Another Republican Governor Is Under Fire Over Religious Freedom

[EasyAce]

By David French
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/oklahoma-adoption-bill-religious-liberty-mary-fallin-sign/

Here we go again. A GOP legislature has passed a bill protecting the religious freedom and the rights of conscience of religious institutions, and activists are pressing the governor to veto — raising threats of corporate boycotts.

This time the state is Oklahoma, the governor is stalwart conservative Mary Fallin, and the issue is whether religious adoption agencies can be forced to place children in family arrangements that violate the agency’s “religious or moral convictions or policies.” In other words, if she signs the bill, then Oklahoma can’t force a Catholic or Protestant adoption agency to place adopted children with, say, single parents or same-sex families. It does not prohibit or interfere with the right of any other adoption agency to implement contrary policies. It does not ban same-sex adoption in the state . . .

. . . In the real world, this bill would have the effect of increasing child placement options in the state. Many religious adoption agencies would rather shut down than violate their religious purpose. The statute allows them to stay open, and it of course allows different agencies with different policies to place children in the homes of their choice. It’s a win/win . . . Unless, of course, you seek to use the power of the state to force religious organizations to join the sexual revolution. And that’s exactly what activists intend to do . . .