COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 27, 2019 — The Equality Act was introduced by Democrats in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 13, also known also as H.R. 5 and S. 788 respectively. On behalf of the James Dobson Family Institute, Dr. James Dobson issues the following statement in reaction:
“I wish I could say I was shocked to see the speed with which Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have brought to committee the sweet sounding but entirely treacherous Equality Act. This decision demonstrates a frightening willingness by those on the left to advance a radical social agenda at a time when our nation already faces so many other divisive challenges. Make no mistake, the so-called Equality Act is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to finish off religious liberty in America once and for all, which ought to be plainly obvious based upon a cursory reading of the First Amendment. Simply put, by creating a protected class of citizens out of the LGBT community, this bill places Christians who believe in traditional marriage at grave legal and civil jeopardy.
While no evangelical Christian would ever support hate or violence of any kind against an LGBT individual—or any other person for that matter—to modify the 1964 Civil Rights Act with this wrong-headed bill would not only be legally fraught, it would also put moral equivalence to the unprecedented, centuries-long struggle of countless millions of African Americans to gain freedom from slavery and the persistent, systematic oppression that followed. Whereas the Civil Rights movement of the 60s was born out of deep faith and in congruence with God’s Word, this bill tramples both underfoot. In fact, I believe that if Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, we would be standing together in opposition to the Equality Act. We must refrain from the dangerous tendency to divide America into smaller and smaller sub-groups defined first and foremost by our grievances. We are one nation, under God, and we are already blessed with a Constitution and First Amendment that protects every American without criminalizing our most sincerely held religious beliefs.”
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Dr. James Dobson is a celebrated Christian leader, author and psychologist, earning his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in the field of child development with a minor in research design. He is the founder and president of Family Talk and the James Dobson Family Institute, a nonprofit organization that produces his daily radio program, “Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.” In 2008, Dr. Dobson was inducted into The National Radio Hall of Fame. Follow him @DrJamesCDobson
The James Dobson Family Institute is dedicated to preserving the biblical institutions of marriage and family by encouraging, inspiring, supporting, and leading parents and children to build their lives on God’s Word. JDFI’s mission is driven by Dr. James Dobson’s legacy of serving families with broadcasts, videos, articles, leadership training, and policy advocacy to ensure the next generation of families are equipped to stand firm with answers to life’s most difficult questions.
