based nonprofits and religious orders have reason to be concerned with the outcomes of the coming election. Government agencies at every level are on a path to completely secularize our society and any organization whose services have a basis in faith and promoting spiritual life-change.

Hillary Clinton has stated that religious (i.e. biblical) beliefs that are contrary to modern liberal dogma must be changed. She got strong support for her view this week from a newly released report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. This report attacks religious freedom and declares that religious liberty must be subordinated to civil rights laws. The report is a declaration of war against religious freedom.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) report, "Peaceful Coexistence: Reconciling Nondiscrimination Principles with Civil Liberties," is a shocking example of the war against religious freedom in America. The recently released Commission's report is a shameful anti-American and anti-God document that trashes religious freedom.

Martin Castro, named USCCR chairman by President Obama in 2011, says that the words "religious freedom" and "religious liberty" have become merely code words for intolerance, Christian supremacy, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and therefore must yield before LGBT anti-discrimination laws. Regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, this report also does not support those people who hold to the religious belief that marriage is reserved to one man and one woman as they provide services such as marriage licenses, photography, cake decorating or flower arranging. (I wonder when we'll see people of other religions face this issue)

The focus of the "Peaceful Coexistence" report states that granting religious exemptions to nondiscrimination laws "significantly infringes" on the civil rights of those claiming civil rights protections on the basis of "race, color, national origin, sex, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity." The report calls for laws that eliminate exemptions or accommodation for religious convictions.

Chairman Castro is out of touch with reality and with our Constitution. He and the other members of the Commission who agree with him want to throw out the First Amendment and trash religious freedom whenever faith and practice collide with an intolerant secular agenda. The report is literally a declaration of war against religious freedom. George Washington said anyone who works against the twin pillars of religion (faith) and morality does not understand the foundations of our Republic.

I feel that time is limited for faith-based ministries to continue serving as they do now. There have already been HUD supported lawsuits claiming discrimination by those who had voluntarily requested a shelter's religious program, who later chose to stop participating in it but demanding to stay in the shelter. They sued even after the shelter assisted in finding alternative shelter for them. This shelter came very close to losing the case. HUD is using very broad language to define a "residence", thus, trying to force long-term shelters that offer biblical recovery programs to abide by Fair Housing and Employment regulations.

Another at risk issue is the lawful ability of an organization to fill positions by those of like faith. Imagine being forced to allow an atheist to teach a Christian discipleship course . . . It's already been in the courts!

Communities and organizations of every faith need to join in supporting one another as we protect the integrity of our programs.