Government’s Coercive Threat To Religious Liberty

This is family policy matter program is produced by the North Carolina family policy Council of profamily research and education organization dedicated to preserving the family and up from the studio here is John Rustin, Pres. North Carolina family policy Council, thank you for joining us this week. Profamily policy matters. We are excited to have Kelly Fedora Quinn is on the program. Kelly is legal counsel with alliance defending freedom in its Washington DC office where she serves on the marriage litigation team. Kelly is with us today to talk about the escalating threat to religious liberty from the legalization of same-sex unions in the United States and what we as profamily citizens can do to fight back. Kelly, thank you much for being with us again on family policy matters radio downtown Amman well. We appreciate your time. Kelly you so much appreciate your efforts.

You have been gracious enough to provide a great deal of assistance in North Carolina and so were grateful for you and grateful for your time today Kelly we talked on several occasions before about the potential threat to religious liberty. If marriage was redefined by the court. And now that the United States Supreme Court has legalized same-sex unions across our land.

We are really seeing that threat carried out in many different ways as well as a growing hostility toward the traditional view of marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

Give some examples. If you would, of the attacks that were seeing now on religious liberty.

Now that the Supreme Court has taken action that it has only been a variety of different threats to individuals religious liberty around the country include unit government officials. For example, those who have the authority to solemnize marriages where representing gadgets and in Wyoming right now who has complainant been filed against her by the Wyoming commission initial contact.

I simply for her making a statement that because of her fate, she would be unable hi Alameda same-sex marriage in the context of charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, small business owners. I simply don't want to use their creative artistic skills to participate in an event and violate their conscience so that is going to be widespread & pop up in a large number of areas. It's a scary time in a scary time to think that your belief about marriage and I can't do that on mom and dad could be under attack by the government will that's absolutely true. In one prime example of that is Baron L. Stutzman, the owner of Orleans flowers in Washington state who I know that you've worked with Malverne L has been under attack for her beliefs. All marriage even before the Supreme Court legalized same-sex unions alliance defending freedom of course is defending her and I know that you have called her your hero tell us about Col. Stutzman and while her case is so important to the battle over religious liberty in our nation right now is my hero and see what most wonderful loving 72-year-old grandmother owned and worked her floral shop in Washington state now for nearly 4 decades I have employed all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation, and it also served on individual regardless of sexual orientation, and a couple years ago when her longtime friends and customers. Robert Ingersoll asked her to you. I design and participate in his upcoming same-sex wedding because of her faith and belief and sacredness of marriage, she had to have referred him to someone else and she did not end.net between them and just minding her own business going about decreeing floral arrangements that subsequently and Emily, and I'm confident action. We've never seen state Atty. Gen. I do this before the Atty. Gen. of Washington. They are now and and her business as well as I personally feel use Caledon and she is now facing two lawsuits I so what what you stand to lose and everything her savings, her home, retirement luncheon faith community property states that music come after her husband's assets as well. And what does the case speculated that we are no longer secure in our own freedoms. We are no longer good minding of the business.

We now have a government that's coming after I've been trying Peter's violence that are trying to connect us conform to its new understanding and definition of marriage, truly frightening. Well, I have told many people recently based on the Supreme Court's decision in this world is going to eventually confront every one of us and I think folks really need to understand and they need to be prepared to take a stand.

Col. Stutzman there is no ADF recently commissioned a poll good morning, conducted about religious liberty. Before we talk about the findings of the pole. I want to ask you if you will briefly talk about what the purpose of this poll was and what some of the questions were asked in court ruled this past June that same-sex marriage must be made legal in all 50 states with a desire to see what that sentiment was amongst the American people. This perspective on religious freedom as alleged religious freedom worse today that more under today and it was 10 years ago still of the letter. The questions focused on nowhere do people see that is Baron threat to religious freedom. Now, as opposed to 10 years ago.

What do the pole fund in terms of overall concern about religious liberty among Americans, but found that over the past 10 years that that there is a significant increase in individuals who are concerned I think that they there was some of the questions focused on the fact that you don't think Americans should be able to disagree over issues without using the government to force one another to jobs there are into jail simply propofol for what you believe. The poll revealed that significant amounts of Americans believe it. That bloodstream is under attack that the government is supposed to be freedom's best friend has become in recent years its worst enemy.

Kelly I know that one of the key findings from the Barna poll involved review of millennial Christians and younger adult Christians toward religious liberty.

Tell us about these findings and why they are important. 60% of Christian millennial's were found in the poem believe that religious freedom is worse today compared to 40% in 2012. 56%. I said that they were very concerned about the future of religious freedom. And it's really ultimately did make make sense that that millennial's do you have these concerns about the loss of freedom. The erosion of freedom because increased in their lifetime more rapidly than really any generation before I they've grown up seeing bakers and photographers and CEOs and fire chiefs and their own professors be attacked percent of their careers simply for peacefully expressing moral convictions. So I think that the results of the pole really reflected what we seen in society and the consequences of the government coming in and forcing people to violate their belief will that's encouraging that there's a broader awareness and are concerned about this because it's really something that we believe good citizens of all ages of all races or even of all faiths need to be concerned about the calls one individuals faith beliefs can be infringed upon than what's to keep that from happening to someone else and again are constitutions protect is a fundamental right all religious liberties, and so it is something that we all should be concerned about Kelly.

