RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEEKLY

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEEKLY ARTICLES

“The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy but cannot disjoin them.” ― Thomas Jefferson

In Oct. 2020 nine pro-life activists participated in a “rescue” they believed could prevent the taking of innocent lives at an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. This abortion clinic was shown in a 2013 undercover film taken by the pro-life group, Live Action. During that video an abortionist states that if a baby survives the abortion, and that some had, there would be no medical care provided and that the child would soon expire.

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act was signed into law in August of 2002. It says from the point of birth forward a child who is born alive is to have the care that any child born at that gestational age would have as well as the same rights as any child.

A year and a half after the “rescue”, with predawn raids, the nine were arrested and charged under the FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) plus a civil rights conspiracy charge. A FACE Act conviction calls for a maximum one-year prison term. A conspiracy conviction carries up to ten years in prison and fines up to $350,000.

At September 2023 trials in Washington D.C. eight activists were convicted of both charges. One had pleaded guilty. The actions of the activists inside the clinic, recorded on a security video, were shown during the trial on behalf of the prosecution. According to many who saw it that video showed the only violence was from clinic workers pushing and hitting the activists with a broom stick. Nevertheless, the judge stated that this was a crime of violence and, in a highly unusual action, instructed that all defendants be immediately incarcerated even before any sentence had been decided.

1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

September 2023: Pro Life Activists Convicted and Immediately Imprisoned

October 1, 2023

"Conscience is the most sacred of all property." —James Madison, 1792.

Those who insist there is no problem with America’s religious liberty are uninformed and unaware of the daily encroachments and denials of 1st Amendment rights to follow the faith of one’s choice, not beliefs chosen by government, and to live and exercise that faith openly free from government restraint. An American who believes that the ability to “go to church on Sunday” is evidence of religious freedom has no understanding of the critical difference between freedom of worship and freedom of religion. Such ignorance of the fullness of the protection intended by our founders and built into the 1st amendment, endangers freedom of religion for all as well as the full array of our liberties whose basis is freedom of conscience.

Thankfully, the Supreme Court has recently issued several opinions critical to the integrity of true religious freedom. The courts explanations clarify Constitutional religious freedom and empower Americans of all faiths to understand and defend what the USCCB frequently calls our First Freedom.

The opinions from the highest court impact Catholic Social Services, the Little Sisters of the Poor, Catholic schools, extreme government restrictions on the right to worship during Covid and more.

Read about some of the opinions: bit.ly/3EH4HII bit.ly/45UIfbk bit.ly/3RnBjyJ

Read about support for Religious Freedom increasing in America: bit.ly/3PCqisg

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." —The Constitution. First Amendment.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

New Hope for Religious Freedom in the United States

September 24, 2023

The 1ST amendment to the US Constitution definitively protects the conscience rights and free exercise of faith of all Americans. Each year, however, the denials of 1st amendment religious freedom become more numerous, unmistakable, and severe. The increased vandalism and destruction of statues, shrines and churches parallels an increasing intolerance for believers and their right to worship, let alone bring their faith into the public square of ideas as was intended by our founders. Founding father John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Americans whose religious freedom is denied can contact multiple law firms, mostly supported by donations, which focus on defending their conscience rights as well as their right to openly live their faith in schools, communities, work, the military and the larger public square.

For example, First Liberty Institute of Plano, TX successfully defended Coach Kennedy, a school football coach fired by his school district for taking a knee after football games to pray, silently and alone, on the 50th yard line. Over time players from both teams voluntarily came to join Coach Kennedy in silent prayer. After 7 years of court action the Supreme Court’s opinion was that Coach Kennedy and all public-school teachers may engage in brief personal prayer in public view of others, including students.

Another example is the lawsuit filed by Becket Law to gain access for Catholics to Colorado’s universal, government funded preschool at the public or private school of the parents’ choice. The state, however, denies this benefit to students in Catholic preschools.

Also. Thomas More Society attorneys successfully challenged Illinois state’s new law which attacked pro-life maternal healthcare centers. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys have defended prospective adoptive parents against several states’ laws which deny adoption to parents who do not agree with the state’s gender ideology.

Knowing there is support available to protect religious liberty empowers us to preserve that liberty.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Defense of the Religious Freedom of Firefighters, High School Football Players, Navy Seals, Catholic Schools and Parishes, Right to Life Groups – Defended Pro Bono by Law Firms of Dedicated Attorneys

September 10, 2023

"The happy union of these states is a wonder; their Constitution is a miracle; their example the hope of liberty throughout the world." -James Madison

"The U.S. Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties, freedoms and inalienable rights." (1) In 1956, the Daughters of the American Revolution started the celebration of the Constitution adopted by Congress. Then, in 2004, Sen. Robert Byrd, correctly believing that American school children lacked significant knowledge regarding the Constitution, proposed an amendment, passed by Congress, requiring that all educational institutions receiving federal funds implement educational programs relating to the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17 every year, celebrating the signing of the Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.

This Constitution is the world's longest surviving written charter of government with its first 3 words, "We the People", affirming that the government of these United States exists to serve its citizens. "...its framers wisely separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the state and federal governments." (2)

"To prevent the abuses of power they felt under the British monarchy, the Founding Fathers framed the Constitution carefully, distributing power over three branches of government, outlining its powers, limitations on those powers, and the rights of citizens." (3) The three branches were to have equal powers, called "checks and balances." "Powers not assigned to one of the three branches are left to the individual states." (4)

Some of the original delegates from the states were troubled that the original Constitution lacked a description of individual rights. In 1791, Americans added the first 10 Amendments known as the Bill of Rights. The first and foundational right is: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ..." (5)

(dar.org(1); ciis.edu(2)(5); nationalday.com(3)(4); trinitydc.edu; uscode.house.gov.; Constitution of the United States

Remembering September 11, 2001

We pray, especially today, for those killed in the attack on our city, country and liberties. We pray for comfort for their loved ones as a nation still grieving the loss of each one of them. Let our lives reflect respect and appreciation for the liberties they had no chance to defend that day.

If the liberties they lived are to prevail, each generation must be taught the bedrock of our liberties is inalienable rights from our Creator. The natural rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness guided our founders to construct a Constitution written for “ages and millions yet unborn” …a Constitution not bounded by culture or by technology but by the immutable nature of man and his reliance on God.

Those Americans who died on Sept. 11, 2001, lived in the freedom to follow their faith or to choose no faith. They were not forced to behave or worship according to the dictates of any government. They were not subject to an all-powerful culture or government selecting winners and losers, rich and poor, respected and vilified. We honor them by living those freedoms and insuring them for their loved ones

As we remember the joy of their lives and the anguish of their loss, we pray for the repose of their souls in the comforting arms of the Savior of us all. May they rest in peace and may we protect and preserve the liberties for which they were so grievously attacked.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Celebrating Constitution Week, September 13-19, in All Schools

September 10, 2023

After both served in the military, Steve and Bridget Tennes moved back to the family farm where Steve was born, Country Hill Farms, in Charlotte, MI. The farming life particularly satisfied Steve and Brigid as it gave them the chance to work together and raise their children according to their Catholic beliefs. Their stated mission is to glorify God through their work and so were known to host events which resulted in contributions of thousands of apples to charitable organizations, providing quality, exceptional housing for their seasonal workers and also supporting an organization helping veterans to get a start in farming.

For years they had sold their products at a seasonal farmers market in East Lansing, MI, but were quickly banned from the market when city officials saw a Facebook posting where Steve and Bridget were asked about their beliefs about marriage. True to their Catholic faith, they answered that they believe marriage is between one man and one woman.

Officials from East Lansing saw the post, insisted that the Tennes were not adhering to the city’s ‘s non-discrimination policy and immediately began working to keep the family from participating in the market. A city policy was written specifically targeting the Tennes and then eliminating them as market vendors.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal-advocacy group, represented the Tennes and filed a complaint against the city of East Lansing in 2017. On Aug. 21, 2023, a district court ruled that the city could not deny access to the market to the Tennes based on their religious beliefs. The court said the City had placed “a burden” on the religious beliefs of Steve and Bridget by insisting they choose between their faith and their participation in a public benefit (the city’s farmers market).

The ADF attorneys see the court’s decision as an important win in the protection of religious freedom.

“It (religion) is an essential element of a constitutional state; it cannot be denied without at the same time encroaching on all fundamental rights and freedoms, since it is their synthesis and keystone." -Pope Benedict

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Court Finds Catholic Farm Family Was Wrongfully Denied Access to a Local Farmers Market Because of Their Deeply Held Religious Beliefs

September 3, 2023

National Catholic Register, Catholic League, Catholic News Agency, Cardinal Dolan, etc. Respond to News of Three FBI Offices Involved in Labeling Traditional Catholics as Radical and Possible White Supremacists

“Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion.” -John Adams

A Jan. 23, 2023, leaked memo from the FBI’s Richmond, VA office shocked America’s religious leaders and citizens of all faiths by its directing that the FBI should surveil Catholics who attend the Traditional Latin Mass and certain organizations such as The Remnant and Fatima Crusader as possible violent white supremacists. When this memo was leaked the FBI director responded that the memo was not in keeping with the FBI’s standards, was the product of one office, Richmond, and would be immediately removed.

However, on July 25, at the insistence of the House Judiciary Committee, the FBI again released their Richmond office’s memo with fewer redactions which revealed that FBI offices in Portland and Los Angeles had contributed to the document labeling traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists..

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Religious Freedom, objected to the document as being offensive, troubling and showing religious profiling. Bishop Barry Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond called out the memo as being in violation of religious freedom and he pointed out that a preference for the traditional Mass of the church and adhering to the church’s teachings on marriage, family and human sexuality do not indicate any kind of extremism. He called upon Virginia’s elected leaders to condemn this attack on 1st amendment religious liberty.

The House Judiciary Committee, in light of this new information, continues its investigation of this matter.

"Unless we work hard to keep our religious liberty, we are going to lose it," -Archbishop Charles Chaput

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

FBI Offices Involved in Labeling Traditional Catholics as Radical and Possible White Supremacists

August 27, 2023

“To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." -George Washington

Of the five freedoms in the first amendment of the Constitution, religious freedom is first and asserts a robust exercise of faith and morals in every part of our lives free from government intrusion. Supporting religious freedom are the other four 1st amendment freedoms: freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly and of redress of grievances.
The United States is not a “Christian Nation”… that would be a theocracy, but is founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic which says all men are created equal and must be free to follow their conscience in the service of their God.
“The wall of separation between church and state” was a phrase used by Pres. Thomas Jefferson to assure the Danbury Baptists that their rights of conscience and free exercise came from God, not from government and are protected from government control by the 1st Amendment.
Tolerance is not a virtue, per Abp. Chaput. The toleration of extreme evil is itself evil.
“There is no other subject on which the average mind is so much confused as the subject of tolerance and intolerance. Tolerance applies only to persons, but never to principles. Intolerance applies only to principles, but never to persons.” -Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust Survivor said, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” “Silence is consent.”

