Sen. David Long’s Uneasy Relationship with the Truth

 Sen. David Long Facebook Post

The picture accompanying this blog post is a snap shot from Indiana State Senator David Long’s (GOP) campaign Facebook page. As you may notice, Senator Long is calling into question the integrity of his opponents with regards to his involvement in the recent SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) debates revolving around SB100/344. His claim is that he is a champion of religious liberty and he never considered the codification of a transgender “bathroom” bill. As I understand, media ads are being run in his district touting such claims. It leaves the impression that his opponents are simply making things up or lying about his record.

I do not wish to think too highly of myself, but I am one of those opponents who has been vocal in this debate and through the media. I am also a pastor who takes exception to my integrity being questioned no matter how veiled or unintended it may be. An accusation towards a person whose livelihood and credibility revolves around integrity deserves a response. So, I will start with this…

Senator Long has an uneasy relationship with the truth.

As a young person growing up, I was always told that a “half-truth” is still a “whole-lie”. To leave out information in a narrative leads people to a false conclusion which is in fact a falsehood. Some might say this is politics. The Bible clearly teaches that for Christians (which Senator Long so vehemently claims as his faith) refers to it as manipulation. Senator Long is hoping the conservative Christian community has a short memory, especially in his home district. However, facts are stubborn things and the facts in this instance reveal his narrative is simply not the case. It is rare that I might reference the Indy Star, but you can easily reference the following facts I will share by a simple Google search through the Star. You may want to start with the following link:

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/01/17/senate-gop-leader-david-long-wades-into-center-indiana-gay-rights-debate/78795194/

Let us, however, go back in time a few months earlier with regards to the history of this debate. Remember the RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) debacle? Remember Governor Pence signing this bill to help strengthen religious freedom because people of faith were concerned about the eroding climate they were facing with regards to religious conscience in the marketplace? And do you also remember the hysteria that followed with regards to Indiana suddenly becoming discriminatory and bigoted towards LGBT concerns? Remember…the sky was falling. Corporations were going to pull untold millions of dollars out of the Indiana economy. The NCAA was going to cancel the tournament. Christians were actually bigots and homophobes. Do you remember?

Do you also remember who whipped up the GOP caucus and said that RFRA had to be “fixed”? Do you remember who forced this new legislation through in record, no change that…historical speed (one week) which actually turned the tables on Christian businesspeople and threw us under the legislative bus? Do you remember who held the press conference to announce this “fix” and stood with radical LGBT activists with not one clergy member, no religious leader, or faith and family advocate in the room? Do you remember who promised at that conference that the Indiana Senate would come back after this so-called “fix” and implement SOGI legislation?

Let me remind you…It was Senator David Long.

And do you also remember how all through the summer and fall of 2015, we were assured that there was no talk of a surprise SOGI legislative effort. I was personally assured by a leading GOP Senator, 30 days before Organization Day in November, that there was no secret attempt at forcing a SOGI Bill through the senate. His quote before a room of conservative activists was, “I am in leadership and I would know if such a thing was in the works. You are just ‘whipping’ up the troops”. And yet on Organization Day, SB100 was submitted (which included transgender bathroom provisions) and guess who had to approve it?

Let me remind you…It was Senator David Long.

Do you remember which committee it was assigned to? Yep…Senator David Long’s Rules Committee which he conveniently chairs. Do you remember that it was only because of our pressure that the transgender portion of the bill was removed and it became SB344? And do you recall in both bills there were “carve outs” (exceptions) for certain religious organizations and certain businesses (as long as they were under 4-6 employees) but not small businesses run by sincere, faithful Christian people?

I really don’t want to re-argue the concerns of both SB100/344, but for Senator Long to suggest that he is the champion of religious liberty is sheer revisionist history. To now hide behind the senate as a whole by stating that this was what they wanted to do is disingenuous. To suggest that these bills somehow championed religious liberty is laughable. It may have protected a few organizations, but it exposed untold thousands of Christians to unnecessary but looming lawsuits who were running businesses that honored God and their religious conscience. Senator Long was the point person with power that was willing to open the door to litigation in Indiana which we have seen in other states. And by the way, who is Senator Long to think he is the one who bestows liberty upon some and not upon others. He is an elected official…not a monarch. That is why pastors and churches mobilized to oppose Senator Long. That is why he finds himself in an incredibly tight primary race.

Add on top of that, Senator Long is on record in the media calling us “simplistic” and our views “odious and limited”. His name calling continues by saying we (Bible-believing, Liberty-loving Christians) are “narrow-minded”, “hateful”, and “intolerant”. The legislation he oversaw would literally fine us for simply practicing our faith in the marketplace.

And he has the temerity to call himself the “champion of religious liberty”.

Senator Long has an uneasy relationship with the truth…and reality.