URGENT UPDATE: The U.S. Senate continues voting on the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act. Thursday night, they had another vote with only 53 members supporting it. To get to this point, 12 Republicans supported a version of this bill without  any religious freedom protection. Now, after the fact, there are efforts to insert the equivalent of crumbs of religious freedom into this bill.

Some senators voted for HR 8404 in hopes that a narrow religious accommodation amendment would later be added. The draft language from Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) does very little to protect religious freedom. This bill is taking an unusual path, and several options remain to stop this bill. First, another vote will take place after the Thanksgiving break on a religious accommodation amendment that may also require 60 senators to pass it. Second, if the amendment does not pass, then some senators who voted to proceed could change their vote without such amendment. Third, any change to the bill will need another vote in the House. The fight to stop this bill is not over! 

HR 8404 will legalize every perversion of marriage you can think of. Going far beyond same-sex marriage, this bill forces every state and territory to give legal recognition to the crazy marriage laws of any other state—including California’s sick child bride laws that allow pedophiles to marry children.

But it is even worse than that, thanks to the LGBTQ lobby that seeks to punish any who refuse to bow to their gender-bending sexual perversions. Any church, business, nonprofit organization, school, adoption center or even private person will be forced to comply and participate in the madness—or face Department of Justice investigations and massive civil lawsuits designed to bankrupt Christians who insist on God’s design for marriage. And the largest LGBTQ lobbying group in the nation’s capital is opposed to any religious accommodation in this or any other bill.

We still have a chance to STOP HR 8404!

There is a lot to unpack today. Much is at stake and time is short. Please, read on. — Mat

Protect marriage, children and religious freedom. Even if you have faxed Congress before, they need to hear from you NOW. Please, take a moment to fax senators and demand they VOTE NO on HR 8404. 

You may have noticed that the alphabet abbreviations continue to grow. What used to be GL became LG, then LGB, then LGBT, LGBTQ+ and so on. The Q stands for queer, which includes over 500 paraphilias. The “+” covers any other sexual proclivity. Passing a federal law endorsing same-sex marriage will exponentially expand the LGBTQ agenda on all fronts—not just marriage.

The inclusion of “Q” is important, considering the legislation this powerful lobby is pushing. Deliberately misnamed the “Respect for Marriage Act,” HR 8404 forces every state and territory to accept and obey the marriage laws of any other state—including California’s shocking child bride laws that allow pedophiles to marry children.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is still pushing this bill and there are more votes ahead. It will be challenging, but there is still a chance that we can stop this bill if we act now! 

If HR 8404 passes, it will create a baseline public policy that will have both a direct and an indirect impact. State laws will have to conform to this national public policy in both public and many private realms.

HR 8404 will establish a federal public policy that gender is irrelevant, even in an obviously gender-based human relationship—marriage. Such a public policy will extend far beyond same-sex marriage. If gender is “irrelevant” in marriage, then it will be “irrelevant in sports and private separate gender facilities.”

If a Christian school, for instance, forbids two married drag queens from holding a story hour on campus, that school, its pastors and staff will be declared “bigots,” just as if they had objected to a person of color speaking in class. The DOJ (Department of Justice) will be deployed to investigate, and the school will be sued in civil court. LGBTQ, with its more than 500 paraphilia perversions, will have the same protected category as race.

Putting special privileges for LGBTQ (especially Q) conduct on the same level as religious freedom or race-based discrimination—will have a destructive impact across America.

Schumer only needs a few more votes to pass this bill. We need your help to STOP THIS BILL. Tell senators to VOTE NO on HR 8404.

Some years ago, Bob Jones University lost its tax-exempt status because of its policy banning interracial dating on campus. Bob Jones has since changed its policy.

Bob Jones University did not violate any federal law. But the IRS revoked the Christian school’s tax-exempt status, arguing the school violated “public policy.” The public policy was racial nondiscrimination in the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Even though Bob Jones asserted its free exercise rights, it lost against the broad public policy argument.

HR 8404 will establish a similar public policy that will be used to crush religious freedom. The real goal here is to silence and punish people of faith while forcing the LGBTQ agenda on everyone.

Remember the Kentucky clerk Kim Davis who spent six days in jail for refusing to use her name and authority to endorse same-sex marriage? I continue to defend Kim. And even though the Kentucky legislature unanimously passed a religious accommodation law to protect Christians like Kim, HR 8404 would override this state law and force every person in public service to violate their sincere religious beliefs.

Do not think you will escape HR 8404. There is no religious exemption. The vague “public policy” argument impacted Bob Jones University. No one and no institution will be immune from the impact of HR 8404.

The (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act is close to becoming law. We must fight with everything we can to block this bill, and time is short.

The movement seeking to eliminate Christian thought, action, speech and works from American culture is getting louder and stronger. LC Action continues to battle anti-Christian sentiments, legislation and policies in courtrooms across America and at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Please, prayerfully consider making a generous donation to our legal fund so that we can continue defending the right to religious freedom. When you do, a generous Challenge Grant will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of your donation.

"With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us, and to fight our battles" (2 Chronicles 32:8a).

Mat Staver, Chairman
Liberty Counsel Action

P.S. You can also sign the petition by selecting here.

Sources:

“H.R.8404 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Respect for Marriage Act.” Accessed November 2, 2022. Congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8404.

Pandolfo, Chris. “Utah Sen. Mike Lee Warns Religious Liberty Protections in Same-Sex Marriage Bill Are 'Severely Anemic'.” Fox News, November 16, 2022. www.foxnews.com/politics/utah-sen-mike-lee-warns-religious-liberty-protections-same-sex-marriage-bill-severely-anemic.