“Mr. Hyland, I sent your information to my siblings with the link to support opting out for parents and they called me racist and homophobic. I was shocked they would support teaching LGBT curriculum in grammar school.” Parent from Monmouth County, April 20, 2021
I speak to churches nearly each week concerning the major curriculum problems in New Jersey public schools. I often remind the listeners that they are not the fringe – they are the faithful.
The insistence by some that the post-modern view of sex, sexuality and gender identity is the only acceptable view, is gravely insulting to tens of thousands of New Jersey immigrants, such as Muslim and Hispanic families. These minority groups hold firm to the same traditional, historical, mainstream, and current global view of sexuality and gender identity that you do — a lifelong covenant relationship between two unrelated adults of the opposite sex.
I guess using today’s labels that should lead us to conclude – to reject the traditional view of marriage is Islamophobic and xenophobic! Thankfully, we do not subscribe to such empty maligned ad hoc attacks as those used against us to silence debate. Instead, we assume goodwill in public policy and listen to those who disagree.
But if you think radical labels of hate and fear only apply to our scriptural view of the human family, think again…
This week, 101.5FM published a news story covering the recent New Jersey Terrorist Threat Assessment released by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Local governments were forewarned to guard against anarchist extremists, anti-government extremists, racially motivated extremists, home grown terrorists, and… “anti-abortion” extremists. (Thank you for those that came out to the pro-life rally last Saturday)
How should we respond to such gross misrepresentations of our faith and character?
Let’s remember, Jesus promised this would be our experience. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Matthew 5:11. And he taught us to pray for those who would disparage and vilify us. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44
In the end, we must never forget who we are working for. We are advocating for parents to raise their children without government actively interfering to turn the hearts of the children against their family’s beliefs. We are defending preborn babies who have the instinctive will to live. We are safeguarding the religious freedom of people to live according to their consciences and not the dictates of the totalitarian state.
Don’t let labels and lists that define you as “the fringe” intimidate you. Stay faithful.
Protecting your family,
Shawn Hyland
Executive Director