| For Immediate Release September 23, 2009 |
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NRB SAYS GAY RIGHTS BILL WILL "CRIPPLE" FAITH BASED GROUPS
Washington, DC – In testimony before Congress on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, National Religious Broadcasters warned lawmakers that the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 (ENDA) would deal a devastating blow to faith-based organizations and Christian ministries.
Craig Parshall, NRB’s Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor that ENDA would “impose a crippling burden on religious organizations.” The bill provides that employers would be prohibited from discriminating on the basis of “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” Though the bill purports to contain an exemption for religious groups, Parshall testified that from a legal standpoint that language is a “mirage,” and would subject faith groups to “endless, expensive, and harassing litigation” where the courts would be forced to use a previous legal formula in future law suits against religious organizations. a formula that has proven ineffectual in protecting religious liberty. Parshall concluded his testimony by observing the historical roots under-girding faith-based objections to ENDA type legislation: “Christian ministries that object to those sexual preferences which are in clear violation of the standards of the Bible are standing on a long and well-worn road. Those doctrines are proscribed in both the Old and New Testaments and have endured for several thousand years. The rights to preach and practice those beliefs spring from a Bill of Rights that is two hundred and twenty years old, and in turn which reach back to hundreds of years of English common law.”
For the full text of Mr. Parshall’s written testimony click here.
Dr. Frank Wright, President and C.E.O. of NRB recognizes the political hypocrisy in the current debate, noting: “ENDA is the classic ‘bait and switch’ of Washington politics: it purports to address discrimination, all the while visiting a pernicious viewpoint discrimination against people of deep religious conviction. In the final analysis, ENDA is an attempt to subjugate First Amendment freedoms while advancing the political orthodoxy of the liberal left.”
About NRB
The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is a non-partisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers. Our mission is to keep the doors of electronic media open for the spread of the Gospel. In addition to promoting standards of excellence, integrity, and accountability, NRB provides networking, educational, ministry, and fellowship opportunities for its members. Learn more at www.nrb.org.
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