Here is the statement made by the senior pastor of the largest and most powerful Church in Jacksonville: First Baptist Church (‘downtown’ is the informal designation given to differentiate from all the other First Baptists around).

Not surprisingly FBC was very vocal in the cause against an anti-discriminatory bill up in City Council that would expand the city’s human rights ordinance to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination.

The bill did not pass due to a swing vote that was switched after Councilman Gaffney was flooded with calls and emails from people against the bill. All signs point to the religious right mobilizing their supporters to defeat the bill. They cite that “Ordinance 296 attempts to confine a Christian’s faith to the four walls of the church and threatens him if he lives out his faith in the workplace — in many cases a workplace he owns.”

I don’t get it. How in the world do someone’s sexual choices actually affect ones ability to run her business in accordance with her religious beliefs. Even if her employee comes out as gay after you’ve hired him-sex stays at home, does it not? If any employee brings his sexual life into the workplace, that’s not acceptable-gay or straight.