San Antonio Proposes Law That Would Ban Religious People From Public Life Including Elected Office!

Diego Bernal: Bigot who sponsored the bigoted resolution, San Antonio City Council

Washington Times (July 24th)
The San Antonio City Council is proposing an updated non-discrimination policy that effectively bans any city council member from being elected if he or she has ever “demonstrated a bias.”

First Draft of the New Law (Red was the added parts)

According to Pastor Charles Flowers of Faith Outreach International, the amended ordinance includes two new categories to the policy: sexual orientation and gender identity. Judging by the vague language of the draft, the ordinance could effectively ban Christians and Orthodox Jews, many of whom believe homosexuality is a sin, from serving on the city council if they have expressed that belief publicly. This will most likely cause other places to copy this evil law.  Furthermore this will mean that future discriminatory bills against religious people will be easier to pass because those who would oppose it are forbidden from being in the city council to fight against the future bill.

“The ordinance also says that if you have at any point demonstrated a bias — without defining what a bias is or who will determine whether or not one has been exercised — that you cannot get a city contract,” Mr. Flowers told OneNewsNow. “Neither can any of your subcontractors [who have demonstrated a bias] sign on to the contract.”

The pastor is calling on people to voice their opposition to the news rule.

“They said they’ve never seen this kind of language in any other ordinance in any other city that they’ve dealt with,” he added. “It is unprecedentedly wrong — and of course the citizens of San Antonio must stop it.”

(Washington Times) Highlights mine

From kens5 (A San Antonio TV station)

Critics argue the ordinance threatens to silence religious freedom because it proposes “No person shall be appointed to a (city) position” or board, if they ever “engaged in discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any person, group or organization.”

“Me standing here, or anyone standing here in opposition of this particular ordinance are not allowed to be on any committee in the city and that goes against my freedom of speech,” said Mike Knuffke of the San Antonio Family Association.

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The San Antonio Family Association said it will continue to fight the potential changes to the ordinance.

“The people of San Antonio need to know litigation will start, small business owners need to know it will impact their business and the city needs to know we will file a lawsuit against them based on the fact it’s blatantly unconstitutional,” said Patrick Von Dohlen of San Antonio Family Association.

Councilwoman Ivy Taylor sent KENS 5 the following statement regarding the proposed changes.

“I voted to postpone city council consideration of this issue when it came to the Governance committee. While I believe that everyone deserves fair and equal treatment, I am concerned about the impact of any ordinance on businesses that contract with the City of San Antonio. I do not believe that we can legislate moral or religious convictions and am sensitive to that perspective. I am meeting with groups and citizens on both sides of the issue and working with city staff to make sure I understand the proposal before making a decision on how to vote. I welcome input from constituents. “

(kens5)

 

from the official record - supporting the bill

This is part of "Just The Facts" part of the "evidence" presented to support this evil bill

Fox News
Critics argue that the ordinance could ban Christians who believe homosexuality is a sin from serving on the city council.

They also believe the ordinance would also ban the city from doing business with anyone who fails to espouse politically correct views and businesses run by people of faith would be subject to criminal penalties if they refused to provide services that conflict with their religious beliefs related to homosexuality.

“It’s extremely dangerous,” said Ken Klukowski, of the Family Research Council. “This is a flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution and the San Antonio City Council looks like a bunch of anti-Christian activists.”

Klukowski said if the council approves the ordinance they would be guilty of “viewpoint discrimination.”

“If it’s passed, any person who has either expressed any belief in favor of traditional marriage or in terms of Judeo-Christian morality regarding sexuality in general, verbally or in writing, could be barred from participating in public life on that city council,” he told Fox News.

Councilman Diego Bernal and Mayor Julian Castro are pushing for the proposed changes.

“To say that you agree with this ordinance,” Castro told the San Antonio Express-News, “is to say that you do not believe that someone who is gay or lesbian ought to be discriminated against in the same way that an African American or a Hispanic or a woman shouldn’t be discriminated against.”

Bernal did not return telephone calls seeking comment. But he told the Express-News that he did not play politics by including veterans in the ordinance.

“No one wants to vote against veterans — I get that,” he told the newspaper. “I didn’t include veterans to be some sort of shoehorn or Trojan horse for another group.”

Dozens of churches across the city have organized to oppose the proposed legislation, warning that it creates a religious test for involvement in city government as well as lucrative contracts and subcontracts.
(Fox New)


In response to strong opposition Diego Bernal changed the language in that part of the bill.  The New language solves only a few the problems brought up.

This new language prevents religious persecution for actions done outside of work place, but can still effect people who "discriminate" by opposing pro homosexuality legislation, and policies in their official capacity.  Due to the small change Councilman Bernal has lessened the opposition to this bill increasing the likelihood that it will pass!  This is similar to the method Andrew Coumo used to help pass same gender "marriage" in New York a few years ago.  Coumo where he put in a few religious exemptions (that didn't cover private individuals) to dumb down the opposition in order to pass a bill that would have otherwise failed.