A chill coming in American culture

[B/W Photodude]

 

This bill described will put severe limits on a church to promote it beliefs. Kind of a back door in a way never dreamed of to begin persecution of Christians. "We" won't do the Sabbath thing, we will make you become Sodom & Gommorrah!

Some of the items may be a bit explicit, but they are teaching this stuff to young children.

********

The Get-the-Homophobic-and-Transphobic-Bigots "(In)Equality Act," passed in the House of Representatives essentially along party lines (with all Democratic representatives voting for it, along with eight RINOs), is the most dangerous bill to freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion that has ever been proposed on a national level. The key point to recognize about the bill is that it will codify into law that you are a bigot, the moral equivalent of a racist, tantamount to being a member of the Klu Klux Klan, who must be shut out of society and, wherever possible, harassed and persecuted for your beliefs. Everything else is commentary. Here are just some examples of the draconian outcomes that would result if the (In)Equality Act becomes the law of the land:

I. The bill explicitly prohibits use of the the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 as "basis for challenging the application or enforcement" of this (In)Equality Act. You will have no religious liberty defense for not kowtowing to the "LGBTQ" idol at school, at work, or in any other "public accommodation."

Areas of "public accommodation" include (but are not limited to):

A. Every “stadium or other place of or establishment that provides exhibition, entertainment, recreation, exercise, amusement, public gathering, or public display."

B. "Any establishment that provides a good, service, or program, including a store, shopping center, online retailer or service provider, salon, bank, gas station, food bank, service or care center, shelter, travel agency, or funeral parlor, or establishment that provides health care, accounting, or legal services."

II. By ensconcing "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" in federal law as a specially protected civil rights categories, the bill will:

A. Put men who claim a female "gender identity" (regardless of whether any "sex reassignment surgery" has been had or cross-dressing is used to signal gender shift) in every woman's "restroom, locker room, and dressing room" in the nation (that's the actual language of the bill). Also explicitly included in the bill are women's "shelters." Let's no forget too about incarcerating men in women's prisons. Since too places where "recreation" and "exercise" are included, add women's sports.

B. Lead to national mandatory indoctrination by all public schools into the whole homosexual and transgender agenda from pre-school on up. Since "education" is one of the areas impacted by the bill, it will back up every public school's use of "drag queens" in the classroom. It will result in regular mandatory assemblies and classroom instruction that rails again the "hateful and ignorant bigotry" of those who do not sing the praises of unlimited sexualities, including homosexual activity and the right to determine one's own gender (and even "sex") as being different from one's "sex assigned at birth." All teachers in public schools, regardless of conscience, will be forced to promote homosexual practice and transgender identity, finding ways to brainwash children in their respective disciplines.

Parents will not be able to opt their children out of such "sex" talks; of course, there will be no parental notification because it is all protected under civil rights law.

The school curriculum will also explore how best to engage in anal intercourse and "rimming" the anus with one's tongue; and how to go about changing one's sex. Any suggestion of a sexual binary, "boys and girls," will be strictly forbidden.

No teacher or administrator will be able to stop a boy from entering the girl's bathroom. Nor can cross-dressing on the part of students, teachers, and administrators, no matter how outrageous, be prohibited. Rather, it is to be promoted.

C. Result in national mandatory speech laws (as already in New York City) requiring people against conscience and reason to use outside the home or church false gender pronouns and gender-specific names for so-called "transgender persons."

D. :Punish all persons who own a small business with massive fines and even threat of imprisonment who do not want to be forced to use their talents to promote actively and directly homosexual intercourse and transgenderism, including those who don't want to use their artistic skills to draw or design pictures, or letter cakes and T-shirts, or copy fliers celebrating these immoral manifestations. Wedding planners and photographers will be compelled to render services to "gay weddings."

E. Give the federal government the power to withhold monies from any state that does not rigorously promote the "LGBTQ" agenda and punish those who stand in the way of promoting such agendas. State and local governments currently without "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" civil rights special-protection categories will be made to have them. Moreover, "the bill allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on account of sexual orientation or gender identity."

