State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-California) is an intolerant bigot.
He identifies as homosexual, and demands that everyone else accept this coarse lifestyle as a new identity.
He was born to two illegal alien parents, and wants to promote illegal aliens ahead of citizens today.
Where is the social justice in these perverse goals?
Lawlessness and immorality are his defining characteristics, coupled with an unheard of preeminence to push his distorted worldview on everyone else.
Especially against Christians, and the Judeo-Christian culture on which our nation, and the state of California are founded.
His latest bill, SB 1146, would have effectively shut down Christian education in California.
The bill would have provided relief, i.e. open up lawsuits, for homosexual/transgender students claiming discrimination. The bill would have also limited the scope of the Title IX exemptions which the colleges currently claim.
In effect, Christian colleges would have to:
1. Allow men into women's facilities
2. Accommodate the Regressive Left's redefinitions of marriage, sexuality, gender, and life.
3. Limit the scope of their teaching and preaching on these subjects
This is outragaeous. The state has neither right nor authority to dictate to any person, or private institution the values which they abide by.
The Christian Community up and down the state began raising the alarm against this tyrannical overreach.
Like the armies of Joshua circling the walled city of Jericho, they marched around, blowing their horns, announcing to the world that the state legislature, under the direction of arrogant homosexual state senator Lara, was going to strictly limit Title IX exemptions and drive their faith and values into the closet.
Instead of lying down to put up it with it, though, Christian colleges and pro-family activist groups around the country hammered the state legislature, and put the pressure individual lawmakers
The Los Angeles Times reports:
Lara’s decision came after a half-dozen universities formed a new
committee called the Assn. of Faith Based Institutions and contributed
$350,000.
The group has flooded the districts of members of the Assembly
Appropriations Committee, including Chairwoman Lorena S. Gonzalez (D-San
Diego), with mailers saying the bill violates religious freedoms and urging
voters to contact their Assembly person.
“Stop state control of private education,” says one mailer to
Gonzalez’s constituents. Her committee is scheduled to vote on the bill
Thursday.
The group raised $350,000!
That's not chump change.
They spooked high-ranking Democrats in Sacramento.
That's no small feat.
They were not alone in the activist efforts, either:
The new flexing of political weight is in addition to lobbying that has
been done on behalf of 32 universities by a group called Assn. of Independent
California Colleges and Universities.
Association President Kristen F. Soares said she wants to see the final
language before making a firm statement but said the group will likely end up
supporting the bill as amended.
The fundraising, the lobbying, the calls, the connections--all of it pushed Ricardo Lara and his Democratic cohorts.
It's just like the Israelites who watched the walls of Jericho crumble from their shouting.
But instead of going in for full victry--killing SB 1146 outright, these pro-family groups have claimed a resulting victory with one part of the bill removed.
But two very pernicious parts of the bill remain.
The fight is not over. The walls have fallen down, but the city has not been taken.
SaveCalifornia commented:
The facts are the facts -- the amended SB 1146 harms religious freedom:
The Christian college presidents didn't know how to fight at first.
They trusted in "reason" and spent time "reasoning" with
the homosexual activist Democrat state senator author (Ricardo Lara), and then
"reasoning" with immoral Democrat committee members. Then they did a
political action committee (which was good and admirable) and pummeled certain
assemblymembers in their districts, including Assembly Appropriations chair
Lorena Gonzalez. When the good news came on Wednesday that the lawsuit portion
of the bill would be removed, everyone with a little experience in State
Capitol doings knew SB 1146 was in trouble. The Christian college presidents
should have said nothing -- and just poured on more pressure on the deciding
votes. But instead they caved and pandered to the homosexual activist bill author,
saying he was their "partner" and that they were "grateful"
for him. Not knowing the enemy and not going for the kill (killing SB 1146 when
it was down), they instead did the inexplicable by exchanging their warrior
clothes for that of a beggar, forgetting that strength, not weakness, defends
religious freedom, family values, and homeschooling. Their news release
SUPPORTING the amended SB 1146 was embarrassing and sad to read:
No, the Christian college presidents who support the amended SB 1146
with its remaining bad language do not have opinions worth respecting, because
they contradict the facts that the amended SB 1146 infringes upon religious
freedom, and invites future oppression. They should have said "hands of
religious colleges" and meant it, entertaining no compromise that would
endanger students, their identity as Christian campuses, and religious freedom
for everyone else. To support the amended SB 1146 is more than a mistake, it's
ignorant of the pervasive agenda of intolerant and tyrannical
homosexual-bisexual-transsexual activists. Anyone who supports religious
freedom should be able to read the facts of how the amended SB 1146 threatens
religious freedom and oppose it, not support it:
Indeed, a bad bill is a bad bill.
