Corporate Threats to Religious Institutions in CA

It should come as no surprise to hear that traditional values and religious liberties are under assault in the liberal petri dish of California … as opposed to critical battles for the freedom of conscience in states like North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas in the past year. The liberal activists are working right now to obliterate protections of religious institutions like churches and schools in the Golden State.

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has identified three examples of how the protections guaranteed by 1st Amendment are being threatened in California.  Two of these examples show how new regulations could coerce organizations to fund or promote abortion.  A third highlights legislation that would bar religious schools from making personnel decisions based on their beliefs:

According to ADF:

“Catholic schools would not be allowed to only hire those who share their faith, Christian universities would not be allowed to maintain living arrangements for its students that are separated by biological sex, and if that’s not enough, students who are offended by their school’s policies and practices could file a lawsuit.”

Just as in other states, liberal LGBT advocacy organizations have lined up in support of these legislative efforts to eliminate the ability of people of faith to run their private institutions in accordance with their beliefs.  Sadly, several corporations are using the very dollars that people of faith and people of conscience spend on their goods and services to help fund this anti-freedom agenda.

2ndVote has found that the liberal, LGBT advocacy organization Equality California has helped sponsor legislation this year that The Federalist’s Holly Scheer says:

“[T]hreatens religious institutions ability to require that students attend daily or weekly chapel services, keep bathrooms and dormitories distinct according to sex, require students to complete theology classes, teach religious ideas in regular coursework, hold corporate prayer at events such as graduation, and so on.  In other words, it threatens every practice that makes religious institutions distinct from secular institutions.”

Equality California is supported by several major corporations and organizations that enable their lobbying efforts to undermine religious liberty:

Statewide Sponsors: AT&T, Southwest Airlines, StateFarm

Event Sponsors: Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, Comcast, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Facebook, Fox Entertainment Group, Google, Kaiser Permanente, LinkedIn, Pepsico, Microsoft, Sacramento Kings, SalesForce, Seaworld San Diego, Time Warner Cable, United Health Care Group, Verizon, Walmart

The time is fast approaching when people of faith and people of conscience will find it near impossible to spend on goods and services that aren’t funding anti-freedom causes.  Such contrary to religious liberty advocates will take great delight in pointing out the hypocrisy of believers who spend their money with corporations that fund anti-Biblical actions.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel