Governor Wolf recently said that because “Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn on the basis of tolerance” and “religious freedom” he supports a controversial bill planned to be reintroduced to the PA legislature by Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Pittsburgh). Yet there is cause for concern over its influence on religious freedom and the negative consequences we’re seeing across the country over this type of proposed Tolerance Law.
Pennsylvania is strongest when every citizen, regardless of background, life experience or individual perspective has the ability to live and work in freedom.
That is not the case with Rep. Frankel’s proposal, which would create special privileges for some people based on sexual orientation and “gender identity” while making Pennsylvania not at all welcoming or tolerant of those who believe there’s something special about marriage between one man and one woman.
A just society does not pass laws which assess penalties on its citizens who live out their convictions at home, school or the workplace. A better way to protect tolerance and religious freedom is continuing to allow Pennsylvania to be diverse and tolerant without threat or force of law.
Sadly, around the country we’re seeing anti-tolerant actions resulting from Rep. Frankel’s type of proposal:
- Small businesses are being fined and forced to close.
- Men have been permitted to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms.
- Religious organizations have been forced to stop assisting with adoptions.
William Penn – whom Thomas Jefferson said was the “greatest lawgiver the world has produced” – spent his life applying his faith to his actions. Penn went to jail because of his faith. Seeking tolerance and religious freedom is what led him to America.
He believed “liberty of conscience” is not “a mere Liberty of Mind” but a liberty to exercise religion. To Penn, not only do we have the freedom to worship according to our faith but we shouldn’t be punished for living according to our religious conscience.
Our State Constitution – of which of elected officials just took an oath to support, obey and defend – reads “no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.” And just as William Penn said himself , “no people can be truly happy…if abridged of the Freedom of their Conscience.”
In parallel with Penn’s beliefs, Pennsylvania should protect its strong heritage of religious freedom by continuing to grant its citizens the ability to live and work freely without fear of the law. That’s why we encourage you to contact your representative and senator to stand for freedom & oppose Rep. Frankel’s bill (HB / SB 300).
This stupidity is unbelievable. Do our PA legislature have their heads in the sand and don’t see what’s happening in other states with laws like this? Some days the thinking of some people makes our minds want to just shut down!!! As I mentioned in my fax, all this can do is bring us Christian business people more trouble.
I can just see it now: Amish bakers baking for gay weddings, Amish florists making flowers for a gay wedding, etc. The latter may be stretching it a bit but I think you get the point. We need to stop this bill!!!!!
It was a sad day when Gov. Corbett was defeated by Wolf. How could this have happened? I thought PA was a state where the citizens had strong moral values ! Gov. Corbett kept the state “good” – while we see what Wolf has done from his first day in office is nothing short of making our state a haven for people with no morals whatsoever ! We are supposed to be able to practice our religion without government interference – but if this bill is passed, government intrusion will be the rule of the day … and many innocent people will be prosecuted – just like in NY and other states where similar laws have been passed! Many businesses will be forced to close, just as in these other states, because their owners are people of faith and refuse to cater to those without any religion or morals. It is extremely unfair… I think many people were deceived into voting for Wolf because he promised a better economy – which is nothing but a big lie, as we have seen the same from the federal governemnt for the past 5 years !! He is for sure, a “wolf”, who posed as one of the “sheep”, in order to be elected… And, the gullible people of PA, who are only thinking of jobs and money, bought the act ! Heaven help us all, now, since we have noone to stand up for our state when it comes time to “cow-tow” to the Obama administration !!!
Very well put, Judith.