F. Lead to the removal of "federal funding" (research grants, student loans, etc.) and ultimately accreditation from every religious school and college that does not promote "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" diversity.

G. Give the state the power to remove your own children from your home and prosecute you for child abuse if you do not affirm your child's wishes to be called by name or pronouns at odds with their sex "assigned" at birth, to have puberty blockers and "sex reassignment" surgery, to date persons of the same sex, or be involved in school-indoctrinating "LGBTQ" clubs.

H. Do what the draconian California Assembly bill 2943 would have done in that state if it had passed last year: Ban any sexual orientation change therapy, or indeed any attempt to deter people from engaging in homosexual practice or transgender change, if goods or services involve an exchange of funds.

The "Findings and Purpose" section of the bill explicitly lists among the forms of "discrimination" to be prohibited “conversion therapy," which it calls "a form of discrimination that harms LGBTQ people by undermining individuals sense of self worth, increasing suicide ideation and substance abuse, exacerbating family conflict, and contributing to second class status."

Since the bill applies to "any establishment that provides a good, service, or program," it arguably wouldn't be limited to just professional mental health providers but would include any Christian church or para-church organization that offered goods, services, or programs to help deter people from transgender conversion or homosexual relations (even in the absence of any claim to orientation change), if any money is charged in connection with such goods, services, or programs.

I. Force all businesses and public universities to implement "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" affirmative-action hiring programs and regular "LGBTQ" indoctrination training sessions in order to avoid being sued by the federal government for failure to uphold the civil rights of "gay" and "transgender" employees and applicants for jobs. Employees will be required to report to Human Resources any employees who are overheard speaking negatively about "gay marriage," homosexuality, or transgenderism generally or about "gay" or "transgender" employees specifically, creating a virtual police state in the workplace. Employees who post on social media their own moral or religious reservations about homosexual practice and transgenderism will be subject to immediate dismissal.

J. Force doctors and nurses, even at Catholic hospitals, to perform "sex reassignment surgery" even to minors and force all hospital and nursing home staff to refer to "transgender" patients by their preferred pronouns and opposite-sex name (conscience be damned). Health professionals who attempt to warn youth and adults about the damaging effects of puberty blockers, transgender surgery, and practices common to male homosexual behavior (including anal intercourse) will be fired and lose whatever licence they have to practice medicine.

K. Put churches in jeopardy of losing their tax-exempt status for opposing the promotion of homosexualism and transgenderism. In addition, churches that allow their buildings to be used by non-church members will be required to make these buildings accessible for functions promoting homosexuality and transgenderism, including "gay weddings."

L. Require all charities and adoption agencies, including those of a religious nature, not to practice "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" "discrimination" in their hiring and in their distribution of services (including placing children in the homes of homosexual and transgender parents).

M. Compel law enforcement agencies, courts, and medical research studies to categorize "trans-persons" by their pretend sex. In diagnosing how diseases affect men and women, "transgender men" (i.e. women) and "transgender women" (i.e. men) will be classified by their pretend sex. Law enforcement officials in search of criminal suspects will have to identity them by their pretend sex. Judges, members of the jury, and all witnesses under oath will be required to lie about the real sex of individuals who identify as "transgender."

N. Exclude from all political, corporate, academic, professional, and judicial hiring and appointments anyone who is not a cheerleader for all things "gay" and "transgender." Grounds for exclusion will include failure to uphold the "civil rights" values of the organization or profession in question, making homosexual and transgender colleagues and subordinates feel "unsafe," and assumed bias against all clients and customers who identify as "gay" and "transgender." Commitment to treat people equally in the performance of one's duties will not be enough. One must declare unequivocal support for the "LGBTQ" agenda and reject association with, and donations to, any churches, para-church organizations, schools, charities, clubs, and social outreach programs that do not support that agenda. Any writings in one's past life history that anything less than full support for that agenda will be deemed sufficient evidence for not being hired or for being fired. This will include quoting any teaching in the Bible critical of homosexual practice and transgenderism. Judicial nominees, membership in the bar, membership in the mental health and medical professions, indeed membership in any profession, will require a full vetting for "LGBTQ" animus that will make the McCarthy anti-Communist Senate hearings look like an exercise in political diversity.

