-Dodged: CA Bill Banning Christians From Police Forces

The language in a California bill that would have banned conservative Christians from becoming police officers was changed. The original language would have also kept anyone who does not support the Supreme Court ruling on abortion and same-sex marriage from becoming a cop in California. The original bill would probably not pass a Constitutional test in court anyway, but that is not the issue. It demonstrates the dangerous territory that we are entering in America where increasingly many progressives in power believe that the Freedom of Religion needs to be limited and even suspended in the face of the LGBT agenda.

CA Assembly member Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) who wrote the bill contended that the community needed police officers with ‘approved’ personal viewpoints in the light of all of the problems with police lately:

“You have a constitutional right to have racist and bigoted views. You don’t have a constitutional right to be a police officer.”

Nevertheless, he was forced to change some of the language in the bill that could have banned Conservative Christians, including Catholics, and even some Jews and Muslims from serving in police forces in California.

From CBN News:

Assembly member Ash Kalra’s (D-San Jose) stated goal for Assembly Bill 655, also known as the California Law Enforcement Accountability Reform, or CLEAR Act was to eliminate extremists from California law enforcement, including police officers belonging to “hate groups” or those who have used hate speech in the past. …

The proposed measure’s language designating that a hate group included an organization that “practices the denial of constitutional rights,” broadened the bill to include any organization that holds religious or political views that conflict with the Supreme Court’s decisions on marriage and abortion. …

Responding to the public reaction, Kalra acknowledged the controversy and amended the bill, taking out the phrase “the denial of constitutional rights of”.

Response: This is just the beginning. Progressives are increasingly coming out and supporting the idea that one might have constitutional rights to have one’s own opinions and religious beliefs but that does not equate with a right to necessarily be a public servant. We have already seen several Senators support this view while coming against conservative Christians who needed Senatorial approval for government appointments. Also, the US armed forces took a time out recently to battle against radical and bigoted views among their members.

In this case, the original language of this CA bill would have banned anyone who does not agree with the Supreme Court rulings on abortion and same-sex marriage which might include a large percentage of Americans. While the bill was changed, the rational remains. The idea that the Supreme Court rulings on abortion and same-sex marriage should have legal precedence that trumps religious freedom is increasingly being voiced and supported in liberal progressive discourse. If the so-called Equality Act passes in the Senate and is signed into law, then this view and rational will have legal teeth to support and promote LGBT rights over the freedom of religion. Eventually this view will be tested in the courts and probably end up before the Supreme Court in the near future.