Faith Leaders: California Bill Harmful to Christian Colleges

Faith leaders are calling on the California Assembly to abandon a bill that would force Christian colleges to give up their religious convictions or lose state funding.

Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, released a multi-faith statement opposing California's assault on religious liberty in higher education.

"The fundamental problem with SB 1146 is not that it advances a particular viewpoint, but that it seeks to suppress and undermine dissent, harming students along the way," Moore said.

Signatories on the statement include pastors, college administrators, and academic and legal scholars from across the theological and political spectrum, including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon and Muslim representatives.

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) has also expressed major concern over the bill.

"Christian doctrine and beliefs are 2,000 years old and held by two billion Christians around the world," NAE President Leith Anderson said. "The California Assembly is voting to change Christian policies and practices to comply with the new doctrines of California state legislators. The bill is a threat to the mutually beneficial relationship that has existed between faith and higher education for the entire history of our nation."

The NAE also is urging California's lawmakers to vote against the bill and instead open up dialogue to find a mutually beneficial solution.

The sponsors of Senate Bill 1146 say it will protect LGBTQ students from discrimination. Christian colleges say it will ultimately deprive students of the ability to attend the school of their choice.