Dear President Harrison,

Below is what I sent to my adult children. Thank you for standing for truth in these trying times.

It is with sadness that I heard the news of yesterday concerning the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage. This is not an equal rights issue but a redefinition of marriage. It is also the beginning of a new wave of discrimination against Christians. Please read the response by the president of our LCMS, Matthew Harrison, https://reporter.lcms.org/2015/synod-president-responds-to-scotus-same-sex-marriage-ruling. Christian photographers, florists and bakers who refuse to provide their services for gay weddings have already been faced with lawsuits that have or will drive many of them out of business. But that is not the end. I believe the government will, in the not too distant future, use its power of money to punish Christian schools and colleges who will not honor same-sex marriage. For e.g. students attending Christian colleges like our Concordias may no longer be eligible for Pell grants. Can the church itself remain faithful to God's Word and not feel the sting? Already in Houston the mayor tried to force pastors to submit sermons in which they dealt with the subject of homosexuality. She finally backed off when she was counseled that this was a violation of the First Amendment. There will no doubt be attempts by the government to reinterpret this amendment to exclude what they will say is "hate speech." Mind you, we do not hate anyone. We do not put ourselves above any one because we believe that we are all sinners in need of God's grace. We love our enemies and pray for them. And when they persecute us we will forgive them. But we cannot teach that something that the Bible says is sin is not. Persecution will come but we must choose now to remain faithful. Like Luther we must say, "My conscience is bound by the Word of God. Here I stand. I can do no other."