A ministry based in Colorado has decided to cancel student conferences that were supposed to take place in California due to a pending legislation aimed at restricting attempts to change a person's sexual identity.
Summit Ministries recently announced on its website that it will no longer hold the two student conferences scheduled at Biola University this June and July due to the passage of the AB2943 at the California House.
The bill in question reportedly seeks to ban "efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex," CBN News reported.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) noted that the legislation would ban books that instructs people to trust in Jesus Christ to help them get rid of gender dysphoria or same-sex attraction.
ADF attorney Matt Sharp argued that the Bible itself could be banned because of its teaching on the "importance of sexual purity within the confines of marriage between a man and woman."
According to the ministry, the measure also intends to amend the state's Business and Professions Code so that goods and services "offering to engage in, or engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual" would be considered as deceptive business practices.
Dr. Jeff Myers, the president of the Summit Ministries, described the bill as "the most blatant chilling of free speech in America in my lifetime."
He noted that the ministry's program is focused on helping students develop an "intelligent, defensible Christian worldview" before they attend college.
"Our speakers are leading Christian experts who base their presentations on theology as well as sociology, psychology and science. But the wording of AB2943 is a dog whistle to the left that intelligent Christians holding traditional views are fair game for discrimination, smears and frivolous lawsuits," he stated in a news release.
The ministry noted that the proposed law applies to its programs because it includes speakers who affirm the traditional definition of marriage as well as those who recommend avoiding sexual activities that are not approved in the Bible.
Myers argued that AB2943 would impede the ministry's ability to teach students, noting that it is common for participants to ask questions about gender identity confusion and sexual attraction as it relates to their faith.
The ministry noted that the conferences scheduled for this summer in Colorado, Tennessee and Pennsylvania will go ahead as planned.
The group has urged California residents to "rise up and challenge their representatives to respect biblical values."