- We must learn to never apologize or be ashamed of Christ, the Catholic Church, the Bible, our faith and religious practices. The supposed tolerance that requires people of faith to be silenced is a lie and is the worst of intolerance.

- If we silence ourselves, self-censor our speech, for fear of offending, we will place the strongest shackles on America’s liberties. Christ told us that to follow Him we must pick up his cross. Christ promised us suffering for his sake.

“We cannot grow weary of defending the freedom God gives us.” -B. Samuells, CFFR

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Learn and Live God’s Gift of Religious Freedom: Part 2

August 20, 2023

“A diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” -James Madison

Our Creator, not a king, emperor or elected government, is the source of each man’s unalienable rights as asserted in our Declaration of Independence
The Pilgrims came to America, not for religious freedom, but to escape religious persecution.
In our colonies only certain Christian denominations were chartered or allowed. No one could preach or practice a faith not included in the charter. Christians persecuted other Christians over denominational differences.
By the time of the founding the colonists saw that religious persecution in the colonies was the same evil that had caused them to flee to America.
Our founders knew the history of their forefathers of centuries of religious dictates. They did not want to repeat the mistakes of government-dictated religion because history was clear ... it always led to tyranny and persecution.
Our founders were men of faith who believed in the Bible as the greatest of all books
and source of moral knowledge…and believed in a final judgment where each would stand before his Creator and answer for what he had done and he had failed to do.
Therefore, they believed that each man must be free to follow his conscience. John Leland, Baptist minister and Founding Father, said, “If government can answer for individuals at the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise let men be free.”

“It is favourable to liberty.Freedom can exist only in the society of knowledge.” -Founding Father Dr. Benjamin Rush

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Learn and Live God’s Gift of Religious Freedom: Part 1

August 13, 2023

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Report shows Six Times Increase

Our founders often spoke and acted in support of freedom of conscience and the free exercise of religion for all Americans. They learned from the history of generations of their forefathers that when government interferes in the individual’s faith and practices, tyranny and bloodshed were the usual results.

The 1st amendment of the United States’ Constitution protects each citizen’s right to believe and to practice their faith or to choose not to profess any religious beliefs.

The free expression of faith in every aspect of our lives is protected and expected but frequently denied unnecessarily and unconstitutionally in the workplace. Instances of religious discrimination often take the form of

denial of hiring, being fired or denied promotion
being harassed over religious beliefs, dress and food choices
failure to accommodate religious holy days, not allowing religious icons displayed in the employee’s workspace or banning religiously-observant clothing.

The latest report from the EEOC shows that from 2021 to 2022 the instances of complaints of religious discrimination in the workplace surged from 2,111 to 13,814. The increase is sharp and alarming and may or may not reflect all the discrimination that actually occurs.

Read more about religious freedom issues here: bit.ly/3YawN88 bit.ly/473JdmB

“The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” -Thomas Jefferson

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Religious Discrimination in the Workplace Surges to an All Time High

August 6, 2023

“We belong to the Church militant; and She is militant because on earth the powers of darkness are ever restless to encompass Her destruction.” -Pope Pius XII, 1953

The recent “honor” given to an anti-Catholic group by the LA Dodgers demonstrates that anti-Catholic sentiment can be publicly applauded with no fear of push back from a majority of Americans. The threat to all their freedoms posed by a Godless culture is unknown by most Americans because we have long failed to teach the Judeo-Christian foundations of our nation.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco expressed his gratitude to Catholics and Christians who joined together at the California stadium in protest of the Dodger’s event and also protested at the capitol where a leader of the group was honored by some California lawmakers.

Pope Pius XII, Pope Benedict, Pope Francis and Cardinal Dolan are among church clergy who have called for the laity to use their charism (a special gift, an extraordinary power) from the Holy Spirit to fulfill the missions of the church.

We lay Catholics have the personal responsibility to learn, understand and teach others the meaning and effects of the freedom to believe as we choose and practice our faith without persecution or derision.
Our Declaration of Independence asserts that our inalienable rights come from our Creator. Therefore, no king or emperor or tyrant may tell Americans which inalienable rights they may and may not practice.
Americans are blessed to live under a Constitution whose 1st Amendment protects us with a wall of separation, as explained by Pres. Thomas Jefferson, which directs our government not to interfere in our God given rights of conscience.

Ten years ago Catholic laity in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. NY came together to learn and teach the facts of religious freedom to fellow parishioners. With the support and encouragement of then Bishop William Murphy the group organized speaking events, religious freedom rallies, public witness rosaries, a student education video and materials, a Rosary for America booklet and initiative and much more. On their website www.cffor.org there are a series of weekly lessons providing an efficient education in the facts and importance of religious freedom.

Read more about religious freedom issues here: bit.ly/3rBdw3M bit.ly/44TQ2VP

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood; but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. -Eph. 6:11,12

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Catholic Laity Called to Defend the Church and Religious Freedom for All

July 30, 2023

Some providers of creative services, such as web sites, tee shirts, cakes and floral arrangements have followed their consciences in support of traditional marriage and declined to use their creative abilities to celebrate and thereby approve and endorse same sex unions. They have offered all other of their services to same sex couples, but for these unique, very personal, products and services they explain their beliefs and offer referrals to other vendors.

Many lawsuits have been filed attempting to force these creative business owners to speak out in support of same sex unions through their unique designs. Such a case is the one where Christian website designer, Lori Smith, who owns the business, Creative-303. Lori wanted to expand her business while sustaining her deeply held beliefs on traditional marriage.

However, as in the case of Jack Philips, the baker who also declined his artistic expression in support of same sex unions, Lori faced the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act which would force her as well as the baker, to accept these projects.

