On the first day of their convention, delegates to the Republican National Convention meeting in Cleveland adopted a party platform with plenty for evangelicals to like:
Marriage
In a section titled “Defending Marriage Against an Activist Judiciary,”
Republicans say they “condemn” the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell
v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage the law of the land. Religious
conservatives from several denominations also have opposed this ruling
as the work of “activist judges,” a charge and a term echoed in the
platform.
Tax-exempt status of churches
The platform calls for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment,
a 1954 law that prohibits tax-exempt houses of worship from endorsing
politicians. Its repeal has been a major goal of some Christians, as it
would allow them to bring politics to the pulpit. “Places of worship for
the first time in our history have reason to fear the loss of
tax-exempt status merely for espousing and practicing traditional
religious beliefs,” the platform states. “Republicans believe the
federal government, specifically the IRS, is constitutionally prohibited
from policing or censoring speech based on religious convictions or
beliefs.”
Also supported in the platform is the First Amendment Defense Act,
which would ban “government discrimination” against individuals or
businesses who act on their religious belief that marriage is between
one man and one woman.
Voluntary school prayer, the inclusion of the Bible in public school
literature curricula, the display of the Ten Commandments on public
property and the right of religious organizations to set their own
membership standards get a platform shoutout as well.
“We support laws to confirm the longstanding American tradition that
religious individuals and institutions can educate young people, receive
government benefits, and participate in public debates without having
to check their religious beliefs at the door,” the platform states.
Abortion
The platform asserts that the unborn have a right to life under the
Fourth Amendment. It specifically condemns Planned Parenthood “so long
as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts
rather than provide healthcare.”
Same-sex parenting
The platform says every child deserves a married mom and dad. The same
section brings religion into the proper equation for a solid family.
“Strong families, depending upon God and one another, advance the cause
of liberty by lessening the need for government in their daily lives.
Conversely … the loss of faith and family life leads to greater
dependence upon government.”
Bathrooms
President Obama, the platform states, has sought to impose a
“revolution” on American society and values by using Title IX to open
bathroom choice to transgender persons. Without using the word
“transgender,” the platform holds that restrictions on “restrooms,
locker rooms, and other facilities is at once illegal, dangerous, and
ignores privacy issues. We salute the several states which have filed
suit against it.”
Gay conversion therapy
The party platform does not specifically name gay conversion therapy —
the widely discredited use of psychological and spiritual counseling to
change a person’s sexual orientation. But a pair of sentences in a
section on health care are being interpreted by LGBT rights
organizations as upholding it: “We support the ability of all
organizations to provide, purchase, or enroll in healthcare coverage
consistent with their religious, moral, or ethical convictions without
discrimination or penalty,” the platform states. “We support the right
of parents to determine the proper medical treatment and therapy for
their minor children.”
Religious liberty overseas
American religious organizations, especially Christians, have long been
concerned about the persecution of religious minorities in conflict
zones such as Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt and Russia. The platform promises
to ensure “all religious minorities, whether Yazidi, Bahai, Orthodox,
Catholic or Protestant Christians, are free to practice their religion
without fear of persecution.”
Courtesy: Religion News Service
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