Update On Religious Freedom: Still Fighting, Keep Praying!
The fight is still very much alive and we’re not letting up one bit in order to ensure that, at the very least, churches, faith-based schools, and religious nonprofits are not made an easy target for lawsuits and government investigations because of their long-standing faith tenets about marriage and human sexuality.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR AGAIN AND TELL THEM TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS LIBERTY FOR THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THEIR CONVICTIONS, DESPITE A CULTURE ACCELERATING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
After a cancelled Senate Committee meeting on Wednesday (See our UPDATE On Religious Liberty: Pastors Packed the Room, Hearing Pushed to Tomorrow!), the Committee met late yesterday evening to hear those bills impacting religious freedom, including HB 1663, HB 1049 and HB 1418. Amazingly, so many pastors and heads of Christian Schools from all over the state showed up AGAIN, giving up their whole day, waiting for many hours, all planning to have a minute or so to tell the Committee how HB 1663 would harm them directly. It has been truly inspiring to see this kind of dedication and determination.
Unfortunately, after folks had waited for 8+ hours, the Committee Chairman decided not to take any testimony on HB 1663, but instead merely asked those in the room to stand up to signify their supporter or opposition. It was an absolutely shameful move, especially since the Chair had allowed audience members to speak for and against every other bill up to that point, and also because the majority of people in the room were there for that very bill. Then, with no discussion, the Committee approved it 9-2. (It's also worth mentioning that several Republican Senators never bothered to show up at all, even to leave proxies with another Senator to vote for them.)
While it was discouraging in some ways, to be sure, what’s amazing is that every one of those folks walked away encouraged and uplifted by the time they left. The religious freedom supporters went into an empty Committee room after the vote for a debrief from our staff on what just happened and what’s next. It ended in prayer, when these incredible pastors and heads of schools asked to have The Family Foundation team be placed in the center, then laid hands on us, and prayed mightily for God’s favor.
I don’t know about you, but I’d say that gives us the advantage here.
There are many reasons to be hopeful in the steps to come, and we are seeing real movement as God is blessing everyone’s efforts. HB 1663 moves to the Finance Committee on Monday and then likely to the full Senate for a vote next week. We believe we can get the votes for amendments protecting religious liberty, but we need your help to keep pressing in.
Around here, we never forget Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will.” We also recognize that God most often works through people to accomplish His purposes. That’s you!
