I saw a news article about a bill (SB 777--California) that was signed into law in California last week. On 12 October 2007, the Governor signed into law what is known as the California State Student's Bill of Rights. It is an anti-discrimination law, but it seems to most conservative analysts to be little more than liberal indoctrination of young people.
This new law will require that an individual's perceived gender is what is important--for things like which bathroom or locker room to use--regardless of that individual's actual gender at birth. Homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality are all to be taught as normal. Teachers must only teach and speak of these lifestyles strictly in positive terms. No student, teacher, or staff may say anything contradictory to these lifestyles in the presence of anyone who could be perceived as representing any of these.
Analysts say the law will have a ripple effect, since California text books will likely be sold in other states with these new standards. The law goes into effect 1 January 2008. It is understood that gender specific terms such as "mom" and "dad" will now be illegal if they are spoken in the presence of a perceived homosexual, transsexual, or bisexual.
What bothers me about this new legislation is that it does not represent the massive majority in this country--or even in California! But those with Christian values, or even socially conservative non-believers represent the majority of people in this country. And here's the rub: we are all, most of us, sitting on the sideline while laws like this bring our country closer and closer to an anti-Christian society.
So what should we expect if things keep moving in this direction? Marriage will be redefined--a movement which is actually a thinly veiled, massive, subversive movement to normalize a homosexual lifestyle. Laws like SB 777 will take us one step at a time toward a society where free speech is code for "don't say anything against our politically liberal worldview, or else; and if you are a Christian, you have no right to say anything reflecting your values in public." We are not even far from a society where even in our own churches pastors will not be able to speak out against what the Bible calls evil, such as homosexuality.
We are in a society where Christianity is less and less welcomed in the public arena, and it is happening while most of us are functionally politically comatose. I only pray that God continues to use ministries like Focus on the Family Action--and that we who follow Christ will participate in our great Republic by voting for politicians who represent our values.