O. Reevaluate legal prohibitions and non-recognition of adult-consensual polyamorous or even incestuous sexual relationships, based on the principles that hitherto taboo sexual desires and proclivities deserve civil rights status, that binaries have no value, and that excessive formal sameness (whether in sex or kinship) is no barrier to societal endorsement.

III. Under the (In)Equality Act's new civil rights category, "pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition," laws like the Hyde Amendment that ban taxpayer funding for abortion could be eliminated, as well as conscience protections for health care workers who refuse to perform abortions. This is because the phrase "related medical conditions" has been interpreted by the Third Circuit Court and by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as including abortion. All insurances would have to cover abortion and health care providers could not refuse to offer it as one of their pregnancy services.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5

[JoeMo]

2 hours ago, B/W Photodude said:

This bill described will put severe limits on a church to promote it beliefs. Kind of a back door in a way never dreamed of to begin persecution of Christians.

Confused not because you posted this; but because of how shocking and draconian this bill is.  Looks like something that Trump would veto; or that the Supreme Court (with its present makeup) would overturn.  At least I would hope so.

[JoeMo]

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-equality-act-is-a-time-bomb/

[phkrause]

Pretty good article, JoeMo, for the most part! I believe the demos are trying to do a good thing, but obviously taking it to far!!

[Bravus]

When Christians are scared that they will no longer be able to treat some human beings as inferior, they should be scared.

The world is becoming more fair. Christians should be leading progress, not fighting it.

Jesus went out of his way to include the excluded.

[JoeMo]

9 hours ago, Bravus said:

When Christians are scared that they will no longer be able to treat some human beings as inferior, they should be scared.

And when so many others treat all Christians as inferior dogs and pigs, that's okay?  It works both ways.  Shouldn't we as Christians take a stand against celebrating what God has called evil?

It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.  So which shows the love and concern of God more - "live and let live", or warning people  against celebrating people calling good evil and evil good?

[B/W Photodude]

I see so much approval of evil under the guise of "love." I think that is very wrong. Problem with that kind of behavior is that is emboldens others in their evildoing and help guarantee  their trip to perdition. Those participating in it will be held accountable.

[JoeMo]

4 hours ago, B/W Photodude said:

I see so much approval of evil under the guise of "love." I think that is very wrong. Problem with that kind of behavior is that is emboldens others in their evildoing and help guarantee  their trip to perdition. Those participating in it will be held accountable.

And if we don't sound the warning, even though they are held accountable, their blood could be on our hands.

[Bravus]

Trust me, they know. They know very well what you believe, since your religion permeates the entire culture. They are not ignorant of it, they simply have a different conclusion. That is part of their religious freedom.

It's such an obvious point that it's a cliche, but it's true: totally fine if your religion tells you not to be gay. Don't be gay. But when your religion tries to tell someone who does not share it what they can and cannot do, that is not freedom of religion. That is oppression.

 

[Bravus]

When people vilify Christians, I challenge that, too. You don't see it, because I do it in other places.

But "other people vilify us so it's OK for us to vilify others" is also not an argument. It should be about what is right, not what other people do.

It's simple: this law does nothing but stop people from unfairly discriminating against their fellow citizens.

Skin colour is not a lawful grounds for discrimination: would you fight for the right for convinced racists to refuse to serve people of a different race, or employ them?

And neither is gender or sexual orientation.

[Bravus]

How did Jesus treat Samaritans who 'worshiped wrong', lepers who were believed to be cursed by God, the lame man at the Pool of Siloam likewise (the disciples' 'who sinned?' question and His answer), the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, prostitutes and publicans?

