So-Called “Gender Identity”—Another Threat to Religious Freedom

President Obama has used his authority to extend workplace protections among federal contractors to homosexual, bisexual and transgender status—prompting concerns the action will subvert religious freedom. Obama issued an executive order Monday (July 21) that bars federal contractors from discriminating based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” His order . . . also ads [sic] “gender identity” to the list of categories protected in federal employment.

Now, the issues of gender identity and sexual orientation are tied directly to one’s view of biblical authority. The Baptist Press report explains, “‘Sexual orientation’ normally encompasses homosexuality and bisexuality, while ‘gender identity,’ or transgender status, includes transsexuals and cross-dressers.”

So now religious groups contracting with the federal government can only base employment on “religious identity,” not sexual orientation or gender identity. So if a practicing homosexual or cross-dresser professes to be a Christian, then a Christian group that is contracting with the federal government may have to hire them, or risk charges of “discrimination.”

Christian groups are slowly being forced to accept the secular culture’s views of gender and sexuality. You see, if you’re a Christian who holds to biblical authority, particularly in the areas of gender and sexuality, and you own a Christian-based company, you can no longer work with the U.S. government without being forced to compromise your biblical principles.

With the movement within what are called “mainstream” denominations to ordain practicing homosexuals and to marry same-sex couples, it’s not unrealistic that Christian companies who work with the government will encounter such situations. This is just another example of how the authority of God’s Word is being eroded away in our culture—and how gender, sexuality, marriage, and family are under attack as never before. If you want to know more about the biblical worldview concerning these issues, have a look at our “Family” topic page on the newly redesigned AnswersInGenesis.org.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.