For two decades the Left has been trying to pass a law that would prevent business owners from considering their faith in hiring practices. It’s called ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. If ENDA is enacted, employers will find that it’s illegal to hold to the Judeo-Christian sexual ethic in deciding who to hire and promote.
In recent days, by a vote of 64-32, the United States Senate passed ENDA.
If ENDA were to become law, employers with religious and moral objections to homosexual conduct would face a situation where homosexual rights supersede religious rights. So much for the First Amendment.
Chai Feldblum is a Georgetown Law Professor, now on leave as she serves on the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. A lesbian activist, she framed the current version of ENDA adding protections for transgenders. Ms. Feldblum was asked about the rights of a Christian business owner or religious organization sued under ENDA. She replied: “Gays win, Christians lose,” saying she has “a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.”
The bill has come up before. It passed the House in 1996 and was just one vote short of passing the Senate. The effort to pass ENDA went underground for awhile because President George W. Bush clearly opposed it. President Obama vociferously endorses it.
ENDA sets up special employment protections based upon a person’s sexual preferences and gender identity, which, by the way, may be different from a person’s gender at birth. If enacted — and let’s pray it isn’t — ENDA would effectively prohibit employers from considering sexual conduct or stated sexual preference in evaluating the character of their employees or applicants. ENDA would force employers, including Christian schools and colleges, Christian-owned businesses, day care centers, really most religious organizations to employ people who make their deviant sexual orientation apparent.
Family Research Council says, “If you have religious objections or practical reasons for not hiring cross-dressers, too bad. If this legislation passes the House, the government will force you to be politically correct, no matter what it costs you or your bottom line.”
ENDA would not only work in direct violation of employers’ beliefs, but also those of fellow employees. Those who object to deviant behaviors will have fewer rights than those who practice them.
At this juncture, we may dodge this bullet. House Speaker John Boehner says he will block ENDA from being brought up. He says it’s unnecessary, will cost American jobs (especially in small businesses), and will result in “frivolous lawsuits.”
There’s a lot of pressure on lawmakers to pass this. I mean who wants to go on record voting against “non-discrimination” in the workplace? This time, ten Republican Senators voted for ENDA. Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey tried, but failed, to amend the bill to strengthen protections for religious employers. He voted for ENDA anyway.
Speaker Boehner and your House member must hold the line against ENDA.