Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth with the Colson Center on Johnstone Street. On July 16th, Alliance Defending Freedom filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Eric and Sarah Smith, the owners of Born Again Used Books in Colorado Springs. The suit asserts that Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act violates the First Amendment rights of citizens by compelling speech that goes against conscience. Under the new law, all places of public accommodation are required to refer to people however they demand, including so-called preferred pronouns. and also that so-called misgendering or dead naming could lead to legal action.
The Smith's lawsuit argues that independent bookstores like theirs have always served as places where ideas can be cultivated and discussed. Thus, and I quote, the government has no business infringing on that editorial discretion or telling bookstores what to say, what views to affirm, or what sides to pick in ideological debates, end quote. That's exactly what the law does, and not just for bookstores. Here's how the ADF statement about the case puts it, quote, although Born Again Used Books happily sells its products to everyone, Colorado now compels the bookstore to speak using pronouns and titles based on a person's preferred gender expression, thereby requiring the store to prioritize a person's professed identity over biological reality. That violates the Christian bookstore's beliefs and the First Amendment.
End quote.
Well, I've known Eric and Sarah Smith for about two decades now. In addition to running Born Again Books, Eric's a full-time pastor and Sarah homeschools their children. They are wonderful people. And yet the state of Colorado seems committed to targeting wonderful people, especially if they are people of faith. Thankfully, ADF continues to be there to help push back against this overreaching state.
It all began, of course, with Jack Phillips, the baker who's been in and out of litigation for well over a decade now. After going all the way to the Supreme Court and winning, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission went after Jack Phillips again. Even after dropping their case, the state then allowed a transgender man who believes he is female to target and repeatedly harass Jack. Given that context and so many more cases since, it's important that anyone who is willing to push back against the state of Colorado, especially legislators and bureaucrats, will first count the cost. The state of Colorado has doubled down on radical transgender ideology in particular.
something that hardly anyone ever believed just a few years ago and something that increasingly few are still willing to support today. And yet, despite having lost so much ground scientifically, medically and culturally on this issue, the state has chosen to attempt to force citizens into compliance. Earlier this summer, the state backed down from attempting to force Camp Idrahaji, a Christian overnight camp, from forcing female campers to share their private facilities with males. That's good news.
However, given that this new regulation specifically targets places of public accommodation, especially storefronts, it's not clear whether or not the state will back down in the case of born-again books. There's good reason to think that if the Colorado courts do not uphold this missed freedom of speech and religion, the Supreme Court would. But that journey between here and there is quite a long one. Though the higher courts consistently side with Americans' right to believe and speak according to their conscience, the state of Colorado has consistently made the whole process the punishment.
So please pray for the Smiths and for born-again used books. If the state can compel Christian business owners to speak against their deeply held beliefs, it will then do so in areas beyond bookstores and bakeries. The protections of the First Amendment apply to everyone. no matter the political leanings of the state. If you live in or near Colorado Springs, stop by Born Again Use Books.
Give them some business. And you can always learn more about their case at adflegal.org. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint. Today's Breakpoint was co-authored with Dr. Timothy Padgett.
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