In his dissent to the Obergefell decision, which redefined marriage in June 2015, Justice Samuel Alito issued a sobering warning: “I assume that those who cling to old beliefs… if they repeat those views in public will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.”

A decade later, his prediction has become reality. The redefinition of marriage has ushered in the deconstruction of cultural norms — including gender and even language.

Just ask Pastor Luke Ash.

Luke, a bi-vocational pastor, was hired as a library technician at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. He hoped the job would allow him to continue supporting his family while remaining faithful to his pastoral calling. But last week, one pronoun ended his employment.

When Luke declined to refer to a female coworker by male pronouns, citing his Christian convictions, he was told he had violated the library’s DEI policy. The same policy claims to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion — but apparently not for Christians who believe biological sex is immutable.

Luke was offered a choice: comply with the policy or lose his job. He chose conscience over compromise.

“I’m not going to lie,” he told his supervisor. “I cannot do it. I will not do it.” The next day, he was fired.

A listener who heard my interview with Pastor Luke asked, “What would Jesus do?” It’s a good question — and Scripture answers it.

In John 4, Jesus engages a Samaritan woman at a well. He initiates a conversation about “living water.” When the woman expresses interest, Jesus says, “Go, call your husband.” She replies, “I have no husband.” Jesus responds, “You are right… you’ve had five husbands, and the man you are now living with, is not your husband.”

Jesus didn’t avoid the truth to preserve the woman’s feelings. He addressed her sin — not to condemn her, but to free her. She believed, and her life was transformed.

Jesus wouldn’t lie to spare offense — and neither did Luke.

It is somewhat ironic that the library has a policy not to fine patrons who do not return books on time or return them at all, yet they fire employees who refuse to engage in forced speech, and play along with a lie.

During our interview, Luke described how the library selectively restricts access to books they disagree with, while accusing others of “banning” books.

“They think it’s a sin to ban books,” he said, “but they in effect ban them by not buying them, or making them hard to find. If you can pretend a book doesn’t exist, that’s even more effective.”

Pretending is the new orthodoxy. Pretend men can become women. Pretend truth is hate. Pretend that lying is virtuous—so long as it affirms the new creed.

But truth matters. And playing along with a lie doesn’t honor others — it erodes freedom.

Pastor Luke’s story is a wake-up call. Religious liberty is being squeezed out of public life, not through violence, but through policies dressed in the language of tolerance. When government-funded institutions can demand that people deny reality — or lose their jobs — every American should take notice.

Now is the time to stand. Not with anger, but with conviction. Not with hostility, but with truth.

Because Jesus wouldn’t lie — and neither should we.

Republished from The Washington Stand.