Religious freedom on trial

Have you been watching the World Cup Soccer Tournament? We rooted for the USA, and because my wife has family in the Netherlands, we were not too disappointed when they beat us. The Babylon Bee (Satire) headline: Nation Relieved to No Longer Have to Pretend to Like Soccer. "Thank God for the Dutch." We got a good laugh from that line.

Like with the Olympics, the World Cup allows us to learn about other countries and cultures. The 2022 World Cup is being held in Qatar.

You would think that event planners would have taken into consideration the deeply religious culture of Qatar before scheduling the World Cup Soccer Tournament in that country. The West has colonized most of the world with its influence on music, entertainment, and culture. Several countries did not expect the religion of Qatar to be a big deal.

We began hearing about how the stadium would not be allowing the sale of alcohol. While this offended many people, those of us who abstain from drinking were not bothered by such a rule. I can see the benefits of keeping the crowds sober in a sport where fans become passionate and sometimes violent.

Another consideration that many teams and fans were not expecting was being told that they could not wear rainbow symbols to support LGBTQ+. This was upsetting to several people who must not have realized that homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.

There was little attention given to women's rights issues in Qatar. However, Iran remained silent during its national anthem in support of protests against its own government's treatment of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died in custody for wearing "improper hijab."

Do you consider America to be a Christian nation that is founded on biblical principles? Or are we a secular nation that tolerates religion?

The United States Senate approved the Respect for Marriage Act. It failed to consider the religious beliefs of people outside of the context of religious institutions. The Supreme Court is discussing this subject in a case involving a web designer who objects to same-sex marriage. We will see if She will be coerced to participate in a religious rite that violates her religious beliefs.

There have been many lawsuits where Christian businesses were sought out and sued for declining to participate in same-sex weddings. Is it OK to punish people until they agree with you? Did the redefinition of marriage end the notion of "live and let live?"

Alliance Defending Freedom issued an opinion about RFMA:

"It imposes a new obligation to recognize same-sex relationships on religious organizations that work closely with government. It creates new tools for progressive activists and the Department of Justice to enforce that obligation. It gives the Internal Revenue Service a new argument for taking tax-exempt status away from religious nonprofits. It makes religious freedom and free speech cases harder to win by elevating the federal government's interest in same-sex marriage."

Do you remember Kim Davis? She was a county clerk in Kentucky when the Supreme Court changed the definition of marriage. She refused to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples. She was jailed, ridiculed on Saturday Night Live, and accused of bigotry. We would not know her name if religious objections were taken into consideration and accommodations made for people who oppose same-sex marriage.

Oddly, the RFMA ties the completely separate and noncontroversial issue of interracial marriage to the legislation. Since there is no religious liberty protection for individuals, one can assume the sole purpose is to equate objections to same-sex marriage with racism.

Most people want to mind their own business and not be forced to participate in things they believe are wrong. Bible believing Christians are informed by verses such as: Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; and 1 Timothy 1:10.

Unlike soccer, this will not end in a tie. There will be winners and losers if we fail to respect religious freedom. What makes the USA a great country is that we can take freedom loving people from all over the world and stand united as Americans. It is un-American to force people to surrender their religious convictions.