Ohio Christian Alliance
"WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE"  Ohio State Motto 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 11, 2016


Ohio Statehouse – Today The Ohio Christian Alliance joined with clergy from around the state to urge the General Assembly to pass quickly the Pastor Protection Act H.B 286. Governor Kasich stated repeatedly while on his Presidential campaign trail that we have to protect our pastors and churches. Here is the opportunity to do that by enacting H.B. 286, The Ohio Pastor Protection Act. OCA, with other family groups, back in 2004 circulated petition for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Over a half million signatures were gathered to place the amendment language on the ballot. The amendment passed by nearly 62%, with a solid majority of Ohioans affirming that marriage is between one man and one woman. Ohio joined 32 other states who either by constitutional amendment or statute legislation affirmed that marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman.
Last year in June in an unprecedented manner, the United State Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision handed down a ruling legalizing homosexual marriage, with indifference to the states' laws. There is still much speculation and discussion as to what the Court's decision actually means. Legislatures, Congress, and the courts will address these issues in the years to come. What is clear by the intent of those who pushed for this new social experiment is that they intend to challenge religious and traditional institutions on many fronts. In June when the Court's decision came down, constitutional attorneys announced that it was now time for the states to move forward with statute law to protect religious liberties in the aftermath of the Obergefell decision.
There are those who argue that HB 286, the Ohio Pastor Protection Act, is not needed, that we have Article 1, section 7 of The Ohio Constitution and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that guarantee religious liberty. The Ohio Constitution and The Bill of Rights clearly declare the protections of religious liberty, but there comes a time in each generation when these liberties are challenged. The Ohio Pastor Protection Act, HB 286, is statute law that will speak to the current generation that religious liberty trumps all liberties. It is, of course, the First Amendment. Thomas Jefferson once stated, "No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority."
Religious liberty does not begin or end with the U.S. Constitution's acknowledgement of such liberty. Religious liberty predates the Constitution and the Magna Carta, and goes all the way back to creation as a fundamental right of man. With these new threats to religious liberty, the time has now come to enact statute legislation in Ohio to address these new challenges and underscore the Constitutional rights of religious freedom and the practice thereof. No individual should be coerced against their religious conscience. No religious society should be forced by the State or a municipality to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. It is for that reason that we urge the passage of the Ohio Pastor Protection Act, HB 286.


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Contact Chris Long 330-887-1922

 

  Ohio Christian Alliance is a non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting Judeo-Christian values in American government. Ohio Christian Alliance does not endorse any particular candidate or political party. OCA provides educational materials, including voter guides and scorecards.s.s.

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