from Alliance Defending Freedom:
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing two churches, three schools, and a pregnancy center network filed suit in state court Monday to challenge a new Virginia law that forces the nonprofit ministries to abandon their core convictions in hiring and other polices or face fines up to $100,000 for each violation. ADF attorneys also filed suit in federal court on behalf of a Virginia wedding and special-event photographer challenging the same law for forcing him to use his artistic talents to photograph same-sex weddings if he photographs weddings between one man and one woman.
The Virginia Values Act, enacted July 1, compels churches, religious schools, and Christian ministries to hire employees who do not share their stated beliefs on marriage, sexuality, and gender identity. A companion law requires the ministries and others like them to include in employee health care plans coverage for sex reassignment and “gender affirming” surgeries that run contrary to their beliefs. It also prohibits the ministries from offering sex-specific classes for parenting, Christian discipleship, and sports.
“The faith of many Americans inspires them to act for the good of their neighbors and also requires them to abide by its teachings,” said ADF Senior Counsel Denise Harle. “Our clients offer spiritual guidance, education, pregnancy support, and athletic opportunities to their communities because of the religious beliefs that motivate them. But Virginia’s new law forces these ministries to abandon and adjust their convictions or pay crippling fines—in direct violation of the Virginia Constitution and other state laws. Such government hostility toward people of faith has no place in a free society.”
The law also forbids photographer Bob Updegrove from publicly explaining on his studio’s own website the religious reasons why he only celebrates wedding ceremonies between one man and one woman. Virginia considers such communications “discriminatory” on the basis of sexual orientation. The new law threatens initial fines of up to $50,000 and then $100,000 per additional violation, along with court orders that could force Updegrove to photograph events against his conscience if he wants to stay in business.
“Every American, including artists, should be free to peacefully live and work according to their faith without fear of unjust punishment,” said ADF Senior Counsel Jonathan Scruggs, director of the ADF Center for Conscience Initiatives. “Because of Virginia’s new law, photographers like Bob face an impossible choice: violate the law and risk bankruptcy, promote views against their faith, or close down. The government cannot demand that artists create content that violates their deepest convictions.”
ADF attorneys filed Calvary Road Baptist Church v. Herring in the Virginia Circuit Court for the County of Loudon. The complaint explains how the state’s law violates the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act and various provisions of the Virginia Constitution, including Free Exercise, Free Speech, Freedom of Association, Establishment Clause, and Due Process rights.
The complaint in Updegrove v. Herring, which ADF attorneys filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, explains how the state law violates various provisions of the U.S. Constitution, including the First Amendment’s Free Speech and Free Exercise clauses. Specifically, the lawsuit challenges Va. Code § 2.2-3904(B), which forces Updegrove to participate in and to create photographs promoting same-sex wedding ceremonies—all because he does the same to celebrate weddings between a man and a woman.
True Discernment 
Unfortunately when churches across this land fall prey 2 constitutions that are twisted to fall into a nonprofit organization it takes power away from them we as the church singular or the government and should not be imposed and I’ll tell you why this is hard to swallow but it is the truth the Roman Catholic Diocese started a 10% tax in 598 ad they use this money for their War chest because they were being besieged by the Vikings and Druids and pagans they called it have all things a money tithe so there is no money tithes in the New Testament this is a man-made Doctrine and it is a bondage to God’s people we are supposed to freely give from our hearts the free will and take the oversight God says so because the church is at large have kept this man-made Doctrine they will be imposed and their power will be taken away from them because this is the plan of God to expose them nothing can stop this as long as they stand in fried against God’s people they will be judged for this read the book of Jude even 1st Corinthians 10 shows us that we’re supposed to be speaking the same thing across all the churches that’s how we stay in unity we need to reprove and rebuke this terrible man-made Doctrine there’s only a few more years left as a Watchman on the wall this is a warning from God he loves you and he wants to protect you this is what he says come out of her it’s not just the Roman Catholic Diocese it’s all the rest of the ones that are doing the same bidding in Revelation it talks about the Harlot Church she is the mother of all harlots that means all those that are under her and do her bidding are connected with her across-the-board None Shall Escape if they continue to do this to God’s people amen