Sermon Notes: Imprecations Intro-Part 1

Our pastor is preaching a series on imprecatory prayers and there's a lot unpack. The first point was "we are here" and the first point of the first point was "The Equality Act"

February 7, 2021 - we are here with the Equality Act

the "equality act" would add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the list of civil right protection. H.R.5 is expected to be reintroduced in 2021.

Implications of The Equality Act

(2) (with respect to gender identity) an individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.’’

page 20, H.R.5

and

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 22U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.) shall not provide a claim concerning, or a defense to a claim under, a covered title, or provide a basis for challenging the application or enforcement of a covered title.’’.

page 22 H.R.5

In other words, "yeah, yeah, religious liberty doesn't apply here" - included are "salons" and "health care" -

Consider the case in Canada where a salon owner is being sued by a per-surgical transgender person with a penis. This person wanted the salon worker (female) to wax "the junk". In Canada, the salon worker won...however, under the "Equality Act" this could change. If the person calls themselves a woman, dresses like a woman and goes to a female salon worker and wants the male-parts groomed...conscience is not a defense.

There are Christian marriage counselors who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. They would not be able to turn away a couple who would force that counselor to violate his/her conscience. (further insights here)

Women's sports suffer when the biological male competes with biological females.

The Equality Act hurts foster children.

These states wrongly treated the belief that children do best with both a mother and a father as discriminatory, and kids are the ones who are paying the price. With 438,000 children languishing in foster care nationwide, we need more agencies working to help kids find homes, not fewer.

https://www.heritage.org/gender/heritage-explains/the-equality-act

So the "Equality Act" is not about equality - it's about pushing an agenda and moving faithful Christians out of the public sphere.