After losing the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis case in a lower court, Alliance Defending Freedom presented the case before the Supreme Court. The opinion of the Supreme Court, in favor of Creative-303, was that the Colorado law deprived citizens of their right to free speech.

Read more here: bit.ly/3PQkbRF bit.ly/3pO1Alu

"Whatever you do, think of the Glory of God as your main goal.” -John Bosco

"If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe but yourself." -St Augustine

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Supreme Court Opinion Supports Freedom of Speech while also Strengthening Freedom of Religion

July 23, 2023

On the first anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Supreme Court decision

which ended nearly 50 years of federal protection of abortion and sent the issue to each state for legislation and regulation, thirty Catholic members of the House of Representatives signed a letter asserting that their Catholic faith plus St. John Paul II’s Christifidelis Laici compel them to defend abortion.

In response, a statement was issued by the president and leaders of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

They explained that this assertion by the members of Congress who stated the Catholic church’s teaching supported abortion was grievously untrue. The bishops cited specific Catholic church teachings which protect life clearly and absolutely from conception.

The importance of the issue of individual conscience was also addressed by the bishops along with the teaching that conscience does not provide the right to commit evil and take innocent lives.

The Unique Contributions of Christianity to the World

June 25, 2023

By Brandon Showalter, Senior Investigative Reporter

A Missouri Christian university is suing the Biden administration over a federal directive that its lawsuit claims requires religious schools to open their dormitories and showers based on "gender identity.”

The College of the Ozarks, a four-year liberal arts college in Point Lookout, filed a lawsuit in response to a February order from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that forces any entities that receive federal dollars covered by the Fair Housing Act to place transgender-identified biological males into female dormitories and assign them as females’ roommates.

The lawsuit argues that the rule forces religious schools to violate their religious beliefs and states that the order was issued "without notice or the opportunity for public comment." The lawsuit contends that the policy was issued without considering alternative policies that "respect the interests of private religious colleges."

Representing the school is the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, which argues that the directive violates both women's sex-based rights and the school's religious liberties.

“The government cannot and should not force schools to open girls’ dorms to males based on its politically motivated and inappropriate redefinition of ‘sex,’” ADF senior counsel Julie Marie Blake said in a statement.

“Women shouldn’t be forced to share private spaces — including showers and dorm rooms — with males, and religious schools shouldn’t be punished simply because of their beliefs about marriage and biological sex. Government overreach by the Biden administration continues to victimize women, girls, and people of faith by gutting their legal protections, and it must be stopped.”

Christian university sues to block HUD order forcing male student placement in female dorms

June 11, 2023

Tyler Arnold/CNA, Nation, April 6, 2023

An Oregon woman filed a federal lawsuit against the state’s Department of Human Services after she was denied the opportunity to adopt a child because she refused to express support for gender ideology and homosexuality.

The woman, Jessica Bates, filed an application to become certified to adopt a child from the Oregon foster care system. However, to obtain the certification, a person must agree to “respect, accept and support the … sexual orientation, gender identity [and] gender expression … of a child or young adult” who is placed in the home, according to the state’s policy.

Although Bates promised to love and treat any child as her own, she told the certification officer that she “would not support their lifestyle or encourage any behavior related to their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression” if it went against her religious beliefs. The certification officer asked whether she would use a child’s preferred pronouns if he or she ever identified as transgender and whether she would assist a child with transitioning his or her gender through hormone therapy. Bates said she would not.

Because her stance did not comply with DHS regulations, her application was denied. A spokesperson for the state agency was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

Bates, who is receiving pro bono legal representation from Alliance Defending Freedom, argued in her lawsuit that this requirement infringes on her First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion.

“Oregon’s policy amounts to an ideological litmus test: people who hold secular or ‘progressive’ views on sexual orientation and gender identity are eligible to participate in child welfare programs, while people of faith with religiously informed views are disqualified because they don’t agree with the state’s orthodoxy,” ADF Senior Counsel Jonathan Scruggs said in a statement.

“The government can’t exclude certain communities of faith from foster care and adoption services because the state doesn’t like their particular religious beliefs,” he said.
Read more here: bit.ly/3qaOZlc

Oregon Denies Adoption After Woman Refuses to Back Gender Ideology, Homosexuality

June 4, 2023

Janet Stecklein, CNHI Oklahoma, May 17, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s state superintendent must demand that the Bible be removed from public school libraries if he continues his push to ban books containing “graphic pornography,” an advocacy group said.

In a letter to Superintendent Ryan Walters, officials with the Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote that the Bible contains nearly 150 verses displaying a “pornographic view,” yet other books the Republican official has publicly targeted do not contain the “graphic sexual content” from which he wishes to protect children.

State Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, said the Bible is different than the books Walters is attempting to censor. He said the Bible does not use the same graphic sexual depictions in pictures, images or written descriptions as the books Walters is targeting. He also questioned how many public school libraries actually have Bibles on their shelves.

“They’re essentially trying to remove the rights of parents to protect their children from obscene material,” Standridge said. “And to bring the Bible in the conversation is again despicable because their only goal is to somehow put pornography in front of children. I don’t understand why an adult would want to do that.”

Continue Reading at: https://www.enidnews.com/news/advocacy-group-bible-must-be-banned-if-other-books-stripped-from-schools/article_87f7a1a8-f4f2-11ed-a15c-17c1531767de.html

Advocacy group: Bible must be banned if other books stripped from schools

May 28, 2023

The government has seen the light and has abandoned its attempt to force an Oklahoma hospital to blow out a small candle or stop serving elderly, disabled, and low-income patients,” Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at the Becket religious liberty legal group, said May 5 on Twitter.

