jbs.org
March 2, 2021
Democrats in Congress are seeking to pass H.R. 5 and S. 393, titled the “Equality Act,” an unconstitutional bill that would severely limit religious freedom in favor of the radical “LGBTQ” agenda.
Originally introduced in the previous Congresses, H.R. 5 is sponsored by Representative David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and has 223 co-sponsors in the House — more than half the chamber. The bill also now has the support of Joe Biden, as U.S. president, and it has a Congress under unified Democrat control.
URGENT: On February 25, 2021, the House voted 224-206 to pass H.R. 5. The bill now moves to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has moved the bill straight to the floor, bypassing the committee process. Meanwhile, companion bill S. 393 has also been introduced in the Senate.
If passed, H.R. 5 would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the lists of protected categories in existing federal anti-discrimination laws, which themselves are unconstitutional violations of the 10th Amendment. This would affect business owners with religious convictions, along with any organization that receives any type of federal financial assistance including religious schools and other organizations.
Since the bill is vaguely-worded, it could include churches as “public accommodations,” thus requiring them to violate their religious beliefs and practices in the name of “LGBT equality.” The vague, or “overbroad,” wording violates the 1st Amendment in multiple other ways, in addition to allowing non-gender-confused individuals to take advantage of the bill.
Furthermore, H.R. 5 could effectively criminalize certain forms of speech, specifically those promoting the traditional and biblical views on sexuality, and it would promote the “trans” agenda by removing legal distinctions between men and women.
Worse, while many pro-“LGBT” bill offer provisions intended to protect religious freedom, H.R. 5 does not include any such provision. In fact, it “prohibits the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 from providing a claim, defense, or basis for challenging” its “protections” to homosexuals and gender-confused individuals.
Here’s how The New American‘s Alex Newman described this legislation in “‘Equality Act’ Seeks Federal Persecution of Christians,” March 26, 2019, TheNewAmerican.com:
Democrats in Congress are pushing ‘equality’ legislation that critics say would criminalize Christianity, Islam, and Judaism by forcing virtually every institution in society — including religious institutions — to hire, serve, and promote homosexuals and individuals confused about their gender. A number of analysts have warned that by enshrining ‘sexual orientation’ in the statute, even pedophilia and pederasty could be protected. In the House of Representatives, Democrats already have more than enough co-sponsors to pass the bill. And in the Senate, they are getting very close. But a massive coalition of critics from across the political spectrum and a broad array of religious traditions is rising up to stop it before it is too late…. In the end, the Equality Act is unconstitutional on its face. The federal government has no power to force anyone — much less everyone — to bow down to its radical anti-Christian ideology. And in fact, multiple provisions of the Constitution, including the First Amendment and the 10th Amendment, specifically prohibit the sort of lunacy envisioned in this legislation. Americans who value liberty and Christian civilization must recognize that everything they cherish is on the line. It is time to speak out, or be crushed by the oncoming freight train.
Alex has also written a follow-up article, “Citing ‘Equality’ Act, Black Pastor Warns That Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP Are ‘More dangerous Than KKK.’”
The bottom line is this: The so-called “Equality Act” is unconstitutional and would criminalize Judeo-Christian beliefs. Multiple parts of the Constitution, including the First Amendment and the 10th Amendment, specifically prohibit many provisions of this legislation.
Please take action by contacting your senators (202-224-3121) by phone and email in opposition to H.R. 5 and S. 393. Remind them that the First Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….” Then tell them that the Equality Act infringes on our precious freedom of religion as stated in the First Amendment.
