WASHINGTON UPDATE 02/20/2015

| February 20, 2015 | Permalink Georgia Peaches a Fit over Senate Bill Same-sex "marriage" is tying the knot -- right around Christians' freedoms. While the Left cries "discrimination" for their cause, grandmas like Baronnelle Stutzman are actually the victims of it. Out in Washington State, the long-time shop owner could lose her home just for telling two men that she'd be happy to sell them flowers but couldn't -- in good conscience -- arrange them for a ceremony that violated her faith. And she isn't alone. The clash between religious liberty and same-sex "marriage" continues to explode in businesses across America, where shop owners, B&Bs, and other vendors try to come to grips with the government's twisted definition of "tolerance." Faced with losing their jobs, businesses, and life savings, most Christians want to know: isn't there anything we can do? There is. In at least 10 states, conservatives are fighting back with a string of Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs). Although each state's may vary, the bottom line is that they give men and women of all faiths a powerful tool to stop the government from walking all over their beliefs on issues like marriage and sexuality. If Washington State had a RFRA, for example, Baronnelle Stutzman would actually have legal grounds for beating back the government's attack on her store. In Georgia, where Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was sacked for writing a book about biblical morality, he could have filed a federal RFRA complaint in his lawsuit. But he couldn't, because Georgia hasn't passed the measure. But it isn't for lack of trying. Georgia State Senator Josh McKoon has been working around-the-clock to get his RFRA through the legislature, which became inordinately more difficult this week when his own party sabotaged it. When McKoon stopped the Judiciary Committee from watering down the bill, Republican Majority Leader Bill Cowsert shocked everyone by ambushing SB 129. A stunned McKoon, who assumed he had the Majority Leader's support, watched yesterday as Cowsert voted with Democrats to table the measure -- postponing protections that people like Kelvin Cochran need now. "I wanted to make clear that the government does have a compelling state interest to prevent discrimination..." Cowsert tried to explain later. Obviously, the Majority Leader has bought into the ridiculous propaganda that RFRAs somehow excuse real prejudice. "This goes back to the civil rights, where (blacks) were turned down because of the color of their skin," say one gay activist. "Now you want to create legislation because you want to turn down a service to someone because they're gay, straight or transgender?" That is "100-percent not true," McKoon fired back. "The critics of this legislation are using it to scare very good people, to try and raise money for their radical, far-left agendas. Thirty states have this legislation in place, the federal government has had this legislation in place for two decades, and the opponents can't cite to a single case of discrimination that has been shielded by a religious liberty defense." In reality, nothing about this bill is controversial. If the Left weren't so dead-set on crushing people's freedom to live in accordance with their moral beliefs, it wouldn't even be necessary (thanks to a little thing called the First Amendment). "I'm certainly disappointed (that) people who are in the same political party would vote to stop legislation that people in the Republican Party clearly want us to move forward on," McKoon told reporters. But he isn't giving up -- and neither should we. The bill is still alive and could be revived as soon as next week. If you want to help these small businesses and public servants live out their faith as the Founders intended, contact Georgia State Senator Cowsert. Tell him to support the legislation and stop trying to kill it with poison pills: (404) 463-1366. Obama Lays a Few Regs It took a Supreme Court order to stop the President from forcing his abortion agenda on U.S. businesses. And it may take just as much to stop the administration's radicalism from stepping all over the freedom of faith-based groups who serve refugee children. As early as next week, the administration will putting the finishing touches on a new rule that all organizations-- including religious ones -- who provide government-funded services for immigrant children must be willing to refer minors for services like abortion. And here's the rub: the administration didn't even take the time to hear from faith-based providers before drafting its final version of the regs. It would be "contrary to the public interest," officials say, to wait "until a public notice and comment process is complete." As outrageous as the fallout is for pro-life and church-affiliated groups, it's equally shocking that these children would be proactively steered toward abortion when they're entering the U.S. without their moms and dads. Most people are just as upset with the attack on parents' rights as they are with the White House trampling the First Amendment. Unfortunately for Catholic agencies, who provide the bulk of these social services, this is nothing new. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lost its grant for a sex trafficking victims program when the President decided that pro-abortion views were a prerequisite of any government partnership. Now, months later, conscience and freedom are back in the rearview of this administration's high-speed pursuit of abortion-on-demand. As if that weren't bad enough, the government is also demanding that these provider facilities give their staff in-depth "LGBTQI" training to "help" children who may have trouble identifying themselves. "'Gender identity' refers to one's sense of oneself," the rules have been rewritten to read. If this kind of radicalism keeps up, these children are going to need a refuge from the President's politics more than they need asylum from their home countries. Walk the Ancient Paths... The Psalms instruct us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Well here's your chance to put feet to your prayers. I invite you to travel with Lawana and me for Family Research Council's first-ever tour to Israel on October 27-November 6, 2015. Join us for this one-of-a-kind tour to explore the land of the Bible and see firsthand the spiritual roots of Christianity. You will also gain a better understanding of Israel's important role in today's geopolitical affairs through meetings with some of Israel's strategic political, defense and religious leaders. We will be joined for portions of the tour by my good friends Senator Rick Santorum and New York Times Best-Selling author Joel Rosenberg, who will teach about current events through the lens of biblical prophecy. Come walk the paths of the Patriarchs in the Holy Land, where spiritual understanding unfolds and faith deepens. Our tour will span the northern region of Galilee where Jesus spent most of his ministry, the ancient sites of Megiddo, and the coastal city of Caesarea built by Herod the Great. Our visit to the Judean Wilderness and Dead Sea will take us to Qumran, the discovery site of the Dead Sea Scrolls, En Gedi, where David fled from Saul, and Masada, where almost 1,000 rebels took their stand against the Roman Army in 73 A.D. The Scriptures will come alive as you meditate on the Mount of Beatitudes, journey "up to Jerusalem," walk the cobblestone streets of the Via Dolorosa to the place of Golgotha, and stand in the Garden Tomb. Worship and ministry of the Word will be foundational throughout our time together. To offer you this incredible opportunity, we are partnering with Inspiration Tours, a dedicated group of Christian professionals who have led thousands of people through the land of Israel. All the details of the trip, including airfare, accommodations, travel by luxury coaches and extraordinary guides, will be provided by Inspiration. Please prayerfully consider joining me on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We will forever be changed as a result. For more information and to sign up, visit InspirationCruises.com/frc or call 844-872-5155 (M-F 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. PST). ** The Obama administration is doing a world-class tap dance around ISIS, and the FRC duo of Ken Blackwell and Bob Morrison take the President to task in a new piece for CNSNews.com, "Obama's 'Jobs for Jihadists' Program, a Swap of Our Stimulus for Their Stilettos, and one for the Daily Caller, "Shovel-Ready Jobs for Beheaders." Tony Perkins' Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.