Religious freedom under attack from religious people

Below is today's column in the Grand Haven Tribune. 

Late last week, I read with interest the concerns of Detroit News columnist Ingrid Jacques, who warned that “‘Fair and Equal’ could unfairly harm faith-based work.” As a priest who has worked and served on the board of a variety of nonprofits, both those that are and are not faith-based, I wanted to know what her concerns were.

Her concerns are about a petition circulated by a group called “Fair and Equal Michigan.” Their goal is to amend the state’s current civil rights law – the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act – to add sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected categories. It would also clarify that protections for religion are “the religious belief of the individual.” A pretty significant 77 percent of Michigan citizens support this ballot proposal, which also has the support of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and former chairs of both the state Democratic and Republican parties.

At this point, you might be asking: So what is Jacques so worried about with this bill? Her largest concern is the change to specifying the religious beliefs of an individual, limiting the protections of religious expression to say they wouldn’t apply to a corporation, for example. As an example, she cites the suit Attorney General Dana Nessel filed against St. Vincent Catholic Charities and Bethany services, insisting that unless they would agree to place children with same-sex couples, they could not contract with the state for adoption services.

So, let’s say it again, so everyone can hear. Freedom of religion is about your freedom to practice your religion – it is not about your freedom to insist other people follow the tenets of your religion.

The so-called cause of religious liberty in our country has gotten this principal backwards. Instead, it is now legal for a Catholic hospital to infringe upon the right of a female employee to use birth control. Jacques believes it should be legal for a Christian adoption agency to infringe upon the rights of a same-sex couple, one who might be married in the Episcopal Church, to adopt children.

At any given time, there are 3,000 children in Michigan foster care who are available for adoption. Gay couples are four times more likely to be raising an adopted child and six times more likely to be raising foster children than opposite-sex couples. Research has consistently indicated that children raised by LGBTQIA+ parents group up as successfully as children raised by opposite-sex couples. (And research has also shown that there is no correlation in the gender identity and sexual orientation of children raised by LGBTQIA+ parents – because, of course, being gay is not something you catch from your parents.)

Real freedom of religion would be the freedom of a gay couple to adopt a child, using the same resources a straight couple would use. For a religious adoption agency to refuse to place a child with a gay couple is the religious organization imposing their views upon the gay couple and removing the couple’s freedom. It’s discrimination. It has nothing to do with helping the thousands of kids looking for a home. And it has no place in the Christian church.

I’m glad that Paul Propson, the CEO of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, wants to serve the church and serve the community. That’s fantastic. Propson also says, “We recognize as Catholics, to say we believe something, and then not to act on it is in fact not to have any belief at all. Taking action is part of the faith, part of being Catholic.” Great, act on your beliefs. Feed the hungry. Take care of the needy. Help kids find homes. But you taking action on your faith should not include you insisting someone else live another way. Propson does not have the right, not as a Christian and certainly not as an American, to tell gay couples they cannot adopt kids just because of his own religious beliefs.

I am tired of religious people attacking the religious rights of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals, insisting their religion means that they can tell those people how to live, they can advocate for laws and policies that restrict their freedom, they can control the bodies of women and LGBTQIA+ persons. It is past time for other religious people to stand up and say no more discrimination in the name of religion. Practice your faith freely – but don’t think you have the freedom to tell someone else they must do what you believe as well.

And, for the sake of Jesus and his plea that we allow the children to come to him, if you are an adoption agency, get those kids in a home. That gay couple who wants to love and care for an adopted child is not a threat to your religion; they are a way you can practice your religion more faithfully by helping kids find homes.

About the writer: The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, Tribune community columnist, serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Information about his parish can be found at www.sjegh.com.