On July 21, 2015 the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention hosted a panel symposium entitled, “Capitol Conversations,” a timely response to the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling.
Concerns surrounding American’s religious liberty have risen over the last few weeks, in light of the new constitutional gay “marriage” right found by the court. Public opinion has even shifted on same-sex “marriage,” now that First Amendment freedoms lay vulnerable. A new AP-GFK poll finds 41 percent of Americans now disapprove of the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, legalizing gay marriage, while only 39 percent support the decision.
The event’s attendance spoke volumes to the relevance of such discussion. Over 250 guests— mostly young adults—showed up for the 7:00 PM weekday event on Capitol Hill.
It was perhaps due to the ecumenical flavor of the panel that allured so many attendees. Featured speakers included Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor at The Federalist and member of Immanuel-Lutheran Church, and Roman Catholic and prominent marriage leader Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., a Senior Research Fellow of the Heritage Foundation and author of the new book Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom. In addition, panelists Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Capitol Hill Baptist’s Senior Pastor Mark Dever joined ERLC president Dr. Russell Moore.
The conversation began by addressing culture’s shifting attitudes towards citizens of faith.
Dr. Moore led off with a positive approach:
What has changed is that it is now easier for American Christians to understand who we are. That we are not part of a silent majority of Americans who share our values, even if they don’t share our theology… I think we have an opportunity now to be freed from a kind of American religion that talks about values without talking about gospel. And it gives us an opportunity to articulate what it means to be a believer in ways that previously just assumed. That’s what I think has changed.
ERLC’s president went on to say that if we are interested in preserving religious freedom, then we need to elect “statesmen who have convictions about the long-term interest of the country and what it means to work in the common good” and who are able to “explain why the First Amendment guaranteed no establishment of religion was in the best interest of the country.”
Contrary to what the mainstream media would have you believe, the struggle to balance fickle public opinion and religious freedom is not a new phenomenon. As Hemingway acknowledged, “It’s not like religious freedom used to work out really well and now it’s not working out well. We had to fight for the right balance of religious freedom our entire history.”
Compelled by problematic conversations with college students in his home state, Sen. Lankford fears that religious liberty is becoming synonymous with “anti-gay bigotry.”
Sen. Lankford made the astute observations all people of faith should be aware:
So there is this new trend that is rising up when we talk about religious liberty, people hear anti-gay. That is very toxic to our democracy. It is extremely important that we have not only established religion, but protect the free exercise of religion. That a sixteen year old that’s wearing a hijab in a school is permissible because that’s the free exercise of religion and we’re outspoken and able to protect that. We’re also outspoken and able to protect someone who is living their faith.
The problem for the Christian community, as Sen. Lankford described, is that we have too many Christians in name only. “They have a hobby. Something they do on weekends, but they don’t have a faith,” he scolded. So for faithful Christians like florists Baronnelle Stutzman or wedding cake bakers Melissa and Aaron Klein, it is a challenge proving their Christian faith permeates everything they do in public and private.
Ryan Anderson explained why secular arguments aid in defending religious freedom in the public square. “Ultimately all truth is God’s truth. So we don’t have to think that because we’re making a secular argument we’re somehow denying God’s truth.”
Anderson then explained Christians can also use philosophy and social science to understand the nature of marriage, why marriage matters, the consequences of redefining marriage, and the history behind the constitutional status of state marriage laws, and the human right of religious freedom. “Muslims have the natural human right to be Muslim. Jews have the natural human right to be Jews. Christians have a natural human right to be Christian,” he asserted.
An important final question raised by an audience member was engaged by Pastor Dever. How should Christians work with people of other religions to support religious freedom? “I think one very simple thing we can do in talking to others is have space for this conversation. Even space to disagree seems in short supply these days,” he said. “We can disagree with each other on the most important matters, but we can also defend each others’ rights.”
New frontiers lie ahead in the culture wars. “One of the things that happens in these culture war situations is that the [winner] way, way oversteps what it had done as it was trying to gain ground,” said Hemingway. She insisted that the articles published immediately after the marriage decision, which called calling for polyamory rights and an end to tax exemptions for churches and parachurch ministries, are good indicators of future debates.
Tensions will continue to escalate between religious freedom and gay “marriage” rights. The faithful will be ostracized. Dr. Moore assures Christians have nothing to panic about, for this is nothing new for the body of Christ. “What I often say to my church is I have two jobs. One of them is to keep you out of jail. And the other is to make sure that you are willing to go to jail.”
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