Biden vows to enact Equality Act in first 100 days: 4 things to know about the legislation
2. It would prevent religious Americans from seeking exemptions from provisions of the law under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993
According to the Equality Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 “shall not provide a claim concerning, or a defense to a claim under, a covered title, or provide a basis for challenging the application or enforcement of a covered title.” In other words, religious people and organizations cannot cite the 1993 religious freedom law as a defense when seeking to exempt themselves from abiding by provisions of the Equality Act that violate their religious beliefs.
Last year, 21 Christian leaders, including Franklin Graham and Dr. James Dobson, wrote a letter to leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as Vice President Mike Pence warning that the Equality Act posed a serious threat to Americans’ religious liberty.
Describing the law as “unacceptable,” the signatories explained that, “Not only is it incompatible with God’s Word (the Bible) and the historic teaching of the church, but the Equality Act is also riddled with threats to religious liberty and the sanctity of human life.”
