NOW PLAYING
THE END OF
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
By Jen Wooldridge - Editor & Designer of The Renewanation Review
I
N 2014, PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNED an execu-
tive order making it illegal for federal contractors to
discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-
gender employees. How could this likely affect Christian
colleges, schools, and businesses?
Michael Zigarelli, editor of Christianity9to5.org, says,
“The order doesn’t directly affect private education, but its
unprecedented refusal to exempt religious organizations
surely will. Without this exemption, the President has
signaled to regulators that it’s open season on faith-based
institutions.” 1
He goes on to illustrate two probable scenarios we will
likely see in the future: “The order says if you want federal
money you must hire gays. The US Department of Educa-
tion decides that this applies to federal financial aid as
well. Students are then prohibited from using their aid at
colleges that do not hire gays. Christian colleges go out of
business. Here’s another future: With the exemption gone,
accrediting bodies take the cue and insist that all colleges
include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their
non-discrimination policies, revoking accreditation for
those faith-based schools that won’t genuflect. Students
are prohibited from using their aid at non-accredited
colleges. Christian colleges go out of business.” 2
The opening scenes of these “hypothetical” scenarios
are already taking place.
Consider Gorden College in Massachusetts. Gorden’s
president simply co-signed a letter requesting that Obama’s
executive order exempt religious institutions. The result of
making a simple request: the New England Association of
Schools and Colleges is reconsidering Gorden’s accredita-
tion. If this accrediting body decides to revoke Gorden’s
accreditation, the pressure will be on other accrediting
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agencies to follow suit in the name of non-discrimination
against gays.
Without a religious exemption in this executive order,
the stage has been set for religious discrimination to
continue to play out legally across America.
State Departments of Education could necessitate
private schools hire LGBT faculty members or mandate
that school curricula promote tolerance and acceptance
of the LGBT lifestyle. Christian K-12 schools would face a
closing curtain while the audience that is our society gives
thunderous applause to “tolerance” and “love.”
Think this couldn’t happen? It already is.
In 2012, a Christian school in Cincinnati, Ohio rescind-
ed their offer to hire Jonathan Zeng after learning he was
gay. Zeng wasn’t planning to take legal action though he
said he was keeping his legal options open. According
to Scott E. Knox, a Cincinnati attorney who focuses on
employment and discrimination law, federal laws probably
won’t protect Zeng, but a local ordinance might. Knox said
a city Human Right’s ordinance made it illegal for Cincin-
nati employers to discriminate against anyone because
they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Although
religious institutions are exempt from the ordinance, he
believes the school could be in danger of a penalty if it
received its tax-exempt status as a private school and not
as a house of worship. 3
David Cortman, senior legal counsel for Alliance
Defending Freedom, says, “Under the United States
Constitution, religious organizations do have the freedom
to carry out their faith and their religious mission. So
regardless of the local ordinance, the federal constitution
trumps in that instance.” 4
Fast forward to the present. An executive order is now