Jonathan Keller of the California Family Council responded:
The Democrats have an overwhelming 52-28 majority in Sacramento. They
can pass #SB1146 in it's original form (or much worse) if they want to do so.
That statement is not true. A number of Democrats are facing a challenging general election fight. They also rely on donations and face-time with constituents and special interests.
Also, as noted above, the Assn. of Independent California Colleges and Universities had raised an incredible amount of money which spooked the legislators.
Keller continued:
I agree that Senator Lara is a hardened and committed activist. Apart
from the grace of God, Lara will not be persuaded to change his mind. But the
fact that we have been able to build common ground with moderate Democrats like
Lorena Gonzales and Luis Alejo should be cause for gratitude. Pro-family
citizens should work within the political system and both flex their muscles
but also extend an olive branch to those who are being educated on the value of
religious liberty.
This is wrong. The people who are trying to destroy liberty need to be removed from office, and they need to know that they will be out of a job if they attack our natural rights.
What's more disconcerting, however, is that the Christian leaders sought to build "common ground" with moderate Democrats.
Honestly, Christians should not be seeking common ground--or compromise--on First Amendment rights. PERIOD!
The Israelites were told to utterly destroy the demonic inhabitants of Jericho, not co-exist with them. Liberty cannot coexist with tyranny, but must be victorious.
Or become the next victim.
By the way, political influence depends on more than sheer numbers, but principled organization and effort.
Consider Christian citizen-patriot Samuel Adams:
It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless
minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.
Twelve Apostles shared the Good News of One Savior, and the world is still shaking, growing in grace and truth!
But the capitulation of the Christian colleges only gets worse:
Jonathan Keller continued:
There is a MASSIVE difference between homeschoolers and these Christian
colleges.
I agree that the right to educate your own children is fundamental and
nigh inviolable. But the right to use government funds to do so is not. That's
why nearly every homeschooling family rejects all local, state, and federal
funding. They almost always come with "strings" attached.
The exact same principle applies here. Some universities (Hillsdale
College, for example) have chosen to forgo all local, state, and federal funding
due to the the requirements attached to the funding. Other colleges, including
many here in California, have choses to claim the Title IX exemption offered by
the federal government while continuing to participate in our state’s Cal Grant
program. Like ANY form of government funding, Cal Grants do come with “strings”
attached.
I do not attack any Christian parents who believe they can faithfully
use government vouchers to educate their children. Nor do I attack these
Christian colleges who believe they can use the Cal Grant program to faithfully
educate their students. But in either case, both the homeschool parents and the
Christian schools realize that government funding means some amount of
government control or oversight, however small.
It is foolish for parents, colleges, or pro-family advocates to think
that we can accept any government funding without any government mandates.
Full disclaimer:
Jonathan Keller is not complicit with the Christian colleges, but opposes SB 1146, even as amended.
As for the Christian colleges, they need a refresher course on American civics.
The Declaration of Independence talks about "inalienable" rights.
That means that the government cannot take them away. The GI Bill for veterans served as a voucher for our military heroes to pursue a worthy education at any post-secondary institution.
There were NO strings attached, and none should have been attached.
What is going on in the pro-family movement in the state of California?
God gave the Israelites the Promised Land, but the generation of unbelief settled for wandering in the wilderness.
Today, a new generation of Christians, those who see their identity in Christ, not just in their efforts, who trust in His grace, not in their law-keeping, are not going to settled for this.
Now, to qualify these remarks.
A number of the college leaders signaled after Lara's first capitulation that they would read the language of the new bill.
There can be no measured approach about this fight. Lara pledges to return to this fight next year.
Christians must pledge to defeat SB 1146, not capitulate, and demand that such monstrous intrusions on our liberty never pass, or even surface as potential legislation.
