Leading Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised to “usher” the passage of a non-discriminatory employment bill benefiting homosexuals if he was elected president, he said in a recent interview with a well-known gay magazine.
The Illinois senator listed passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and elimination of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy as the two actions he aims to take to help bolster the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community, according to the The Advocate interview posted Thursday.
“I reasonably can see ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ eliminated. I think that I can help usher through an Employment Non-Discrimination Act and sign it into law,” Obama responded when asked what he plans to do for the LGBT community if elected.
He also vowed to work towards passing the “strongest possible bill” to help the LGBT community and claimed to be probably the most vocal presidential candidate on gay issues to the general audience in history.
But Obama’s comment is likely to ruffle some feathers of prominent Christian conservative leaders who see the ENDA bill as infringing on religious liberty and putting the integrity of their faith-based ministries in jeopardy.
ENDA seeks to make it illegal for employers to make decisions on hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee based on sexual orientation. The bill, if passed, would add “sexual orientation” to a list of federally protected classes under a 1964 act that prohibits job discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Outspoken ENDA opponent, Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. of Hope Christian Church in the Washington, D.C. area, argued during an anti-ENDA press conference last fall that the bill would foster confusion in churches and its related programs.
Referencing his church’s day care and aftercare program, Jackson said if ENDA passes, the children in the ministry would be sent “unclear signals” as Jackson preaches against homosexuality while a “radically different” message is sent by a church daycare employee.
Others raised questions on how human resource managers would apply the bill in the real world. They emphasized that someone can easily be identified as black, female or of a particular religion, but there is no way to identify someone’s sexual orientation except by a confession by the individual.
As a result, it would be difficult to distinguish if a person was fired because of their poor performance or for their sexual identity.
“It (ENDA) is not needed, all that is needed is men and women to decide who they are and go to work everyday and do their job,” stated the Rev. Rick Scarborough who heads Vision America – a grassroots movement to restore Christian values in society.
Christian leaders who oppose ENDA include Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America; and Tony Perkins president of Family Research Council, among others.
Other policies that Obama said he supports in The Advocate interview include making federal benefits available to same-sex couples who have a civil union, and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that would force states that don’t recognize same-sex “marriages” to legally acknowledge those that were performed in other states.
David Brody, a senior national correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, commented, “Obama has an appeal to some Evangelicals but too much pro-choice, pro-gay rights talk will turn them off…along with some of the African American vote.”
Comments
star2 - keep your religeon out of my government as the U.S. constitution indicates. Otherwise, I will continue to fight for my equality and fair treatment in ALL respects. That includes my right to be open and truthful about who I am in public.
outsail
Keep your homosexuality in your bedroom and out of the public square.
My god made me Gay. I praise him every day. Stay out of my bedroom and leave me alone. America is tired of your hate.
look let them be who they want to be
Hey 1
Homos are not wantin to change cus theys loves their sin more than God. God can change the homo if the homo will lets Him.
Hey scitsonga
Yous got bad logic. God mades everythin but He made boy to like girl and girl to like boy in romance kind of way. If it isn't that a way its cus of satan.
Hey 1
No theys don't. Them scientists haves no idea of what truth is. God puts into yours DNA what your sex orientation is a goin to be. If yous got XY then yous a boy with alls the attritbutes of a boy. If yous got XX then yous a girl with alls the attributes of a girl. Boy likes girl in a romance kind of way. Girl likes boy in a romance kind of way. Thats how God mades it. Satan is the one who is a trying to makes you think different. Yous may not be a thinkin so, but God will win. You'll see on judgement day. No homo will go to heaven. Thats in the Bible.
hey pattiepie,
people have done studies that show a connection between genes and homosexuality. lesbians are far more likely to have a lesbian/bisexual sister than non-lesbians. people cants chooses theirs sexual orientations .
If a God made the universe and life, then God would also have also made gays because the ones I know were born that way.- Simple logic.
goodnight
Mees ameenin sin(90-x) cus wes was talkin about sin
what about cosine?
why would God write something like that?
wouldn't He want to encourage love between his people?
the only thing wrong with homosexuality is that it makes heterosexuals feel uncomortable
it is probably easer for heterosexuals to overcome their fear of homosexuality than for homosexuals to overcome their homosexuality. it it were so easy for homos' to be converted, why don't they all convert?
God did create all men
Men however are all predisposed towards sin.
Nothing in scripture adjures us to coddle, support or wink at sin.
On the contrary, we are admonished to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ and to exhort our fellow brethren to godliness.
2Ti 4:2-4 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
For all those who say it is un-christian, I have this to say " LGBT's in this country are also christians!!!!" They are our breatheren. Just like in a family, we accomodate divergent viewpoints on the dinner table, we should show compassion & understanding to their needs. If we beleive GOD is responsible for creating all human beings, then we need to understand it is the same GOD who has created people with tendencies towards homosexuality. I am not a big fan of Obama, but we need to support any legislation that is good for our country. God Bless America!!!!