While You're at it, Pray Against the Equality Act

Today is the National Day of Prayer.  What should Christians pray for?  Two things should top the list.  We need to pray for an end to abortion.  And second, we need to pray for the preservation of religious freedom.  And right now there are people on the left who are pushing a piece of legislation that would severely threaten religious freedom:  The Equality Act.  You can read the following information that is from the Family Research Council.  Please pray today against the Equality Act.

At a press conference last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced she and her liberal colleagues are making passage of the Equality Act a top priority. While we have been successful in stopping the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) from being enacted in the past, that's not stopping these liberals from pushing for an even broader attack on our freedom to live out our deeply-held religious beliefs.

We can't allow the Equality Act to become law.

Pelosi stated, "[ENDA] was really a very important piece of the agenda. But as we were seeing the successes and the momentum of especially marriage equality, we saw the opportunity to do something bigger." That something bigger is the Equality Act (S. 1858 and H.R. 3185).

Why is this concerning for Americans of faith?

The bill adds "sexual orientation and gender identity" (SOGI) to 25 areas of federal law as if these subjective characterizations were similar to race and gender, which are unchanging and identifiable at birth. At the same time, the bill attacks legal protections for people of faith, limiting your right to use the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a legal recourse to defend yourself in court against its provisions.

The Equality Act gives the federal government even more control in "credit, education, employment, federal funding, housing, jury service, and public accommodations," and other areas of law.

And along the way, it opens the door of the ladies' restroom to any male who claims that his perceived "gender identity" is actually female.

In practical terms, this legislation could mean:

• Christian small business owners would likely be sued for "discrimination" on the basis of subjective concepts like "gender identity" for refusing to allow men in girls' bathrooms and changing areas.

• Religious bakers, graphic designers, florists, and photographers will be forced to use their God-given talents to celebrate same-sex unions, despite their sincere religious objections.

• Federal bureaucrats will force girls to play sports and change with boys who may identify as female.

• Common sense privacy and safety protections will become casualties under the Equality Act.

The legislation also dramatically limits the ability of people who object to its requirements from seeking accommodations based on their religious beliefs about natural marriage. Thus, in the battle between freedom and special rights for LGBT activists, the Equality Act strips conscientious objectors of their freedom and would, by law, require their compliance with the LGBT agenda.

And Nancy Pelosi is far from alone. The Equality Act has more than 170 co-sponsors in the U.S. House, 40 in the U.S. Senate, and is strongly supported by President Obama.

At the press conference, Rep. Pelosi outlined how the Equality Act is the final piece of the liberal activists' 4-point plan to enshrine these special privileges into American law. Their first goal was the so called "hate crimes" legislation, their second was the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, their third was to redefine marriage outright and overturn the 30-plus states that voted to protect natural marriage, and passage of the Equality Act is the fourth and final step.