The California Legislature is considering a bill that would punish nonprofit youth organizations like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Little League, Special Olympics, American Youth Soccer Organization, Future Business Leaders of America, and many religious organizations that serve youth, because these organizations “discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or religious affiliations.”
The Seventh Circuit Court has ruled a school who rented a church facility for a graduation violated the Establishment Clause to the Constitution.
The school’s gymnasium was deemed too uncomfortable for hosting the graduation ceremony; as a result, the school sought a different venue. They settled on renting a church facility. A group sued the school for its decision. The school won every court case up until it was appealed to the entire Seventh Circuit Court. The Seventh Circuit ruled the church’s “pervasively religious” facility and conventional religious symbols constituted a violation on the part of the school.
Pastor Louie Giglio was slated to give the benediction at the President’s upcoming inauguration. However, as Giglio’s appearance on the program gained publicity, critics began circulating a sermon the pastor delivered some years ago in which he spoke against gay activists trying to make the homosexual lifestyle “a norm in our society.”
Pastor Giglio initially accepted the invitation to give the benediction, but later withdrew that acceptance, not wanting his prayer to be “dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration.”
Adding insult to injury, the President’s inaugural committee reportedly released a statement, saying,
We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this Inaugural. Pastor Giglio was asked to deliver the benediction in large part for his leadership in combating human trafficking around the world. As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration’s vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans.
As some have pointed out, this is a far cry from four years ago, when, despite criticism from gay groups, President Obama reached out to conservative ministers like Rick Warren, who are equally opposed to same-sex marriage and homosexuality.