Black Pastors Demands U.S. Senate Protect Religious Freedom and Vote Against the “Equality Act”

Washington, DC – Today, the Center for Urban Renewal & Education (CURE) sent a letter to Members of Congress from its President Star Parker, the head of its clergy network, Pastor Tim Latiff, and eight African-American pastors from across the country demanding Congress vote against the Equality Act.

“H.R. 5/S.393, the euphemistically-named “Equality Act” would gut the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and unleash a direct assault on religious freedom and the sanctity of human life,” the letter states.

This legislation, already passed by the House in February, would strip RFRA protection from religious believers in the following types of cases:

• A religious order (e.g., Little Sisters of the Poor) declines to include coverage for abortifacients in their health insurance plan.
• A doctor or nurse declines to participate in the performance of an elective abortion.
• An adoption agency places children with parents who share their beliefs and values.
• A photographer or wedding planner declines to participate in a same-sex ceremony.
• Jeopardize the Hyde Amendment and other limitations on taxpayer funding of abortion – making religious believers and other conscientiously-opposed taxpayers complicit in the performance of millions of elective abortions.

Bishop David A. Richey of Mobile, Alabama; Pastor Kenneth Fontenot of Wilson; North Carolina, Apostle Arthur and Charlotte McGuire of Dayton, Ohio; Pastor Walter Moss of Canton, Ohio; Pastor Ceasar LeFlore of Chicago, Illinois; Pastor Sean Tucker of Hudson, Ohio; and Dr. Johnny Hunter of Fayetteville, North Carolina signed the letter on behalf of the 500 clergy that are part of CURE’s Clergy Network and represent and the more than 500,000 precious people of their congregations.

“There is no end to the radical ideas the current Congress is trying to impose on the American people,” said Parker. “Pastors and people of faith must rise up and oppose this legislation that goes to the core of our First Amendment rights and liberties.”

The Center for Urban Renewal & Education founded in 1995, works to fight poverty and restore dignity through messages of faith, freedom, and personal responsibilities.  

For more information, go to CUREpolicy.org or contact [email protected].

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