The Supreme Court’s decisions matter. These judicial decrees trickle down and touch our everyday lives, activities and freedoms. The decisions impact the education of our children, parental rights, freedom of speech and thought, rights of conscience, the protection of children born and preborn, and how we operate our churches, ministries, religious schools, businesses, even our livelihoods.

Undeniably, this is a case of historical consequence for our nation. Tennessee desires to protect children and youth from medicalized transitions that have lifelong effects and hold reckless medical practitioners accountable. State lawmakers’ duty to love, care for and protect minors should never be trumped by elevating gender identity to a special, untouchable constitutional status.

Forcing Christian ministries to hire employees who disagree with Scriptural truths on these fronts is the camel’s nose under the tent. It would turn these ministries into watered-down, secularized versions of themselves, without the same grounding, passion and mission they have operated with for centuries.

They help the faithful fulfill their mission without having to betray deeply held Scriptural convictions or bow down to leftist, secular mandates. Their eternal impact cannot be overstated. And it comes at a cost.

If the First Amendment still means anything in 2023, the Supreme Court will send a clear message and strike a blow against forced speech that violates deeply held religious convictions. Being able to freely live according to the Scripture hangs in the balance.

Identity politics, “wokeness” and critical theory push the same worldview. They are closely related, and the Body of Christ needs Biblical discernment to recognize such destructive ideas, even when at first glance the ideas seem appealing.