Interview Guest: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, Senior Pastor of Moody Church 36 years
- Q: What’s wrong with equality? Isn’t equality what America was built on and strives for?
A: This bill is actually one of inequality.
- That word equality seems so innocuous. Today it is applied to every cause imaginable; This bill, with its expansive rights given to the LGBTQ and trans community would infringe on the rights of others in so many ways.
If you have a daughter, would you want her to share the same locker room and shower with a man who says he identifies as a woman? The bottom line, when there is a collision of rights, the LBGTQ and trans individuals would supersede the rights of others. I see no equality there.
- Q: What are other threats you perceive in this bill?
A: It is a serious assault on religious freedom. It will strip Christian churches and faith based schools and ministries of the right to hire people who share the same faith and values as the institution. In point of fact, it means that Churches and Christian ministries might have to actually hire people who are hostile to the beliefs and practices of the organization.
- Q: Shouldn’t churches be loving toward all people, no matter their race or sexual orientation or gender identity?
A: Yes, we should be welcoming but not affirming. Those of us who hold to Biblical values cannot celebrate relationships that are condemned in Scripture. Not all “loving attitudes” deserve praise. The Bible speaks about those who are lovers of pleasure, loves of self and lovers of money. Jesus said “herein his love that you keep my commandments.” We are accountable to a higher authority.
- Do you see this bill imposing its values beyond the church, mosque or synagogue?
A: Yes, there are numerous Christian ministries that would be affected. It would threaten the right of religious colleges to hold to their standards of beliefs and again, as mentioned it would force them to employ people who are committed to a different lifestyle and agenda.
- Q: Would you be in favor of this bill if it had a religious exemption?
A: No, for at least two reasons:
First, almost certainly that exemption would be limited to what is taught in churches, synagogues and mosques. It would mean that the moment you want to run a business or conduct other ministries according to your standards your freedom would be jeopardized. We haven’t even talked about bakers, photographers and the like.
Second, Just think of the endless legal battles that would ensue if a practicing gay person applied for a teaching position at a school that believed that sexual relations should be only between one man and one woman in a covenant relationship. The legal wrangling about such matters would be endless.
A finely worded religious exemption would not be able to live up to the religious freedoms promised by our constitution that “congress will make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” Clearly that phrase was not intended to be limited to what is taught in a church. It gives people of all religions to live out their convictions in the public square.
Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is author of many books including his latest, “We Will Not Be Silenced: Responding Courageously to Our Culture’s Assault on Christianity.”
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