[Gregory Matthews]

I have just read the long comment as to what a proposed bill would actually do:

*  To force hospitals and physicians to do sex reassignment surgery against their will is simply false and a failure to understand the present health-care system.  Hospitals may limit their services.  Some hospitals do not do labor and delivery.   Some hospitals do not have an Emergency department.  All such is allowed. 

*  I once lived in a culture where  males and females freely went into the others bathroom.

*  I worked my way through the Seminary at Andrews University by cleaning bathrooms in the college.  I quickly learned that the female college students were not going to stay out of the bathrooms when I was cleaning them.  [NOTE:  I normally did my bathroom cleaning in the evening after most classes were finished.]  I got used to it.  I did not bother the women and they did not bother me.

*  In commercial activities, one should not be allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.    IOW, if you are a photographer who takes wedding photographs, you should not be allowed to discriminate against same sex weddings.  If however, you are a photographer who does not do wedding photographs, you   should not be required to photograph any wedding.

 

[TrevorL]

Greetings Bravus,

12 hours ago, Bravus said:

How did Jesus treat Samaritans who 'worshiped wrong', lepers who were believed to be cursed by God, the lame man at the Pool of Siloam likewise (the disciples' 'who sinned?' question and His answer), the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, prostitutes and publicans?

But Jesus came to teach and cure and overcome sin and all its effects. Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more, and the parable of the prodigal son is applied to the publicans and sinners, while the elder son most probably wanted at least a taste of a wrong way of life. You seem to have acknowledged the Bible teaching on this subject, but reject it and call the new standard as “progress”.

 

I am very uncertain of what you are actually advocating as far as outreach is concerned. Are you asking for our meetings to fellowship practicing gay individuals, and welcome them amongst our young people? Possibly the Gold Coast of Australia with its tourist and entertainment industry is different to the normal outer suburbs of the city where I live, where we have a few traditional SDA churches and a few meetings in my fellowship. I am not sure if the SDAs have any outreach to the inner city night life, but one of our Pentecostal Churches does, but I assumed that it was for feeding the homeless and being first responders to youth drug and alcohol problems.  Btw, the morning news stated that the Uniting Church on the Gold Coast has removed the Uniting Church signage over their objection to the Uniting Church’s policy of conducting same sex marriages.

 

I found it interesting to compare the two free local newspapers recently, the one that advertises the local sex industry had a front page article on the city “gay” (I object to the misuse of this word) community, and the word “Proud” was prominent, possibly adopted as a parody of Jeremiah’s assessment, while the other had an article and advertising for Mother’s Day. I do not know what is the general assessment of the surprise re-election of the Conservative Party in Australia, but my personal opinion is that jobs in Queensland was a major factor, but also a sympathy vote towards a popular sporting person who lost his contract because of his outspoken religious belief, and the way the Opposition advocates tried to corner Scott on this issue. Prominent politicians and entertainment personalities are allowed to voice their support and advertise their position and status, but those who speak against “gay” activity are denounced.

 

Kind regards,

Trevor

[Bravus]

Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Trevor.
My perspective is not especially formed by the fact that I live on the Gold Coast. I've lived here for 7 years, but before that, in reverse chronological order:

Brisbane, Australia - 6 years
Edmonton, Canada - 5 years
Perth, Australia - 6 years
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea - 2 years
Sydney, Australia - 1 year
Melbourne, Australia - 3 years
Cooranbong, Australia - 20 years
Sydney, Australia - 6 years

Including the excluded is right everywhere, not just in the Gold Coast.

[Aliensanctuary]

The loss of the Christian ethic and the promotion of the vindictive LGBTQ agenda will turn America, and the world, into Sodom and Gomorrah and doom organized religion, especially Christianity, to closets and secret churches.

If everyone studied and practiced the teachings of Christ, the whole world would be transformed into a place of peace and prosperity, where there was no crime, war, divorce, violence, and persecution.

We all know how Sodom and Gomorrah ended after the homosexual men tried to rape the messengers from YVHV. Lawlessness is about to transform this country into a place where Christians must be imprisoned for their own protection from raging, demon-infected LGBTQ mobs. 

