Why We Oppose the "Religious Freedom" Bill SF2095/HF2454
Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors, without exception. There is a bill on the debate calendar of the Iowa Legislature tomorrow, Religious Exemptions bill SF2095/HF2454, that goes against this commandment, as it could allow anyone to use their religious beliefs as justification to discriminate against another Iowan. Discrimination is never Christ-like. Our diocese is registered opposed to this bill, and we encourage you to make your voices heard.
This is a statement that Bishop Monnot wrote to her senator and leadership:
"I am writing to you in my capacity as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, a faith leader for the entire state. I ask you to vote no on SF2095, commonly known as RFRA. As a religious leader, I know that the rights of religious people are already protected under federal law. Passing SF2095 could allow discrimination in the name of “religious freedom,” which is contrary to Jesus’ command to love God and to love our neighbors. Jesus made no exceptions about which neighbors we are commanded to love; in fact, he specifically used the example of the Good Samaritan to emphasize that the command to love our neighbors means to love those who are different from us, even those who, like the Samaritan, follow a different faith tradition. Iowa law should enshrine the value of loving our neighbors as ourselves, treating each and every person as a beloved child of God worthy of dignity and respect. Please vote no on SF2095. Thank you for your time."
Check out Interfaith Alliance of Iowa's Action Alert for additional talking points and tips for who to contact: http://tinyurl.com/interfaithallianceRFRA