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California Family Minute

March 4, 2011

There is No Middle Ground with Conflicting Liberties

A readers poll released today by United Families International (UFI) asked the question, “Which group is the most aggressive in their efforts to undermine religious freedom?”

Of the choices – academia, homosexual activists, mainstream media, popular culture, and legal organizations/courts – a total of 70% believe the most aggressive two groups are homosexual and legal activists.

Of the 2,000 bills that have been submitted this year for consideration by the California Legislature, many attempt to expand the following:
  • Advancing homosexual orientation as a special, legally protected class
  • Limiting freedom of speech and religion
  • Promoting public schools as the primary source of child-rearing

The UFI survey included a list compiled by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty of all 50 states’ anti-discrimination laws. California’s anti-discrimination laws are twice as extensive as the next nearest state! In other words, a tremendous level of protection is already in law for issues such as employment, bullying and hate crimes, housing, and health care.

So if there is already a tremendous amount of protections in California state law, what motivates even more bills?

The answer is this: many Courts are influenced by legislation. In fact, the 2008 decision by the California Supreme Court to overturn the state’s definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman – rejected by the people in the passage of Prop 8 – referenced the progression of pro-homosexual bills as part of the Court’s rationale to disregard the people’s vote. 

It is the intention of many of our legislators to create more and more bills describing homosexuality as a special class, requiring higher levels of protection. Gender and race is given special consideration and protection in law from discrimination, as they are immutable. If homosexuality is given similar status – although it is not unchangeable – then the rights of conscience and religious freedom will be legally silenced.

This is a huge issue, yet relatively few people recognize the incremental damage that has already taken place or the growing impact on children in the public schools, small business owners, parents, and clergy!

In the past week, I have informed several groups of people of this imminent danger to the foundations of religious liberty in the United States. If you were in these meetings, you would have heard the gasps of over 100 Orange County men gathered for prayer, the community leaders at a regional Strategic Forum, and dozens of pastors at a Fresno breakfast.

The siren is sounding, but relatively few are heeding the alarm. We need more pastors to send trusted lay representatives to regional Strategic Forums. We need more people to become informed, and to become actively responsive in prayer and “legwork.”

In all of my travels and speaking, the generic question is, “How has this happened?” The answers are inattention, naïveté, and apathy. 

Please help California Family Council respond to the attacks on law and culture, against morals and values that have stood the test of time.

If you are a pastor, contact our office for more information about sending a trusted source to our monthly Forums. If you desire one of CFC’s team to speak to your network, please contact us.  If you are willing to speak to your legislator, we can assist you in preparation of talking points.

And if you can, please make a generous contribution to CFC today.    

Faithfully,
Ron Prentice
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