The Family Research Council doesn't believe in 'religious freedom' for LGBTQ people

On its webpage, the Family Research Council says the following about the idea of "religious liberty."

Family Research Council believes that religious liberty—the freedom to hold religious beliefs of one’s own choosing and to live in accordance with those beliefs—is an inherent human right. Therefore, the religious liberty of all people of all faiths everywhere must be promoted and defended.

The group has several sections on the concept. In the section it calls Domestic Religious Freedom, FRC says the following:

Family Research Council believes that religious liberty—the freedom to hold religious beliefs of one’s own choosing and to live in accordance with those beliefs—is an inherent human right. Religious belief is of the utmost importance because it informs our deepest convictions about God, the world, and ourselves. The American Founders understood the importance of religious liberty and ensured that it was protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. All people have the right to bring their religious beliefs into the public square. Churches, private organizations, public servants, and other individuals have the right to proclaim their faith in public settings and to bring their religiously-informed moral values to bear in all aspects of public life, including public policy decisions.

It's rather noble of FRC, that is if the organization actually believed that. A post on its webpage, New ’Woke’ Denomination is a Warning Sign to Christians, could be called a contradiction. 

The post is attacking  the Liberation Methodist Connexion, a new Methodist denomination, for not adhering to, as FRC puts it, "orthodox Christianity."

A cursory overview of the LMX website reveals that the denomination will resemble nothing like the movement started by John and Charles Wesley in the 18th century where the importance of the new birth, works of piety, and missions were emphasized. Instead, leaders of the new group promise to journey toward a "new way of being followers of Christ" which include refuting the "powers, principalities, and privileges" they believe have defined Methodism. These include a litany of isms including colonialism, sexism, clericalism, ableism, ageism, transphobia, and "heteronormativity."

While liberals within Methodism have been pushing for the inclusion of more LGBT affirming stances in recent years, the LMX represents a dramatic break from historic Methodist doctrine. But, and to their credit, the leaders of the LMX -- who proudly list their preferred pronouns on their website -- admit, "LMX theology is not written in stone." But while their theology isn't written in stone (or anywhere that I can find), the purpose behind the group is clear: providing ecclesiastical cover for unorthodox views on marriage and sexuality.

In other words, the Family Research Council, the supposed huge defender of "religious liberty," will criticize your "religious liberty," if it includes acceptance of the LGBTQ community.  No doubt, the organization apparently knows that this stance would seem contradictory so it addresses the issue in a section about "human sexuality."

 It goes like this:

The legalization of same-sex marriage, the proliferation of sexual orientation and gender identity laws, and other political and cultural trends contrary to Christian (and other religious) beliefs about sexuality have resulted in an increasing number of Americans facing public denunciations, censure and hostility, lawsuits, exorbitant monetary fines, loss of jobs, physical assault, and even prison because of their deeply-held religious beliefs on marriage and sexuality.

So many lies are told in that one statement.. It's not the religious beliefs which are the problem. It's when the beliefs are deliberately used to interfere with the rights of LGBTQ people. It's when LGBTQ people face employment discrimination or refused apartment rentals or services all because of our sexual orientation or gender identity by someone who uses the religious argument as an excuse which can't be argued against.

It's when our families and especially our children are bullied in schools or not allowed to participate in athletic activities because of  false notions based more on ignorance and fear than religious beliefs. 

It's when groups want to help themselves to our tax dollars while using religion as a way of  denying us their services at the same time.  

It's when LGBTQ people scratch and struggle for our rights and prove ourselves worthy of these rights - including marriage - through the court system  to then be told that based upon someone else's religious beliefs, we shouldn't be allowed to take full benefit of what we fought so hard to win and how dare we even question it.

The Family Research Council's idea about religious liberty hasn't a thing to do with freedom or liberty. It's all about the group's desire for religious supremacy.