I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about what people of faith can do to protect our rights to communicate the truth about marriage as a union of one man and one woman, of course, on the policy level in North Carolina. We have pursued in the state legislature a piece of legislation called the religious Freedom restoration act or work for which you were kind enough to help us with during this past legislative session. Unfortunately, that legislation was not enacted into law, but we are still working to educate and encourage our lawmakers to enact the religious Freedom restoration act, which would really allow citizens an avenue to resolve disputes in court if they believe all all ordinance is infringing upon their religious liberties course you wrote an excellent feature article for us all the religious Freedom restoration act for the latest issue of the magazine family North Carolina Kelly tell us a little bit about referral and what it would do to help protect religious liberties.

Unfortunately really under attack and messaging PR perspective past year heavily attack heavily misconstrued is really unfortunate because it said a really common sense measure that 21 states and the federal government already have in place and really all it says is bad luck the government can't come, or if the government does come in and try to force you to violate your believe I made the day in court going court. You could have a defense and the judge will ultimately decide to me. Who can oppose a fair hearing at the data didn't pick winners and losers. It simply said hey the government trying to force you to do something that you don't want to deal you at least on Saturday day in Corinth and really is a lot every state should have our free speech rights are fear, the price is subject to the same level of heightened scrutiny in the is no reason why the free exercise of our religious beliefs shouldn't be held to the same heightened standard. The roofer does not just apply to issues of marriage, but it applies in any number of circumstances where an individual believes that there religious rights to religious liberties have been infringed upon by the government government ultimately the line at the burn on the government to show that it had a really really important reason for coming in and forcing you to violate your religious beliefs or moral convictions, that he used the narrowest way possible is no other way for government to achieve that interest that it really reflects the 200+ year history of our country, but we successfully balance important government interest with the religious beliefs of all Americans killing another bill that's been introduced in the Congress is a response more directly to the Supreme Court ruling on marriage and that is the First Amendment defense talk about that legislation. If you would little bit and how it would specifically protect Shirley's small business owners and nonprofits from being censored or punished for their views on marriage bill is is it really important bell that reflects the idea that religious charities shouldn't be forced to conform or convert to a government imposed belief system in order to have equal access to public resources. Essentially what the little I would give it simply says the government cannot discriminate against a person or an organization based on their beliefs about marriage, it can't take away their tax-exempt status can't take away their licensing.

I can't take away their benefits simply because of their beliefs on on marriage think every state means that enact the same law that the federal government introduced because Briel private charity that the winds there are protecting the elderly serving the poor there serving abused women and children. The homelands the addicted the hungry and they should have access to public resources and not have to live in fear of being shut down, simply by trying to offer hope to the people who need a handout for Kelly before we go I want to mention incredibly valuable and helpful resource of ADF is produced for churches, Christian schools, and other ministries called protecting your ministry to share with us a bit about this legal manual and why it is such a critical tool for Christians to have. To just ensure that they have those elements in place that are necessary to give them the strongest level of protection possible freedom that designed as Buckland eyes precisely for that reason, for churches for school for other ministries to ensure that they have gone articles of incorporation, bylaws in place to essentially build up a strong defense to make sure that there as an independent possible should they face a lawsuit.

I down the road we want to make sure that the organizations that are arts serving and people in serving Christ are protected.

So we we designed this this booklet specifically with them in mind to make sure they have the legal fortification.

If you well against potential lockets in the future to give them pedigree is likely in excess today. B. At some point in the future will we certainly hope that doesn't happen, but in the case of the does nothing good. We would agree that we are likely to be seeing more and more of these legal challenges as people are confronted as churches and Christian schools, and other ministries are confronted with this issue that there is a growing likelihood of lawsuits and challenges and so this is such an important tool that goes ministries made Kelly work Taylor listeners go to get more information about the protecting your ministry legal manual and also to get more information about Lodge defending freedom to our website which is ADF legal guide toward ADF legal.org added information about protecting your ministry as well as many of our cases in and out of that we deserve all that information can be found there. Let me repeat that websites ADF legal.org again ADF legal.org and without her Kelly that Tom has just one Baha'i, thank you so much for being with us on family policy matters today for your time and your commitment to protecting marriage religious liberty, the sanctity of human life and all the other areas that you work on it ADF were incredibly grateful for all the contributions which are likely to suffer for thinking that the way the project come on family policy matters. Information and analysis, future of the North Carolina family policy Council join us weekly for discussion on policy issues affecting the family. If you have questions or comments, please contact 919-807-0800 or visit our website and see family doctor watching