Two states take specific action to
protect religious liberty – Kentucky and South Dakota.
Kentucky
The legislature of the State of
Kentucky has passed a bill to protect the right to religious expression in
public schools. The impetus for the bill
was due to a censorship issue that occurred around Christmastime. School officials reportedly censored the scene
from the beloved “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in which the character Linus talks
about the true meaning of Christmas.
The school in Johnson County censored
the scene from the school’s Christmas production, according to OneNewsNow.com. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was created by the
late Charles Schultz who reportedly insisted on including the scene in which
Linus reads the Christmas story from the Gospel According to St. Luke in the
original airing of the film in 1965.
The KY Senate easily passed the
religious freedom bill in a 31-3 vote. The bill also passed the House easily in a
81-8 vote. It now goes to the desk of Republican
Governor Matt Bevin … who is known for his Christian faith.
Some legislators claimed that the
religious freedom bill was not necessary since such rights are already protected
in the 1st Amendment; but Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney Matt Sharp
noted that the recent censorship issue proves that the bill is needed. “Even though the Supreme Court has repeatedly
held that schools can include the Bible and other religious stories and
elements as part of the educational process, there was confusion in Kentucky
over this play,” Sharp said. “And so
what this law does is reaffirm what the Constitution says.”
South
Dakota
South Dakota (SD) Republican Governor
Dennis Daugaard recently signed a law preventing faith-based adoption agencies from
facing government discrimination for not placing children with same-sex
couples.
The law is Senate Bill 149, sponsored
by Senator Alan Solano (District 32 – R), and Representative Steven Haugaard (District
10 – R). “No child-placement agency may
be required to provide any service that conflicts with, or provide any service
under circumstances that conflict with any sincerely-held religious belief or
moral conviction of the child-placement agency,” says the bill. These beliefs “shall be contained in a written
policy, statement of faith, or other document adhered to by a child-placement agency.” The law continues, “The state may not
discriminate or take any adverse action against a child-placement agency or an
organization seeking to become a child-placement agency” … because of its
sincerely-held religious or moral beliefs.
In Massachusetts, Illinois, and
Washington, D.C., Catholic Charities has been forced to shut down for refusing
to place children with same-sex couples.
“I’m worried that a child placement agency may make what is in the best
interest of the child a correct decision but be subject to a lawsuit by someone
who has a little bit of a leg up by virtue of being in a protective class,”
said Daugaard. “And if we can forestall that
with this legislation then I’m willing to do that.”
“At least in South Dakota, children
won’t be pawns in the Left’s push to legitimize same-sex parents,” the Family
Research Council (FRC) wrote of SD’s new law.
“The law would ensure that the State
of South Dakota may not coerce them to abandon their sincerely-held religious
beliefs or moral convictions in their placement decisions and the ongoing need
for placement of children in safe nurturing homes will be served,” according to
the South Dakota Family Policy Council (SDFPC).
FRC and the SDFPC pointed out that currently
SD faith-based adoption agencies don’t receive state funds for child placement
services. This law simply means that in
the future they won’t be forced to choose between closing or abandoning their
religious beliefs.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a
homosexual lobby group, suggested this bill will be used to discriminate against
interracial couples. It will also allow “state-funded
adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ youth in their
care,” the HRC said in a press release.
“Some adoption agencies may have a vendetta against LGBTQ couples,
mixed-faith couples or interracial couples,” said HRC legal director Sarah Warbelow.
James Kinyon, Executive Director of
Catholic Social Services in Rapid City, told local media the law “allows us to
do what we can for the common good” without threat of retribution from the
government.
Rev.
Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor,
Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
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