Evangelical leaders remain firm against LGBT, religious compromise

(Reuters/Joshua Roberts)No compromise in LGBT and religious rights.

Close to 90 evangelical leaders expressed their firm opposition against compromises in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and religious rights by signing a statement last month, blocking legal efforts and initiatives protecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The development came after months of conversations among Christian college leaders who were looking for a middle ground.

Christianity Today reported that evangelical leaders, composed of publications, ministries, churches, and seminaries, together with members of the Catholic and Orthodox clergy, released the signed statement titled "Preserve Freedom, Reject Coercion." The declaration "affirms every American's freedom to peacefully live their lives according to their beliefs and opposes government coercion or censorship of fellow citizens who have different views," according to the website of campaign host, the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

Christianity Today also reported that the signed statement comes in the wake of several months of talks between Christian college leaders in the United States focusing on a proposed "Fairness for All" law, which looks to provide satisfactory legal protections among the religious sector and LGBT advocates alike. The proposal, which is spearheaded by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), is based on a set of compromise bills that banned different forms of LGBT discrimination in Utah, known to be a Mormon bastion, back in 2015.

This, however, didn't sit well for many of the nation's conservative Christians, as well as some CCCU members and affiliates who affirmed that "SOGI laws empower the government to use the force of law to silence or punish Americans who seek to exercise their God-given liberty to peacefully live and work consistent with their convictions," as expressed in their statement. The Christian leaders also stressed that "any ostensible protections for religious liberty appended to such laws are inherently inadequate and unstable."

In response, Shapri LoMaglio, CCCU vice president for government and external relations, said they are continuing to study all legislative and legal options to achieve a more comprehensive and lasting religious liberty protections for institutions. "We are committed to identifying the best solution to accomplish these goals, not a particular solution," said LoMaglio.

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