California bill AB-2943 pretends to be about consumer protection, but it’s really an attempt to silence Christians and people of faith.
The bill would make it a “fraudulent business practice” to counsel anyone struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction to turn to faith, the Church, or Jesus Christ. It would make it illegal to offer that person any literature (including the Bible) or any services promising that faith could help people leave the LGBT lifestyle.
The true goal of this bill is to ban churches, Christian ministries, counselors, and businesses from spreading their teachings about sexuality and marriage.
This bill is nothing less than an assault on religious freedom and an attempt to curb the First Amendment rights of people of faith. It is a classic case of viewpoint discrimination and pushes forward a clear agenda that denies adults the ability to seek out counseling they may want and can freely choose. As Brad Dacus, President of the Pacific Justice Institute said:
“Compassion demands that churches and ministries offer hope to those who want to voluntarily leave the LGBT subculture. The State cannot outlaw this compassion by calling it fraud. This is a diabolical attempt to stifle real debate and limit personal choices.”
Please show your opposition to AB-2943 and all similar proposals by signing our petition below!
We, the undersigned, oppose AB-2943 and any effort to stifle religious freedom by labeling faith-based counseling on issues of sexuality as a “fraudulent business practice.” We urge the legislators of California – and all policymakers across the country – to oppose any such bill that infringes on religious liberty and the First Amendment.
