The House of Representatives is debating the passage of the “Do No Harm” Act, a bill that would dramatically weaken protections granted by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Ironically, that bill was passed with near-unanimous support from both parties and was signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton in 1993. The fact that the Democratic Party is now vehemently opposing a piece of legislation that it was instrumental in passing less than 30 years ago shows just how far left the party has swung in a desperate attempt to please fringe voters.
If passed, the Do No Harm Act would limit the Religious Freedom of Restoration Act by stating that the RFRA’s provisions don’t apply in certain instances. Supporters of the bill say that the LGBTQ community would be the main beneficiary of the act, which states that religious freedom would be subservient to LGBTQ rights in all instances.
The impact of this provision alone is difficult to overstate. Medical professionals would be forced to provide sex-change operations and other, similar services to transgender individuals. Christians schools would be forced to hire gay and transgender teachers, as well as accept gay and transgender students. Christian foster care agencies would need to either shut down, or place children with gay or transgender parents. Christian ministries offering shelter to homeless individuals would not be able to segregate individuals based on biological gender. Bakers, photographers, and venues would not be able to turn away same-sex couples. Christian doctors may be forced to choose between murdering unborn children, or facing legal action.
Naturally, the Democrats touting the Do No Harm Act aren’t giving a second thought to how their new bill would impact religious people throughout the country. Instead, they are making exaggerated statements claiming that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is being used to allow housing discrimination against single mothers and minorities.
Not surprisingly, most of the witnesses called for the second committee panel were in favor of the act’s passage. However, it is telling that, when asked about the possibility of the Do No Harm Act being used to force pro-life doctors to perform abortions, the expert witness testifying on the subject could not provide a clear answer.
It is also worth noting that Matt Sharp, the Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom and the only witness opposed to the Do No Harm Act, took down the Democrats’ assertion that the RFRA was used to discriminate against minorities by accurately stating that the RFRA has never been successfully used to support racial discrimination. The Supreme Court has already recognized the fact that the government has a compelling interest to combat racism, and so the Do No Harm Act is not needed to protect the rights of ethnic minorities.
The Do No Harm Act, much like the Equality Act that Democrats are attempting to shove down America’s throat, is an assault on freedom of religion. It would limit religious activity to the home and places of worship only while making it impossible for millions of Christians, Jews and Muslims in the United States to live according to their religious beliefs independently. It would negatively affect the poor and marginalized as numerous religious charities and organizations throughout the nation shut down.
Unfortunately, far-left Democrats are too concerned with pleasing a small yet vocal group of people to recognize the massive repercussions here.
