On Maundy Thursday, March 24, 2016, the Christians for Equality Steering Committee sent our the following press release on behalf of the CFE coalition.
In the six months since the expansion of equal rights
protection in Anchorage to include sexual orientation and gender identity, the
non-discrimination ordinance has proven itself as a fair, just, and common
sense approach to balancing the legitimate needs of churches and religious
organizations with the need to provide equal protections for all under the law.
As faith leaders, we believe that strong and vigorous protections for churches
and religious organizations are in place under the current ordinance. These
protections facilitate the organizations in carrying out their mission and acting
in accordance with their beliefs, the standard of which is based on the
unanimous Supreme Court decision in Hosanna-Tabor
(2012) [1]. This
decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, was widely hailed by
conservative religious organizations as a landmark case for religious liberty. [2]
As people of faith, we also
recognize our responsibility to work within the law and, while operating in the
public arena, to treat all people fairly and without bias or discrimination.
Without this common understanding, codified in ordinance and statute, civil
society would not be possible, and America would not be true to her own ideals
of liberty and justice for all.
Furthermore, Christians for Equality
calls attention to the Supreme Court decision in Employment Division vs. Smith (1990)[3],
in which the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority,
stating that the Court held that
the First Amendment's protection of the "free exercise" of religion
does not allow a person to use a religious motivation as a reason not to obey
such generally applicable laws. Scalia specifically cites Reynolds
v. United States (1878) decision: "To permit this would be to make the
professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in
effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself."[4]
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
1 John
4:18-21
Christians for Equality
Anchorage, Alaska
Rev. Michael Burke
Rev. Julia Seymour
Rev. Martin Eldred
Candace Bell
Rev. Matt Schultz
Nora Ortiz Fredrick
Rev. Ellen Johnson
