Iowa retracts brochure dictating what churches can & cannot say about homosexuality

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission has retracted a previous statement about what churches are allowed to say about human sexuality in the pulpit.

The agency published a brochure explaining that churches and child care facilities run by churches, are subject to the transgender bathroom directive that prohibits discrimination based on sexual identity according to law.

This means churches are required by law to open women's bathrooms to transgender persons, according to the agency.

The brochure further explained that by the state's civil rights law, "publicizing that the patronage of persons of any particular sexual orientation or gender identity is unwelcome, objectionable, not acceptable, or not solicited" is considered as discrimination and is a violation of the law.

However, this interpretation would mean that Iowa churches will not be able to preach biblical views about sexuality and homosexuality on the pulpit.

The Fort Des Moines Church of Christ filed a lawsuit against the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, saying its interpretation of the law is in itself a violation of the First Amendment.

Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the church, said churches should have the freedom to preach what their faith dictates without threat from the government.

First Liberty Institute wrote a letter to the agency demanding that it retract its previous statement, saying it issued "a government mandate that [a] church violate its sincerely held religious beliefs under penalty of law."

"These regulations open the gateway for greater government interference into the realm of faith, including everything from church services to child daycare services in church buildings," First Liberty Institute said.

In a statement published on its website, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission apologized for the contents of the brochure, which has now been revised.

"The Iowa Civil Rights Commission has not done anything to suggest it would be enforcing these laws against ministers in the pulpit, and there has been no new publication or statement from the ICRC raising the issue. The Commission regrets the confusion caused by the previous publication," the agency said.