Wednesday, July 16, 2008To: Friends & SupportersFrom: Gary BauerFaith Under FireThe Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments today on a case involving blatant religious bigotry and discrimination. At issue in this case is a 2006 resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors for the city of San Francisco condemning the Catholic Church's teaching on family. After Cardinal William Levada instructed Catholic Charities to respect and follow the Church's teaching that children should be placed only in adoptive households with a mother and a father, the militant homosexuals in San Francisco proposed a resolution calling the Church's teaching "hateful," "callous," "defamatory" and "ignorant." The resolution passed unanimously. (Frankly, I find the notion that children don't need mothers and fathers to be "callous" of the needs of children and "ignorant" of basic biology.) Evidently, the "tyrants of tolerance" in the City by the Bay have no tolerance for the freedom of religion.In an unusual twist, conservative groups sued the city of San Francisco contending that the outrageous and offensive resolution amounted to overt government discrimination against religion that created a hostile atmosphere against the free exercise of faith and violated the separation of church of state, whereby the state is supposed to refrain from demonstrating favoritism or hostility toward any particular religion. Certainly the former concept is a widely accepted legal maxim, but the latter evidently is not. A federal district court dismissed the complaint against the city in a rather childish ruling that essentially said that "The Catholic Church started it" and had invited the provocation by insisting on adherence to its teachings. The judge also found that since the resolution was merely a statement that lacked any legal enforcement, it amounted to nothing more than an exercise in free speech by city officials. Religious liberty groups have appealed the decision, but I have no expectation whatsoever that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will reach a different conclusion.Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, radicals in the Massachusetts state legislature took the first step toward exporting same-sex "marriages" yesterday when the State Senate voted to repeal a law that prohibited the issuance of marriage licenses to non-residents whose marriages would be illegal in their home states. Since 44 states have laws that explicitly define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, the action can lead only to legal chaos as homosexual couples go to Massachusetts to get "married" and return to their home states demanding legal recognition for their "marriages." Kris Mineau of Massachusetts Family Institute commented, "The Massachusetts Senate has no right to infringe on the internal issues of how other states define marriage, but that's exactly what they voted today to do." And acting on the courage of their convictions, Bay State politicians passed the repeal on a voice vote, so there is no record of how each senator voted. As marriage and family are being redefined, faith is increasingly under fire. I noted recently that a homosexual activist is suing two Christian publishing companies for $70 million in damages because the Bibles they publish refer to homosexual conduct as sinful. How much longer before pastors are being sued? Four years ago, former Harvard Professor Mary Ann Glendon warned about what our future holds if we cannot draw a bright line in defense of traditional marriage. At the time, it sounded like alarmist rhetoric to some, but her warning is worth repeating today:"Religious freedom, too, is at stake. As much as one may wish to live and let live, the experience in other countries reveals that once these arrangements become law, there will be no live-and-let-live policy for those who differ. Gay-marriage proponents use the language of openness, tolerance and diversity, yet one foreseeable effect of their success will be to usher in an era of intolerance and discrimination the likes of which we have rarely seen before. Every person and every religion that disagrees will be labeled as bigoted and openly discriminated against. The ax will fall most heavily on religious persons and groups that don't go along. Religious institutions will be hit with lawsuits if they refuse to compromise their principles." My friends, be bold and determined in "fighting the good fight" for faith, family and freedom! Millions of Americans are with us when it comes to values issues. That's why I want to encourage you to join me in our nation's capital in September for the 2008 Values Voter Summit being co-sponsored by American Values, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family Action and Alliance Defense Fund. Confirmed speakers include Dr. Bill Bennett, Ken Blackwell, Chuck Colson, Jonathan Falwell, Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly and many more outstanding pro-family leaders and activists. For more information on the 2008 Values Voter Summit, visit our website at http://www.ouramericanvalues.org. I hope to see you there!