(ChurchLeaders) “The audacity is breathtaking, and the threat to America’s first liberty is all too real.” That’s how Dr. Al Mohler describes the controversial Equality Act in an article for Public Discourse. Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is among the many Christian leaders warning that passage of the legislation will spell disaster for religious freedom in America.
The Equality Act, or H.R. 5, which passed the U.S. House last month and now heads to the Senate, amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). President Biden supports the legislation, calling it “essential” to protecting LGBTQ+ rights. Under the Equality Act, organizations won’t be able to use the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to challenge or defend against claims of SOGI discrimination.