‘Trojan Horse That Will Do More Harm Than Good’
Liberty Counsel is pulling its support from the First Amendment Defense Act, a “religious freedom” bill languishing in Congress. The legislation was originally created to enable discrimination by people of faith against LGBT people and same-sex couples.
The bill has recently been refiled after sitting in both the House and Senate with no action. The legislation’s text has been changed to comply with federal law, and now also protects those who hold a “religious belief, or moral conviction,” that “two individuals as recognized under Federal law” are married – in other words, it offers support for the marriages of same-sex couples.
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, calls the new First Amendment Defense Act a “Trojan horse that will do more harm than good.” He says, “Liberty Counsel can no longer support FADA.”
The bill is sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID). President Trump had promised to sign the original version of the legislation.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled Liberty Counsel is an anti-gay hate group. It is best-known for defending Kim Davis, and has supported the criminalization of gay sex in an amicus brief.
“The language of Sen. Lee’s revised First Amendment Defense Act will provide a weapon to those who want to press same-sex ‘marriage’ and the LGBT agenda throughout the federal law,” Staver said Friday in a press release. “The original version was meant to protect people from being forced to participate in same-sex ceremonies or be discriminated against for their view of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The revised version of FADA changes the meaning and will do more harm than good. It is a Trojan horse that we cannot support.”
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