 

[Aliensanctuary]

YHVH, rather.

[JoeMo]

On 5/25/2019 at 6:18 PM, Bravus said:

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea - 2 years

Were you a missionary there? I have several friends that are or were - From AFM.

[JoeMo]

15 hours ago, Aliensanctuary said:

We all know how Sodom and Gomorrah ended after the homosexual men tried to rape the messengers from YVHV.

I don't believe that homosexuality was the reason for the destruction of Sodom.

"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7) 

I believe the "strange flesh" they were after was the angels  This is a holdover from Genesis 6:1-4.

[Gregory Matthews]

Trevor L asked in the quote below:

*  Yes, sinners who come to worship with us in peace should be welcomed at our services.  They should be allowed to fellowship with our local members.

*  I am thinking  right now of a family in a congregation that I attend that has a homosexual son/daughter.  I only wish that the child in that family would attend every Sabbath to fellowship with us.

*  As to a homosexual holding membership and/or office in a local SDA congregation, that is an issue that is divisive in the SDA Church today.  I do not address that issue.

Are you asking for our meetings to fellowship practicing gay individuals, and welcome them amongst our young people?

[Bravus]

5 hours ago, JoeMo said:

Were you a missionary there? I have several friends that are or were - From AFM.

I was classified as a missionary, I think, and went to 'missionary school' prior to moving there and so on, but my role was as a teacher educator. Pacific Adventist University (then Pacific Adventist College) draws students from all over the Pacific, not just Papua New Guinea, so I taught Samoan, Fijian and Solomon Islands students as well as Papua New Guineans. My particular field is science education, so I was involved in preparing the Adventist physics and chemistry teachers for the region. It was a great time in our lives: we had a 2 year old daughter when we moved to PNG and our second daughter was born while we lived there. I ended up coming back to Australia sooner than originally planned to start my PhD.

[stinsonmarri]

On 5/23/2019 at 3:50 PM, phkrause said:

Pretty good article, JoeMo, for the most part! I believe the demos are trying to do a good thing, but obviously taking it to far!!

One thing I suggest is to read the bill ourselves. Sometimes people word things to fit their political ideology. So I would like to copy and paste the bill so all can read it for yourselves and then make up your mind. My concern is all people have a right to their sexual orientation. I nor anyone on earth should stand as YAHWEH!  Those who claim to obey the Bible should not judge others if so, what about oral sex it is a sin too! Again I will not put transgenders in with homosexuals because I know a person who's should have been a boy but the hormones of the Y chromosomes became dominant when she was born. She was born a female, I saw this with my own eyes in the '60s because she was a faithful SDA! She was about to get married and then she began to look different. Her face looked rough ( She was beautiful and a twin), and she started having a beard. She was acting different and finally, she went into the hospital. They told her that her x chromosomes begin swiftly taken over and she was supposed to be a boy, not a girl. She was shocked, they told her what did she wanted to do? She said she wanted to remain a woman. They told her because she was supposed to a boy and that now the male hormones was trying to correct itself, she could never have children! She still wanted to remain a woman and she did. Her fiance left her but she married a wonderful man and they adopted children. Because of her choice, she had to take hormones and she died early. I also met a person who had both male and female organs and she acted like a woman at times or man at times. She drunk very heavy and she stayed in the hospital a lot, she died as well. Because of sin deformity of all kind happens so I do not question about transgenders being a sin. I am not talking about men or women who have nothing wrong with their bodies and want to change to the opposite male or female. They are to me still homosexuals! I will say this again, that YAHSHUA prophesied that just before HE come this will become rampant as with all sinful acts. I truly believe that many homosexuals, like liars, thieves, drug takers, murders, backbiters, adulterers,  oral sex, and all sinners will change and be save. But, again I would like to read the bill to see what it says for myself!

Blessings!

