Given the fact that California is the most liberal state in the Union, it is no surprise that their legislature is set to pass Draconian regulations making it impossible for those who are interested in conversion therapy from receiving counseling from a pastor or medical professional.
However, the fight isn’t over as Christians throughout the state band together to not only protest the passage of the bill but also take legal action against this recent legislative effort to silence Christians who don’t agree with the LGBTQ agenda.
The bill, AB2943, is created to be an amendment to California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act. It expands the unfair or deceptive acts or practices listed in the act to include advertising, offering to engage in or actually engaging in attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation.
The problem with the bill is that the language used in it is so vague that it leaves the door wide open to religious persecution and/or suppression of many people’s first amendment rights. Under the new bill, a pastor would not be able to give advice regarding sexual orientation if that person is a tithing member of the pastor’s church and/or is paying to attend a seminar or conference on the topic.
A religious counselor who recommends a book that supports a conservative view of sexual identity could be sued if the person receiving counseling does not like the advice in the book in question.
Given the fact that the Bible, Torah and Koran all promote heterosexuality, and condemn homosexuality the bill could have serious consequences for nearly all religious medical practitioners, psychologists and/or psychiatrists. Book sellers could face legal action if they recommend that a person who is questioning his or her sexuality read a book that offers definitive advice on the matter.
Even secular medical practitioners could be targeted under the new bill. Studies have shown that human sexuality is not fixed; in fact, it is often far more fluid than many people realize. It is not uncommon for gay individuals to change over time. Some become heterosexual, others become bisexual while still others experiment a bit with various lifestyles before settling on the one they feel is right for them personally.
This same point applies to those who opt for gender reassignment surgery. It is not uncommon for a person who identifies as one gender to change his or her identity over time. While many former gays and members of the transgender community have made it clear that positive changes in their sexuality have come about due to the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians aren’t the only ones who have changed their sexuality for one or more reasons. The bill would make it impossible for a licensed medical practitioner to talk about sexual identity with any patient even if that patient wanted to discuss the matter.
While it seems that California’s legislature is in no mood to listen to the hundreds of dedicated Christians who have made their way to the capital to protest the bill, the Christian community and others who value free speech aren’t backing down without a fight. Tyler & Bursch, a California law firm that specializes in religious liberty cases, is already preparing to fight the law both at the state and federal level.
The recent Supreme Court decision in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop would help to bolster the firm’s case, as the case makes it clear that it is unacceptable for secular lawmakers to denigrate a person’s religious beliefs as this law does. California Family Council president Jonathan Keller has recently stated that there is a very good chance the bill, should it become law, would be struck down in court.
AB2943 has created a great deal of controversy as anti-Christian forces in government attempt to make it impossible for Christians to share controversial portions of their faith in an attempt to help those who are struggling with same-sex attraction and/or gender dysphoria. However, it is a fight that Christians throughout the state are refusing to shy away from.
Many Christians are not only protesting the bill but also sharing their personal stories of deliverance from same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria, spreading a message of hope and redemption to a community that desperately needs it.
At the same time, the bill serves as a reminder that it is important to never take freedom of speech and religion for granted. Christians in California and throughout the United States would do well to pray that they can always be as free to discuss their faith, beliefs and viewpoints as they currently are.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
