Liberal ‘Freedom for All’ law means pro-LGBT coercion of Christians
by Ryan T Anderson, LifeSite:
Does the golden rule ever require bad public policy? That’s the implication of what some political strategists are proposing in the name of fairness.
At issue is a proposal among some Christian leaders to strike a compromise with some LGBT activists to balance “LGBT rights” with religious liberty. The proposal would elevate “sexual orientation and gender identity” (SOGI) to protected classes in federal law in exchange for certain exemptions for religious colleges and institutions. They call this approach “Fairness for All.”
Compromises can be good, but this particular one is bad. As I explain in a recent issue brief, such proposals would not result in actual fairness for all. Instead, they would penalize many Americans who believe that we are created male and female, and that male and female are created for each other. They would violate the privacy and safety of women and girls, the conscience rights of doctors and other medical professionals, and the free speech and religious liberty rights of countless professionals who find themselves outside the select group of institutions who are exempted.
Establishing bad public policy for everyone and then exempting select religious institutions is not acting for the common good – and is certainly not fair for all. And there are better ways forward for those who seek compromise.
Yet some are now claiming that this bad public policy is required by the golden rule.
Rod Dreher reports on a conversation he had with “a prominent conservative Evangelical political strategist” who requested to remain anonymous. Dreher writes: “He simply believes that ethically and politically, this is the right thing to do. In Smith’s view, in a pluralistic society like America 2018, do unto others as you would have them do unto you is a good rule for religious liberty advocates and gay rights supporters alike.”
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