Richard A. Sokerka
The reintroduction of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) in Congress is good news for all people of faith who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. FADA would protect individuals and institutions from discrimination by the federal government based on whatever their beliefs about marriage are.
Among those religious leaders backing the bill are the U.S. Bishops. “We welcome and applaud the recent reintroduction of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA),” wrote Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville and Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Neb. in a March 14 statement. Archbishop Kurtz chairs the U.S. Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, while Bishop Conley is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. “In a pluralistic society, faith-based charitable agencies and schools should not be excluded from participation in public life by loss of licenses, accreditation, or tax-exempt status because they hold reasonable views on marriage that differ from the federal government’s view,” the bishops wrote.
The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said, “The First Amendment Defense Act simply ensures that federal bureaucrats will never have the authority to require those who believe in the traditional definition of marriage to choose between their living in accordance with those beliefs and maintaining their occupation or their tax status.”
Archbishop Kurtz and Bishop Conley wrote a letter to Lee expressing their gratitude and support for the bill. “In a climate of increasing intolerance, these protections are urgently needed,” wrote the bishops, “Persons who believe marriage is the union of one man and one woman are increasingly having their religious freedoms jeopardized and even forfeited.
“The teaching of the Catholic Church about marriage is based on both faith and reason. Using right reason, one can know that given the nature of the human person, created as male and female, marriage is the union of one man and one woman. The leadership of our Church will continue to promote and protect the natural truth of marriage as foundational to the common good,” the bishops wrote.
With 22 co-sponsors (all Republicans), it is time for Congress to step up and pass FADA to not only protect our religious freedoms, but also to strengthen them.