ICC Note: Within a week, a petition led by the American Family Association regarding a religious freedom executive order has collected 107,000 signatures. The petition urges President Trump to sign a controversial order calling for the protection of the religious liberty of Christian business owners, such as in cases where business owners refuse to sell products endorsing homosexual marriage. While supporters say that this executive order would encourage religious freedom in the public sphere, those in opposition argue that it is unconstitutional and that it encourages discrimination.
By Joseph Hartropp
02/15/2017 United States (Christian News Network) – A Christian activist group’s petition for President Trump to sign a controversial religious freedom executive order has received 107,000 signatures in a week. The plea joins calls from several Christian leaders urging action from the president.
The petition from the American Family Association takes the form of an open letter to Trump, thanking him for his work so far, but also calling for further action in support of religious freedom.
‘Thank you for being diligent in your efforts to keep your campaign promise to protect religious liberty – a fundamental right that originates from God, not the government,’ the letter says. ‘Rather, it is the role of government to protect and preserve these rights.’
The letter then gives examples of ‘how the government has bullied people for exercising their Judeo-Christian values’. These include those fined for not participating in gay wedding ceremonies, or refusing to produce or sell products that endorse gay marriage.
The letter calls such cases ‘indicative of the type of unconstitutional actions the radical left vigorously seeks to apply at the federal level. For this reason, we are seeking relief by changes in policy and laws to protect and preserve the religious liberty of not just religious institutions but also of individual Christians and Christian business owners.’
It thanks Trump for his promise to repeal the Johnson amendment but calls for further action, the signing of the leaked executive order on religious freedom.
…
[Full Story]