Parachurch Organizations and "Religious Freedom": Hate and Discrimination Under a New Name

A parachurch organization is a Christian-based group that works outside and across all denominations to engage in a special focus. Some focus on high school evangelism (Young Life and Youth for Christ). Some focus on college age evangelism (InterVarsity, Navigators, and Campus Crusade). And some focus on sports, like Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). These organizations like to work alongside churches, and focus on specializing on a certain group, like FCA, which works primarily with high school and college/university athletes. 

The one thing these groups I mentioned above also tend to recruit leaders who are middle-class, able-bodied, men, white, and heterosexual. In other words, they tend to not be necessarily hospitable to women; Black, indigenous, or people of color; and LGBTQIA2S+ people.

I speak of this from personal experience. Along with my Presbyterian youth group, I was part of Young Life at Beaverton High School, and tried being part of InterVarsity and Campus Crusades, along with the Presbyterian college-group. Except for the Presbyterian college group (University of Kansas), I hid in my gay closet, knowing that LGBTQIA2S+ people were not welcomed. But the power of these groups was that the "cool kids" would attend their activities. The peer pressure to join these groups was incredible, both in high school and college. 

Recently, the FCA has come into the news because they were permitted to operate in a high school which they were once banned from, because of their "Sexual Purity" pledge, which discriminated against LGBTQIA2S+ people. This "pledge" supports the idea that "the Bible teaches that the appropriate place fo r sexual expression is in the context of a marriage relationship. The biblical description of marriage is one and and one woman in a lifelong commitment." A three-judge panel in California reinstated them in a high school in San Jose, from which they were once kicked out.

In an article published on LGBTQNATION.com, reporter Greg Owens wrote that a Trump appointed Judge Kenneth Kiyul Lee of the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that the case represented, "two competing values that we cherish as a nation: the principle of non-discrimination on the one hand, and free speech on the other." Non-discrimination lost.  

The judge cited a "Senior (class) Women's Club" that excluded male students, and a "Big Sisters/Little Sisters" club that was served women students, and not men.

The Judge supported the "Free Exercise Clause requiring the government to respect religious beliefs and conduct, even if many people find such beliefs to not be 'acceptable, logical, consistent, or comprehensible." But again, there was no holding up non-discrimination clause in the ruling.

The school district is reviewing next steps in terms of this case, so stay tuned.

Here's a link to the article: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/08/high-school-christian-club-rejects-lgbtq-students-reinstated-court-order/

"Religious Freedom" and "Free Exercise Clause" are now being used by those who are racists, sexist, classists, ablest, and anti-LGBTQIA2S+ in various public forums, from public schools to public libraries. 

Those of us who cherish, advocate, and support opening the door wider and welcoming all, respecting all, especially in religious/faith communities, across and among all religious communities, will have to be smarter and much more well-spoken when confronting those who are using "Religious Freedom" and "Free Exercise Clause" as a front for excluding others rather than including all. Again, "Religious Freedom" is neither reflective of any religion that espouses or exemplifies what is "good" in this world, nor truly advocating freedom to be who God created us to be. 

May it be so.