Crosstalk: May 22, 2019

For months, Crosstalk has warned about a piece of legislation from Nancy Pelosi known as the ‘Equality Act’ (HR-5).  Jim described this legislation which…’in one fell swoop places a stick of dynamite under the free exercise of religion and blows it to smithereens.’

Last Friday afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives, on a vote of 236 to 173,  passed HR-5. 8 Republicans joined the Democrat majority which was basically a ‘hand slap’ across the face of the church.

Joining Jim to discuss this latest development was Mat Staver.  Mat is the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. Mat has over 230 published legal opinions, has authored 8 scholarly law review publications and 10 books.  He’s filed numerous briefs and argued in many federal and state courts including the U.S. Supreme Court where he has also argued two landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mat began by describing this legislation as, ‘…the most serious threat to religious freedom, to life, and to family that I’ve ever seen come out of Congress.’

Mat knew it would pass in the House because of the overwhelming control Democrats have there.  There was not one single Democrat that was willing to break ranks with their party. In fact, 8 Republicans joined in.

For readers still not familiar with this legislation, HR5 elevates LGBT and abortion to a higher level.  It expands the reach of abortion, puts it as a federal right, forces federal funding of it, elevates LGBT to the same protective category as race, and in the process decimates religious freedom.

One element of this broadcast that highlights the seriousness of this issue involves an item from the Congressional Record.  It was from Congressman William Dannemeyer of California. Jim read his (what’s turned out to be prophetic )warning from July 27, 1987 titled: ‘Militant Wolves in Sheepish Drag No Longer.’

A link to the Congressional Record warns, ‘In fact, the homosexual American dream would be to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual preferences to the list of nondiscriminatory characteristics such as race, creed and color.’  

Also in Congressman Dannemeyer’s submission to the record is an essay by Michael Swift:

https://archive.org/stream/congressionalrec13315unit#page/21194/mode/2up

Jim and Mat agreed that Swift’s presentation was a full embodiment of what HR-5 is all about.

This legislation now goes over to the Senate as S788.  Mat noted that it will be automatically assigned to the Judiciary Committee.  Senator Lindsey Graham is the chairman of that committee.

Learn more by becoming informed regarding the details that surround this issue. You can do that by reviewing this important edition of Crosstalk.