foxnews.com/opinion
Christians across the nation are expressing grave concerns over a proposed California law that would outlaw speech dealing with certain issues – including homosexuality and gender identity – by clergy members, licensed counselors and others.
Assembly Bill 2943, authored by Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low, would utilize the state’s existing consumer fraud statute to classify gay conversion therapy as a fraudulent practice.
State senators passed the legislation last Thursday and the Assembly is poised to take up a final vote before the bill is sent to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s office.
“The faith community, like anyone else, needs to evolve with the times,” Democratic Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi said during debate on the legislation. “The science is clear. The claim that the First Amendment can be used as a defense for promoting fraudulent conduct is a fallacious argument.”
Dr. Paul Chappell, the pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church and the president of West Coast Baptist College, said there is a groundswell of opposition rising up among Christians and conservatives to the Assembly bill.
“This is an encroachment by the state,” Chappell said on the Todd Starnes Radio Show.“It’s time for Christians all across America to recognize it’s an attack on our faith.”
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Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener dismissed concerns that the legislation could eventually lead to a ban on Bible sales.
“This bill does not prohibit the sale of the Bible – that’s an argument that we’ve heard – that’s untrue,” Wiener told the Los Angeles Blade. “It does not in any way prohibit free speech. It doesn’t prohibit anyone from speaking with a counselor, including a religious counselor regarding their sexual orientation, as long as no money is exchanged, as long as no services are sold.”
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Mr. Wiener's statement is disingenuous. He states that his intent is not to "prohibit free speech". But experience suggests that aggressive litigants will attempt to do just that if this legislation passes.
According to Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Wiener ,
Mr. Wiener "was born to a Jewish family" and is "gay."