Concerns raised about abortion, religious liberty in proposed constitutional amendment.

Nearly 500 people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul May 8 to speak out against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

“It’s moments like this that we realize what unites us as people of faith is much greater than what divides us,” said Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams of St. Paul and Minneapolis over cheers and clapping during the rally in the Capitol Rotunda, remarking on the turnout.

“We’re here as a diverse coalition, with people who believe that we have to fight to make room for God in our world and to protect our religious institutions. And I’m happy to do that,” he said in an interview.

Bishop Williams joined members of various metro area faith communities, state legislators, lawyers and the public in the Rotunda as Minnesota House legislators prepare to review the ERA’s new language, which has passed the Senate.

Introduced through SF37, with HF173 as its companion, the proposed new language under review states, in part: “All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account of race; color; national origin; ancestry; disability; or sex, including but not limited to: making and effectuating decisions about all matters relating to one’s own pregnancy or decision whether to become or remain pregnant; gender identity or gender expression; or sexual orientation.”

If ultimately passed by legislators, the ERA would be submitted to Minnesota voters as a ballot question during a general election year.

Proponents of the proposed ERA argue it would protect against basic forms of discrimination. While the proposed language to amend the Minnesota Constitution does protect people against a range of discrimination, the St. Paul-based Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) — which represents the public policy interests of the state’s Catholic bishops — has argued it goes beyond protecting against these basic forms.

Meanwhile, failing to protect religion within the language could enable “a whole host of anti-religious discrimination,” said Jason Adkins, MCC’s executive director and general counsel, during a news conference that preceded the rally.

“Religion should be included in the ERA as it is in most civil rights ordinances. Doing so is consistent with both good policy and core American values. In fact, 87% of voters agree that tolerance of others’ beliefs and the freedom for Americans to live according to their values are core to being American,” Adkins said.

“What’s at stake more than anything else at least in my heart,“ Bishop Williams said during the rally, “maybe in the hearts of other bishops and pastors, is the right to be who we are in our places of worship, in our schools, in our religious institutions. To believe what we believe God has revealed to us about life … about love … about true human flourishing.”

Father Gregory Abbott, associate pastor of St. Peter in Forest Lake, said he was grateful for Bishop Williams’ message at the rally and for the “Catholic presence” at the Capitol.

Having attended the rally to support “equal rights for all people from conception until natural death, and religious liberty as well,” Father Abbott said he hoped the people in attendance would “be encouraged to go back and share with family, friends and neighbors the truth of this bill.”

MCC argued in a commentary published in The Catholic Spirit that in addition to a lack of religious discrimination protections included in the proposed ERA, it “would diminish hard-earned rights and protections of women.” The MCC and others also have argued the amendment would effectively place a right to abortion in the Minnesota Constitution.

Mary Stolz, 63, said she views the ERA as being “more about an agenda than it is about caring for women.”

“I hope to see that the Legislature really looks and listens and says, ‘Is this good for women? Is this good for the state of Minnesota?'” said Stolz, a nurse ultrasonographer at pregnancy care nonprofit Lakes Life Care Center in Forest Lake and a member of St. Peter in Forest Lake.

During the news conference that preceded the rally, members of various metro area faith communities argued that a lack of protections against religious discrimination is of particular concern with the proposed ERA.

“As a Jew, I’m grateful that democracy is an inclusive and ever-evolving process where mistakes and oversights can be corrected. As a Minnesotan, I’m concerned of the consequences should we fail to make those corrections,” said Rabbi Avigdor Goldberger, CEO of Jewish learning center Minneapolis Community Kollel. “As a grateful and concerned Jewish Minnesotan, I call on the state legislators to fix this amendment to ensure that religion is still able to be practiced freely while protecting the civil rights of all people.”

Rev. Steven Lee — pastor for preaching and vision at The North Church, a Baptist church in Mounds View — said the proposed ERA would “ignore the rights of over 80% of Minnesotans … most Minnesotans have some religious faith that should be protected.” It also “exacerbates Constitution conflict” and “discriminates in order to prevent discrimination.”

“As a pastor in this community who cares about all Minnesota, I urge our legislators to oppose this amendment that will not lead to a unified Minnesota,” he said.

Praying with portions of Chapter 17 of Acts of the Apostles in his closing prayer at the rally, Bishop Williams asked God to help all people of faith “fight discrimination wherever it might be found, including religious discrimination, that life, liberty and happiness might be the birthright of all your children.”

More information MCC has gathered about the proposed amendment can be found at mncatholic.org/era.