The chapel’s candle has never been an issue in previous inspections. Other open flames are permitted at hospitals in kitchen stoves and ovens, gas dryers in the laundry room, flames in gas water heaters, and welding for construction purposes, Windham noted.

According to Windham, the hospital candle is “encased in a thick glass globe, which is itself encased in a second glass globe, covered by a bronze top that fits over the second globe.” This globe rests in a bronze holder affixed to the chapel wall. There are fire extinguishing sprinkler heads around the candle and the local fire marshal has long approved it.

During a Feb. 21 inspection, Windham’s letter to CMS recounted, a surveyor from The Joint Commission at Saint Francis Hospital South in Tulsa “expressly asked to go to the chapel to see if there was a living flame.” The surveyor observed to hospital personnel that “other Catholic hospitals had complied and extinguished the living flame at their chapels, substituting it with an electric light.” While federal standards do classify chapel candles as “flame-producing equipment,” these are only barred within one foot of a nasal cannula, a device to provide supplemental oxygen. The hospital candle is never near such a device. The relevant codes and standards of the National Fire Protection Association expressly permit sanctuary candles.

Continue reading here: bit.ly/3Io2Db9

Why was St. Francis Health System in Oklahoma Threatened with Expulsion from Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP Over Its Long-Approved Sanctuary Candle?

May 21, 2023

St. Francis, non-profit Health System in Oklahoma is the 12th largest hospital in the country and serves over400,000 patients each year and has provided over 650 million in free health services over the last five years. For 63 years a sanctuary candle has burned without a problem in the chapel at Saint Francis Hospital Yale Campus where vital healthcare is provided for the elderly, poor and disabled in Oklahoma. The fire marshal and government never complained about the candle until now. The hospital’s attorneys from the Beckett Fund point out that the candle is far from medical equipment and shielded by glass holders and a brass top.

Health and Human Services has mandated the extinguishing of the candle even though the hospital has applied four times for an exemption. Now they are working with the Becket Fund attorneys to protect the hospital system’s right to maintain the living flame in accordance with their 1st Amendment right to religious expression and in keeping with Cannon Law which states that when the Eucharist is present, a lamp must shine continuously. If the hospital is forced to extinguish the candle, they will have to remove the Eucharist from the chapel.

Psalm 30:2 “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.”

Catholic Hospital System Told to Extinguish Their Sanctuary Candle or Lose Their Ability to Help the Poor Through Medicaid, Medicare or CHIP

May 14, 2023

By Andrea M Piccotti-Bayer

National Catholic Register

Roughly 20% of our military personnel are Catholics. Thanks to an incomprehensible decision by the hospital, if they or their dependents end up at Walter Reed, they are no longer guaranteed ready access to the Church's sacraments.

Just days before Holy Week, Walter Reed ended its contract for pastoral care with the Franciscan friars of Holy Name College in nearby Silver Spring, Maryland. Incredibly, they are being replaced by a secular government contractor that offers a wide range of specialists in “administrative and religious staffing.” In other words, they are not necessarily priests, and therefore cannot administer the sacraments often asked for by Catholics in the hospital: celebration of the Holy Mass, confession anointing of the sick, and last rites.

Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy Broglio, elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last year, is not happy, to put it mildly — and the hospital should be warned that he is a formidable defender of the Catholics in his care. He says it is “incomprehensible” that essential pastoral care is being taken away from the sick and the aged and that the new contracting group “cannot provide the necessary service.”

https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/the-tone-deaf-development-at-walter-reed

James 5:15 “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

Catholic Veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center No Longer Guaranteed Catholic Pastoral Care

May 7, 2023

Supreme Court Deliberating Case of Christian Postal Worker with Major implications for religious-liberty rights in the U.S.

By: Peter Pinedo/ CNA “In 2019, Gerald Groff resigned from his position with the U.S. Postal Service after years of allegedly being harassed, targeted and disciplined for declining to work Sundays so that he could abide by the Third Commandment, to “keep holy the Sabbath day.” Groff then sued USPS for violating his religious rights. After his claims were denied by both a Pennsylvania district court and the 3rd Circuit Court, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to take up his appeal on April 18, 2023.

Groff is an evangelical Christian missionary and a former Pennsylvania mailman. In a Tuesday interview with First Liberty Institute, Groff explained that he has a deeply held religious conviction that the Sabbath is “not just about going to church, it’s about obeying the Lord and putting the entire day aside to honor and glorify him.”

According to Groff, he was repeatedly harassed and intimidated by his bosses because of his request to not work on Sundays. After facing escalating disciplinary action and the sense that he was on the brink of termination, Groff resigned from his position with the postal service in 2019 rather than waiting to be fired. Groff sued USPS in the federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, saying his right to practice his religion had been violated.” The Supreme Court’s opinion is expected around the end of June.

Third Commandment: Catechism of the Catholic Church

“Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God;”

First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”

God or Your Job?

April 30, 2023

Delaware and Vermont Bills Threaten Religious Liberty: Their only goal, they state, is to remove the rights of priests.

by Matt Lamb, Mar 21, 2023

Delaware and Vermont legislators are debating bills that would do away with what is called the “seal of confession,” a teaching of the Catholic Church that forbids priests from divulging what is heard during confession, when a Catholic shares his or her sins with a priest and seeks absolution.

Efforts to force Catholic priests to reveal admissions of child abuse heard in the confessional, the location where the sacrament of reconciliation is heard, are a threat to religious liberty.