 

[stinsonmarri]

On 5/24/2019 at 11:29 AM, JoeMo said:

And when so many others treat all Christians as inferior dogs and pigs, that's okay?  It works both ways.  Shouldn't we as Christians take a stand against celebrating what God has called evil?

Joe Moe: I am surprised that you would say that. YAHSHUA in HIS day was despised those who claimed to be righteous, but they were not! The Bible says to love your enemy and those who say all manner of evil against you for great is your reward in Heaven. When I see children placed in cages because their parent was seeking asylum here it makes me shutter! Who has called you a pig or the other things you said in this country? What I have seen those who claim to be Christians feel that they should make others believe the way they do. That is wrong! May your life speak for you! YAHSHUA told Mary to go and sin no more, HE did not condemn her! I hear angriness in your writings and it saddens me. Choose whom you will serve and allow that person that you don't agree with to choose whom they will serve! As long as no one tries to do you bodily harm, then we all must allow them to make a choice. I want my grandchildren to be saved, but they see all the lying and suppose to be spiritual minded members look down their nose on others who might not believe the way they do! This has caused them to turn away from believing in truth period!

You know I cannot save me, YAHSHUA saves, I just obey with love and kindness and that's it! I provide what the Bible says but not overwhelm anyone! My son has called me holy the thou because he is not living right! I still love him and continual to find a way to talk to him. Mostly, I just pray for him! I have learned not to dwell on negative things myself and try to see the good in everyone. If I stand for love and kindness regardless of how others act some will change through THE HOLY SPIRIT! But they have to see THE HOLY SPIRIT in me!

Blessings My Friend!

[stinsonmarri]

7 hours ago, JoeMo said:

I believe the "strange flesh" they were after was the angels  This is a holdover from Genesis 6:1-4.

Joe, angels are not flesh they are spirits. Sodom and Gomorrah were burned because they lusted all types of sin which took over their lives. These people knew YAHWEH and they left HIM. They had Melchizidek, THE MOST HIGH King and Priest in (Salem) which was Jerusalem. I will continue to state according to the Bible, the Canaanites were serving YAHWEH first, but they began to serve Baal. Gen 15:16 explains clearly that YAHWEH was giving one tribe 430 years because all the rest of the Canaanites had become paganized! The Amorites were still obeying THE MOST HIGH, that's who Abraham lived around and eventually after Sarah's death married Keturah a spiritual minded Canaanite person! Jethro (The Midianites came through Keturah loins), the Midianite and High Priest was worshiping YAHWEH when Moses ran away from Egypt! They, later on, left the truth too!

Now as I read Gen Chapter 24, I feel Abraham wanted a Semitic woman to marry his son. Laban Rebekah's brother knew YAHWEH but gave Jacob later on a hard time.  To make it clear, Laban was a crook! I feel Abraham was keeping the prophecy of Noah, that Shem would be blessed through the male line that YAHSHUA would come through! 

Homosexuality with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was the final straw!

Blessings!

[JoeMo]

On 6/16/2019 at 11:23 PM, stinsonmarri said:

Joe, angels are not flesh they are spirits.

True - in their heavenly state.  When on earth, certain angels most certainly can take on flesh.  Look at the angels that accompanied Yeshua to visit Abraham; and then went on to Sodom to destroy it; or the angels that announced Jesus' birth, or the angel in the tomb, or the angel that guarded the entrance to Eden after the fall.

[debbym]

On 6/16/2019 at 2:35 PM, JoeMo said:

I don't believe that homosexuality was the reason for the destruction of Sodom.

"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7) 

I believe the "strange flesh" they were after was the angels  This is a holdover from Genesis 6:1-4.

In my humble opinion... the angels are not flesh, they are ministering spirits.  When they appeared as flesh it was not strange flesh.  I suspect the strange flesh was animal flesh.  They were not merely same sex attracted, they were animalized for one another... they were murderers and rapists without any self control. they were dehumanized.  their animal nature had no restraint, the lower nature seems to have had complete ascendency. They were violent and had no regard for life, widows or orphans. the image of God was erased from them completely.