In case you haven’t heard it yet, your liberties are being infringed upon. Your freedoms of speech and religion are being violently attacked by those who claim to have the edge on morality and truth. But let me remind you that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Our enemy is not flesh and blood either. It’s not against a political figure, party, or organization. Our true enemy lurks behind the walls of men who are dead on the inside. He uses them as his vice to walk “about seeking whom he may devour:’’ (1 Peter 5:8). Godless men are his feet and subjective moralism is his legislation.
One way he tries to divide and conquer is by placing these men into high places. With high places comes high power—the power to suppress any hint of sole liberty and individuality. Take away personal identity and volition and all that you have left is a robot—a product of the environment you create—a victim. This is what the devil seeks to do to all of us, and he will try by all means necessary.
The Equality Act is one of those means.
This week, the House of Representatives voted for and passed a bill that will amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act. It will has now moved into the hands of the Senate.
Its goal is to change the definition of the word sex from a biological man or woman, to sexual orientation or gender identity. This would be for the purposes of employment, jury service, housing, education, and federally operated programs.
According to the bill, the terms sexual orientation and gender identity define themselves to include the following:
(A) a sex stereotype (B) pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition (C) sexual orientation or gender identity (D) sex characteristics, including intersex traits.
It will eliminate the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The RFRA provides protection to religious exercise which is already protected under the U.S. Constitution.
As Andrew T. Walker wrote in an article for The Gospel Coalition: “The bill represents the most invasive threat to religious liberty ever proposed in America. Given that it touches areas of education, public accommodation, employment, and federal funding, were it to pass, its sweeping effects on religious liberty, free speech, and freedom of conscience would be both historic and also chilling.
“Virtually no area of American life would emerge unscathed from the Equality Act’s reach,” He goes on to say, “No less significant would be the long-term effects of how the law would shape the moral imagination of future generations.”
I have read the bill. This is a wake-up call to the church that we must equip ourselves to be front-line soldiers against the attack on our faith and freedom. Here are a few questions we need to answer:
How does the Equality Act affect me?
This bill touches many facets of our American lifestyle, but especially our religious freedom. Here are a few examples of areas that will be affected:
Parents and foster parents can be forced to help a child “transition” to another gender.
Teachers and coworkers can lose their jobs for refusing to use someone’s “preferred pronoun.” (We have already seen this happen.)
LGBTQ education could be a part of teachers’ required curriculum.
The funding of faith-based organizations in the adoption and foster care system could be threatened if they do not comply with the Equality Act. This includes the adopting of children to homosexual couples and promoting gender transition treatments and lifestyle.
A biological male that identifies as a female, could enter into any locker room or restroom, compromising the safety of the children. The bill specifically states: “an individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.’’
Big Tech and companies will continue to crack down on anything they deem as offensive or discriminatory towards the LGBTQ community. For example, Amazon has already taken down Ryan Anderson’s book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, to suppress opposition to the bill.
What does the Bible say about gender?
The Bible holds our standards for morality, not the government or those in leadership.
God created mankind in His image and in only two genders—male and female (Genesis 1:27).
God created marriage as a union between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24).
God created sexual intimacy to be enjoyed inside the boundaries of marriage (Hebrews 13:4).
God specifically forbids homosexual acts (Romans 1:26–27).
The Bible is not a club to be used to beat down another, but it is the “sword of the Spirit” that cuts to the heart and provides healing and restoration from sin.
What can I do to help oppose the Equality Act?
Pray. Pray that God would have mercy on our nation and stop this bill, or if it passes, that it would serve as a wake-up call of revival and sobriety to the church. Let’s be honest. Suppressing our religious liberty might just be what the church needs to call upon God again and beg Him for another Great Awakening.
Vote. We appoint those who represent us in Congress. It’s our responsibility to get out and vote for federal and state officials.
Call your senators and ask them to vote against this bill.
James Dobson called the Equality Act “a thinly veiled attempt to finish off religious liberty in America once and for all, which ought to be plainly obvious based upon a cursory reading of the First Amendment.” In the same article, he further explained, “This decision demonstrates a frightening willingness by those on the left to advance a radical social agenda at a time when our nation already faces so many other divisive challenges. Simply put, by creating a protected class of citizens out of the LGBT community, this bill places Christians who believe in traditional marriage at grave legal and civil jeopardy.”
Would you help me pray that this bill would be stopped and that the church would equip themselves against the attacks on the liberties we hold so dear.
Other sources: 3 Reasons Why Christians Should Oppose the Equality Act by Dr. Paul Chappell,
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