While it is not clear if anti-Catholic animus is behind this legislation, it is also unclear what this bill would accomplish besides targeting Catholic priests for further questioning and forcing them to choose between going to jail or breaking a sacred promise they made never to divulge what is said in confession.

A priest who shares what someone told him in confession is automatically excommunicated, forbidden from accessing the other sacraments. Continue reading at http://bit.ly/412pMXb

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; -Establishment and Free-Exercise Clauses of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution

A New Threat to Religious Liberty for Catholics

April 23, 2023

"Historically, religion and its adherents have often been oppressed by government. By contrast, America has been singular in its dedication to preserving the freedom of its people to expect and experience religious freedom. That is now rapidly changing," wrote Kelly Shackelford, president of First Liberty law firm. (1) In the past year there have been a number of violent attacks on churches, church gatherings, statues of Jesus, Virgin Mary, saints and monuments. Churches, synagogues and other church services have been banned or severely restricted, while liquor stores & casinos are allowed to be open. "A nation truly committed to religious freedom would, in a time of national crisis, welcome the essentiality of religion's exercise - not ban it." (2)

Religious liberty court cases have increased at an alarming rate. From the Constitution’s ratification until 1940, there were only 3 Supreme Court cases challenging religious freedom. But since then, more than 75 cases have come before the high Court. Religious freedom has been under increasing siege for eight decades now. (3)

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -John Adams, Founding Father and second president.

Speaking at the Univ. of Notre Dame Law School on Oct. 11, 2019, A.G. William Barr said that attacks on religious liberty have contributed to a moral decline in this country. "Secularists and their allies have marshaled all the forces of mass communication, popular culture, the entertainment industry, and academia in an unremitting assault on religion and traditional values." (4)

"The moral problems Barr mentioned in his speech - plus murder, mayhem, and other forms of anti-social behavior - will continue until we regain our moral footing," wrote Dr. Walter E. Williams, professor of economics at George Mason University. "I am all too afraid that a historian, writing a few hundred years from now, will note that the liberty America enjoyed was simply a historical curiosity. Then it all returned to mankind's normal state of affairs - arbitrary abuse and control by the powerful elite." (5)

(newsweek.com, 8/5/20(1)(2)(3); dailysignal.com, 10/23/19(4)(5); the guardian.com, 10/19/19;

deseret.com, 12/29/04; frc.org, 12/2/10)

“It’s the duty of everyone to defend religious freedom and promote it for all people.” - Pope Francis

The Decline - and Possible Fall - of Religious Freedom in America

April 16, 2023

”Conscience is the most sacred of all property." -James Madison, 1792

"More than 200 years ago, the Founding Fathers changed the world by embedding the fundamental human right to religious freedom in the U.S. Constitution. That right now hangs by a thread. More precisely, the First Amendment's "free exercise" of religion clause - that is, the freedom to not just believe but act consistent with one's faith in the public square - is in peril of collapse," wrote author Wesley Smith. (1) The current crisis has several causes that include the secularizing of American culture. Many non-believers don't value religious freedom because they fail to understand that this freedom is the bedrock upon which all our other freedoms are built.

The First Amendment is often no longer interpreted as intended. This started in the 1990 Supreme Court decision involving two Native Americans denied unemployment benefits after being fired for ingesting peyote during a religious ceremony. This case opened the door to oppressing faithful people and led to a public outcry that further led to the creation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA).

Today, many public figures want to destroy RFRA and are promoting the Equality Act, (more accurately called Inequality Act) and the harmful Do No Harm Act that would nullify RFRAs intent to protect religious freedom. If these two acts are passed and signed, Americans' freedom of religion would shrivel to a mere "freedom of worship." This means we would have the right to believe inside the walls of houses of worship but wouldn't be free to act on our beliefs in our public lives.

Sadly, if the U.S. "first liberty" can be so casually thrown away, so too could any other American freedom. This means we all have an essential stake in preserving freedom of religion. "Because once one fundamental freedom is 'disappeared,' others will surely follow." (2)

"It is not enough to say we are Christians. We must live the faith, not only with our words, but with our actions.” -Pope Francis

(epochtimes.com, 5/24/21(1)(2); adl.org, 3/3/17; nbcnews.com, 2/6/18; christianitytoday.com, 3/1/23)

An Attack on Religious Liberty is an Attack on All Our Freedoms

April 9, 2023

"Christian persecution should be seen as, and treated with, the same level of urgency as any other human rights crisis," said Gia Chacon. founder of For the Martyrs. "We have to realize that religious freedom does not mean that we have the ability to go to church. ... Religious freedom means that we have the ability to practice our deeply held religious beliefs in every area of society." (1) If Christians do not stand strong now, anti-Christian movements and attacks will only get worse, and we will soon lose our religious freedom.

Christian College Asks Supreme Court to Uphold Its Biblical Beliefs

"College of the Ozarks (MO) should be free to follow the religious tradition on which it was founded. The government can't strip a private, faith-based institution of its constitutionally protected freedoms because it disagrees with its views about marriage and sexuality," said Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel. (2)

The college is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a directive from the present administration that forces the school to allow male students into female dorms. "Young women should not be forced to share private spaces with men. That's what this case is about - the ability of a religious school to protect its students," said ADF. (3) "We hope the Supreme Court will take this case to halt the government's inappropriate order targeting religious institutions

And to respect the privacy, dignity and safety of female students.” (4)

Defending Free Speech and Religious Freedom for Georgia Police Officer

Georgia police officer, Jacob Kersey, was wrongfully pressured to resign his job after refusing to remove a Facebook post on his personal account that upheld a biblical view of marriage. Since Kersey was forced to choose between his faith and his job, he felt he had no choice but to resign. Nearly 35,000 citizens signed a petition to defend Officer Kersey. It read, "At a time with sky-high crime rates nationwide, our communities should be supporting our law enforcement officers.... This is religious bigotry. We will not stand for this." (5)

