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Ronnie Floyd is Senior Pastor of Cross Church and President of the Southern Baptist Convention, America’s largest Protestant denomination. — RDM
Fayetteville, Arkansas: America’s Current Religious Liberty Background
by Dr. Ronnie Floyd
December 8, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014, is not just a big day for Fayetteville, Arkansas, but also for America. We believe it is America’s current religious liberty battleground.
A Brief History
Just over three months ago, the Fayetteville City Council passed what is called a civil rights ordinance, now known as Chapter 119. This ordinance granted special rights to individuals because of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. These are commonly referred to as Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI) ordinances.
A national group called the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is trying to use local city councils to advance their agenda, and they are actively working in cities across America to pass these laws. Recently, cities like Houston and San Antonio had SOGI laws passed, but those laws were not even as bad as the Fayetteville ordinance.
This Ordinance is so bad, the Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Arkansas Editorial Board are Standing Against it
In the Sunday, December 7, 2014 edition of the Northwest Arkansas Times, there was a full-page advertisement entitled, “Vote to Repeal Ordinance 5703 Chapter 119.” This article offered seven reasons why the voters of Fayetteville should repeal Ordinance 119. Just one of the reasons they listed: “119 places Fayetteville businesses at a distinct disadvantage and has the potential to bring economic development in Fayetteville to a screeching halt.” In other words, this is bad for businesses and for the future economic development of Fayetteville.
On November 29, the Northwest Arkansas Times Editorial Board also encouraged the citizens of Fayetteville to repeal the ordinance. Their reason is summed up, “It’s a bad ordinance, no matter how well-intended it is.”
Thank you, members of the Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Arkansas Times Editorial Board, for encouraging voters to repeal Ordinance 119.
We Believe This Ordinance Attacks the Very Foundation of Our Religious Liberties
Yes, we do believe Fayetteville, Arkansas, is America’s current religious liberty battleground. Let me give you a few brief examples of what may happen if this ordinance is not repealed:
(1) Christian small-business owners could be fined or even face jail time if they refuse services to one of this new protected ‘class’. Just like the recent episode with a baker in Colorado, if someone refused to bake a cake for a same sex wedding because it violated the business owner’s conscious or religious view, they would now be violating the law.
(2) Small business owners are faced with more regulation and less religious freedoms in the hiring and firing process than any other place in the country.
(3) Churches must allow a biological man, who identifies himself as a woman, to use the women’s restroom, and it would be an illegal act for the church to stop this use.
(4) Churches now must hire a person who is not of the same belief as the church for any job except a pastor, such as a secretary or custodian.
(5) Pastors face fines and potential jail time if they refuse to marry a gay couple. These fines could reach $8,500 in the first 30 days, and if not paid, they could be put in jail.
This is why I am urging the residents of Fayetteville to vote For Repeal 119 on December 9.
Fayetteville, Arkansas IS America’s Current Religious Liberty Battleground and it is Coming to Your Region Soon
This is the nation’s current battleground on which to stand for religious freedom. Fayetteville, please rise up and send a clear and compelling message to all those propagating this agenda – that the people of Fayetteville will stand up and protect our religious freedoms. Fayetteville is the first city to get this issue on a public ballot, and the first city with a chance to repeal this ordinance. This is the chance for Fayetteville to make a national impact by becoming the first city to reject this offensive SOGI law.
Two Final Notes of Clarity
I would like to close making two final remarks of clarity for everyone.
1. Our stance against this ordinance is not a stance against people, but against this ordinance.
2. Regardless of whether this ordinance is repealed or not, our hope is in the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus came to die for each of us, regardless of our backgrounds or present practices. We are all sinners and fall short of God’s glory. This is why Jesus died for each of us – so we could be forgiven, have purpose for life today, and spend eternity in heaven with Him one day soon.
So when the sun rises on December 10, 2014, Jesus will still be Lord over all. Our hope is only in Jesus and in His eternal Kingdom.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
