“ON AUGUST 23,CALIFORNIA’S SB 1146 MOVED BACK TO THE SENATE FOR A FINAL VOTE BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH. THE BATTLE TO DEFEAT THIS BILL IS NOT OVER.”
On August 23, California’s SB 1146 moved back to the Senate for a final vote before the end of the month. The battle to defeat this bill is not over.
“If this is a victory,” says one prominent Christian pastor, “Then Neville Chamberlain was successful when he met with Hitler & only gave up Czechoslovakia!?!
“The explicit mandate was removed, but it’s enough for the government to assert control over the affairs and interactions over private Christian colleges,” warns a Christian attorney. “It’s like the camel under the tent, where the camel only has his head inside, but the rest of his body is sure to follow.”
SB 1146 is a shadow of its former self. Gone is the language that would have threatened faith-based schools with the question of whether they could accept Cal Grants if they failed to be inclusive of students claiming to be homosexual and/or transgender. Gone is the requirement of mandated reporting for expulsions based on the violation of moral codes of conduct.
Christians by the thousands, who called their representatives to protest, are the reason for the changes; and we need to keep up the pressure. Due to the overwhelming number of calls, confusion led to compromise in the legislature. This was a clear victory for religious freedom.
After three votes in the Assembly, SB 1146 passed in its present form and moved back to the Senate. If not voted on until August 31, it dies there. If approved, Governor Jerry Brown has until September 30 to sign it into law or kill it. If it survives, it remains perilous.
The bill insinuates that faith-based universities discriminate unfairly. We know this is an attempt to twist the truth and demonize Christians. We know Bible believers love all people but identify what Scripture calls sin. We know we all fall short, including issues of sexual immorality, and we are called to both love and follow the same rules.
As for not needing to publicly disclose the Title IX exemption until the 2017-2018 school year, remember the Iranian nuclear deal? “We won’t nuke you today…we will wait 10 years.” This sounds a lot like that, although less drastic. Or, may it lead, down the road, to the “nuking” of faith-based institutions of higher learning?
California Christians, get on the phone. Call your state senators. If it passes the Senate, call Governor Brown. Call your friends and tell them to call. History tells us appeasement will not work. Scripture admonishes we are to occupy until Jesus comes back. The bill is still alive, and it must be killed. Don’t stop now—momentum is on our side.
Editor’s Note: This article incorrectly listed Title IX, the federal statute with regard to sex discrimination, as a source of funding. At issue was whether schools could accept Cal Grants.
