Resurrection of religious freedom

The Easter season is a time for Christians to reflect deeper on the tenets of their faith and the value they place upon it. Many never took the time to consider the cost of standing for that faith, as it seemed that persecution was something they read about, not experienced. The idea that pressure would come because they actually believe what the Bible teaches just never occurred to some. Persecution was what Peter, John and, of course, Jesus experienced -- and you know, those poor people in other countries. And while the church in America has not experienced what they have, it's heating up, U.S. Constitution notwithstanding.

I am concerned by the threat to religious liberty that has become a divisive issue in our culture. It reached a fever pitch a year ago when Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana was under fire for signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to ensure the state's laws respect people's religious beliefs. For that, he was accused of hating the LGBT community, and the act was deemed a "license to discriminate." RFRA was not even meant to focus on LGBT individuals, but rather to allow people and companies to state as a defense in court that their exercise of religion either has been or may be excessively burdened. It was not about hating anyone or any group; it was about protecting everyone's religious rights.

Indiana approved RFRA by a vote of 40-10, and it was signed into law March 26, 2015, but not before a fuss was made and Pence pinched into including a "fix" to clarify that the law could not be used to discriminate. No such clarification should have been necessary, but he did it to make folks happy. It was a whole lot of hoopla about absolutely nothing.

And who can forget Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis, who was arrested and spent nearly a week in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples? She said her name on the license violated her Christian faith, which states marriage exists only between a man and a woman, which, by the way, the Bible does teach. The fact that she had no history of speaking ill of homosexuals or doing them harm did not protect her from vitriol or being branded one of those "hateful" Christians. The idea that her religious freedom should be accommodated was foreign to those who believed her faith was inconsequential and someone else's life decision trumped her decision to live out her faith.

Most recently, Disney threatened to boycott the state of Georgia if Gov. Nathan Deal did not veto a religious freedom bill that passed the state legislature. Disney deems the bill, the Free Exercise Protection Act, "anti-gay discrimination." Deal had until May 3 to make his decision; however, he already announced Monday that he will, in fact, veto it. Georgia has become a popular place for money-making films, so the pressure was on. The National Football League joined in, stating the law would play a role in whether Super Bowls would be played there. Other corporations, such as UPS and Coca-Cola, also got on the anti-religious freedom bandwagon.

"I do not think we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia, of which I and my family have been a part of for all of our lives," Deal said. It blows my mind how people indiscriminately apply the discrimination label, while not considering the bias people of faith face. And cue the people to come out again to equate this issue with civil rights for blacks -- a comparison that, frankly, is not comparable at all.

I'm calling bogus on all this. When was the last time Christian businesses, such as Hobby Lobby or Chick-fil-A or the local bakery, went around intimidating or abusing those who don't agree with them? All they ask for is their constitutional right to practice their faith. All they want is to be true to their God without threat. Was there not a time when someone would say, "Hey, if this baker won't make my same-sex wedding cake, I'll take my money down the street to the baker who will"? That's what we used to call the power of the consumer. But that seems to be lost now in this litigious culture we've come to embrace. And for what? To punish people for their faith? To make them accept what their faith says is unacceptable? "What's the big deal? Just make the stupid cake!" some say. Maybe they have a point. But their point is no sharper than the point of one whose sincerely held belief says it actually is a big deal -- the person who demonstrates that rejecting the sin while loving the person is possible.

Easter has come and gone, but in its ongoing spirit, as these battles heat up, I pray for a resurrection of old-fashioned religious freedom in our beloved country.

Adrienne Ross is an editor, writer, public speaker, online radio show host, former teacher and coach, Southeast Missourian editorial board member, and owner of Adrienne Ross Communications. Reach her at aross@semissourian.com.