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A Christian summer camp in Colorado is suing over a gender policy it says could shut it down.
Camp IdRaHaJe in Bailey, Colorado, is asking a court to allow it to follow its sincerely held religious beliefs and separate campers by sex and not gender identity, The Denver Post reported.
The Post headlines read: "Christian summer camp says Colorado will shut it down over gender policy."
"Camp IdRaHaJe separates campers by sex rather than by their gender identity, which violates new licensing rules."
The Left is relentless in its attempt to rule the Christian church and our deeply held religious beliefs.
Be informed, not misled.
The kids' summer camp was founded in 1948 and has hosted thousands of kids over the years.
The camp's name, "IdRaHaJe," comes from the gospel song "I'd rather have Jesus."
The Denver Post begins its featured story with this:
A Christian summer camp in the foothills near Bailey expects to be shut down by state regulators in the coming months unless a federal judge decides that it can legally separate campers by sex rather than by their gender identity.
Camp IdRaHaJe, a portmanteau for “I’d rather have Jesus,” was founded in 1948 and operates week-long summer programs for children ages six to 17 on its 262 acres. The camp expects to host 2,500 to 3,000 youngsters this summer, according to a May 12 lawsuit.
It also expects that a licensing specialist will arrive in June or July to determine whether the camp is in compliance with state regulations. He or she will learn then that it is not.
Last year, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which licenses camps, adopted new rules requiring licensees to let campers use bathrooms, showers, and bedrooms that align with their gender identity. Camp IdRaHaJe says that it requested an exemption on religious grounds, which was not granted, and that it will not comply with those rules.
The camp’s doctrinal statement, which is an exhibit to its lawsuit, teaches that “God has immutably created each person as either male or female in His image” and “the differentiation of the sexes, male and female, is part of the divine image in the human race.”
Andrea Dill, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, who is representing the camp, says in a press release, “The government has no place telling religious summer camps that it is ‘lights out’ for upholding their religious beliefs about human sexuality."
The release also says, “Camp IdRaHaJe exists to present the truth of the Gospel to children who are building character and lifelong memories. But the Colorado government is putting its dangerous agenda—that is losing popularity across the globe—ahead of its kids. We are urging the court to allow IdRaHaJe to operate as it has for over 75 years: as a Christian summer camp that accepts all campers without fear of being punished for its beliefs.”
Each year, 2,500 to 3,000 students attend, and the camp’s mission is to “win souls to Jesus Christ through the spreading of the Gospel.” The camp is open to children of all backgrounds and beliefs, and parents are asked to agree to the camp’s policies when registering.
ADF attorneys note in their complaint in Camp IdRaHaJe Association v. Roy that the camp met all of Colorado’s resident camp licensing requirements until the recent amendment. The department annually inspects camps, and any reported violation of regulations risks a loss of license and shutting the camp down. The department allows individualized exemptions, but it refused to grant the camp an exemption from the amendment that violated its religious beliefs.
This is how Leftist government rolls.
Rules for thee, but not for me.
At the same time, the state of Colorado is trying to silence and destroy the Christian camp, it is also recommitting to advancing the LGBTQ-trans movement.
The Post also ran this article:
Colorado law now explicitly protects transgender people from being “deadnamed” or misgendered in certain places under legislation signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis.
Passed as House Bill 1312, the new law is formally named for Kelly Loving, a transgender woman who died in the 2022 mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs. The law expands the state’s antidiscrimination laws, which apply to settings like workplaces and schools, to include provisions related to using a person’s chosen name and referring to them how they wish.
It also makes it easier for people to change their gender identity on birth certificates and driver’s licenses, and to change their names on marriage licenses.
“The Kelly Loving Act is a beacon of hope to trans people across the country,” Z Williams, whose law firm Bread and Roses supported HB-1312, said Friday. “Our organizing works. Hope is still alive. To be trans is to know how to struggle. We will not stop this work until every trans person is safe and free.”
The bill’s journey through the legislature included conservative pushback and political wrangling among LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. On Friday, Polis signed the bill administratively, without issuing a statement or holding a ceremony.
Why the secrecy?
Takeaway
Rules for thee, but not for me.
I pray we hear the kids singing "I'd Rather Have Jesus" at IdRaHaJe this summer.
Lyrics:
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold
I'd rather be His than have riches untold
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin's dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today
I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame
Yes, I'd rather be true to His holy name
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin's dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful.