"I think God has really used this (situation) to continue to sound the alarm on the attack on religious liberty," said Former Officer Kersey. "Mine's not the only case. Obviously, you have coach (Joe) Kennedy, you have the fire chief Kelvin Cochran, and others like (Christian baker) Jack Phillips - ... I think it's just God using it to sound the alarm to hopefully wake people up." (6)

"Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." -Ephesians 6:13

(lifesitenews.com, 2/22/23(1); 1.cbn.com, 3/2/23(2)(4); thecollegefix.com, 3/13/23(3); news.world.edu/christian, 3/3/23; firstliberty.org, 3/17/23(5); dailysignal.com, 3/8/23(6); georgialawnews,com,3/19/23)

Christians Must "Stand Strong" or Risk Losing Religious Freedoms

April 2, 2023

"God is not only true, but truth itself.” -Pope Leo XIII

An Arizona school district says they will no longer hire student-teachers from a Christian university and voted unanimously to end their eleven-year partnership with Arizona Christian University because of the school's religious beliefs.

"We cannot continue to align ourselves with organizations that starkly contrast our values, and say that we legitimately care about diversity, equity, and inclusion and that we legitimately care about all our families," said the Washington Elementary School District president.... "While we recognize the right of individuals to practice their faith, public schools are secular institutions. ... Arizona Christian University (ACU) policies do not align with our commitment to create a safe place for our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and community." (1)

"While I full-heartedly believe in religious freedom and people being able to practice whatever faith that they have, I had some concerns regarding looking at this particular institution," said school board member Tamille Valenzuela. ... "My concerns (are) when I go to ACU website, they are committed to Jesus Christ, accomplishing his will and advancements on earth as in Heaven. Part of their values is to transform the culture with truth by promoting the Biblically-informed values that are foundational to Western civilization, including the centrality of family, traditional sexual morality, and lifelong marriage between one man and one woman. I want to know how bringing teachers from an institution that is ingrained in these values so directly brings impact to three of our board members who are part of the LGBT community. ... Because that makes me feel like I could not be safe in this school district." (2)

Arizona Christian University (ACU) filed a federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination by the Washington Elementary School Board after the school board canceled their contract with ACU. Recently, hundreds of community members came to a school board meeting to object to its policy that the school will no longer hire graduates of ACU based on their Christian beliefs.

"We will sometimes need to challenge laws that would impair our freedom to practice our faiths, doing so in reliance on our constitutional rights to the free exercise of religion." -Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

(townhall.com, 3/7/23(1); foxnews.com, 3/3/23(2); pjmedia.com, 3/10/23; msn.com, 3/3/23; the blaze.com, 3/3/23)

Christian School Student-Teachers Banned in Arizona School District

March 26, 2023

"Hostility is always at the beginning of the persecution of Christians." -Pope Francis

Nigeria, Africa:

A Catholic priest was burned alive and his assistant pastor was shot in the parish residence in north central Nigeria in January, 2023. "It's a continuation of a situation that's been going on for years," said Stephen Rasche from a center for peace and justice. "Many of the victims go unreported - all sorts of different types of Christians who are living in rural areas." (1) "This is a sad moment. For a priest to be killed in such a manner means that we are all not safe. These terrorists have lost it and drastic action is needed to end this ongoing carnage," said the state governor of Sani Bello. (2)

The World Index of Christian Persecution cites Nigeria as the first in the world for violence against Christians. It is estimated that 89% of Christians killed throughout the world are located in Nigeria with more than 7,600 Nigerian Christians murdered from January 2021 to June 2022. Nigeria is 53.5% Muslim, 10.6% Catholic, and 35.3% other Christian according to the CIA World Facebook.

India, Asia:

The Christian churches in India are exhausted by the surge of anti-conversion laws and accusations of illegal proselytization. Mobs are driving out Christians from their villages and many face property destruction and personal violence .Recently, 22,000 Christians from many denominations and around the country gathered at the nation's capital to demand better. "This protest is basically to call the attention of the government to the increasing violence against Christians and our institutions," said the Orthodox Syrian Church in Delhi.(3) "This coming together of all denominations ... is a unity to strengthen the kingdom of God," said the National Council of Churches in India. "It is a cry of our people ... who are suffering in rural areas. They have a right to believe in their God, but that is being curtailed." (4) "Wherever persecution is reported, we approach the authorities to intervene and help Christians who are being targeted, but instead the authorities start to act against the Christians rather than help them ... the situation in the state is worsening with every passing day ...," said attorney Patsy David. (5)

"The age of martyrs is not yet over ... the Church as more martyrs now than in the first centuries." -Pope Francis

(aleteia.org, 1/15/23(1); cna.com, 1/15/23(2); abcnews.com, 1/15/23; africanews.com, 1/15/23; christianitytoday.com, 2/27/23(3)(4)(5); religionnews.com, 3/9/23; persecution.org, 3/9/23)

Persecution of Christians Increases in Nigeria and India

March 19, 2023

“The liberty enjoyed by the people of these States of worshipping Almighty God, agreeable to their consciences, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights." -George Washington

After more than two weeks and worldwide headlines, spontaneous revival services at Asbury University in central Kentucky came to an end recently - but the revival goes on off campus. On Feb. 23, during the final service on campus, people prayed over college campuses, asking God to bring revival to the world.

The school decided to end the on-campus services after tens of thousands of visitors flooded the campus and the small town of Wilmore, Kentucky, overwhelming local facilities and blocking traffic for miles. Asbury President Kevin Brown said the school's leaders felt that Asbury's role was complete and hoped that revival continues in other spaces.

"I just met so many people who didn't get to Asbury who wanted to get there, people who were filled with much regret because 'God did something and I missed it," said evangelist Nick Hall from Minneapolis, who arranged to continue the services in Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky (1) "We want to help people be able to feel confident to take this home, to reach their friends. And our prayer is that this will be unleashed in thousands of churches and schools from this place to the nations," Hall said. (2)

"We came all the way here from Orlando," said Christian Gonzalez who came to Lexington with his grandmother and sister. "We're just hoping to feel relief coming out of here, feeling like all my worries are gone. It's like starting anew almost." (3)

"Revival begins in our hearts," said Gary Lane from CBN News. "And we don't need to travel to Kentucky to experience the Holy Spirit. Still, many of us haven't seen revival like this since the Jesus movement of the 1970s. ... God is answering those prayers - those years of prayers for revival. So, let's embrace it. And go with God. And wait and see what God will do to transform America and the world." (4)

"Lord, I have heard of your fame, I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known." -Habakkuk 3:2

(religionnews.com, 2/28/23(1); lex18.com, 2/24/23; 1cbn.com, 2/27/23(2)(3)(4; ljr.com, 2/22/23; christianpost.com, 2/20/23; 1cbn.com, 2/17/23)

Asbury Revival Ends on Campus - But Its Spirit Lives On

March 12, 2023

We know that our culture's going to be changed by this." - Asbury University senior

"Attending the revival at Asbury was an unforgettable experience. We could literally feel the 'weighty' presence of God as soon as we walked into the building," said Jon Burdette of Dare 2 Share Ministries. (1)

A revival erupted on Feb. 8 at Asbury University, located in a small Kentucky town, after an evening chapel service didn't stop and transformed into a constant impromptu gathering that has since generated worldwide interest. Day and night, students and professors are passionately worshipping Christ. By Feb. 20th, an estimated 50,000 people had flocked to this Kentucky town with a total population of 6,000.

On Feb. 13th, Asbury Un. senior Alexandra Presta said, "Right now, I think we've reached over 120 hours of nonstop worship, praise, confession, testimony, Scripture, reading - you name it." ... "I was in chapel on Wednesday, and it was an ordinary chapel service ... we have them three times a week. But people just kept worshipping afterwards. It was a small group of students." ... "The Holy Spirit chose to just fall down and touch hearts. This is purely God moving and keeping people here and bringing more (who are) continuing to cross state lines and even across the country now." (2)

"We just had some people arrive from Finland, from the Netherlands, they have been coming from all over the country," said Asbury's Communications Director. (3)

There are reports that the revival has spread to Lee University in Tennessee, Cedarville University in Ohio, and at Samford University in Alabama. "Tonight, a large number of students gathered again to pray, read Scripture, testimonies, and to worship Jesus for about two hours! ...Keep praying for wisdom and a genuine movement of the Lord," said Cedarville Un. President Thomas White. "We don't know what to do next or what will happen next, but let's prepare our own hearts to be ready just in case God graciously moves in our country." (4)

"...I can testify that the Holy Spirit is at work in and among our student body," said Samford Un. President Beck Taylor. "What's happened isn't contrived, programmed, or scripted. Students and others see it as an opportunity for the Samford campus ...to extend the love and grace of Jesus to everyone." (5)

"I feel as though maybe we were the candle and now we are just passing that flame on to other churches and other schools." - Asbury University sophomore

(christianpost.com, 2/20/23(1)(3); faithwire.com, 2/14/23(2); 1.cbn.com, 2/17/23(4)(5); ljr.com, 2/22/23; faithwire.com, 2/14/23)

Hope that the Asbury Revival Will Grow to the Next Great Awakening - and bring attention to the importance of religious freedom worldwide.

March 5, 2023

"Earlier this week, a lawsuit was filed against the Nation Archives and Records Administration (NARA) stating that the morning of January 20, 2023, the day of the March for Life, several visitors to our museum in Washington, D.C., were told by NARA security officers 'to remove or cover their attire because of their pro-life messages," the National Archives statement read. "As the home to the original Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which enshrine the rights of free speech and religion, we sincerely apologize for this occurrence." (1) This lawsuit follows the suit against the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum where March for Life students were expelled for refusing to remove their hats that simply said, "Rosary PRO-LIFE."

20 States Demand FBI Cease Targeting Catholics

The attorneys general of 20 states have demanded the FBI produce "all materials" related to its recently leaked 'anti-Catholic' memo that targets so-called "Radical Traditionalist Catholics" (RTC) as "un-American." (2) These Catholics believe the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s teachings about the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, marriage between one man and one woman, the biological reality of male and female, and they may attend the Latin Mass.

In the leaked memo, the FBI cites various reports from the Southern Poverty Law Center that has a history of targeting Christians and conservative groups while receiving millions of dollars from far-left organizations and promoting the LGBT agenda.

The 20 attorneys general demanded the FBI "immediately and unequivocally order agency personnel not to target Americans based on their religious beliefs." They "request a full explanation of the document's origins, documents related to its implementation," and "whether the FBI has begun infiltrating houses of worship in conflict with the FBI's internal guidelines." (3)

While the FBI has retracted the document following intense backlash over its contents, Attorney General Miyares of Virginia has emphasized they remain unpersuaded by the FBI's "damage-control efforts."

Definition of persecution: hostility and ill-treatment, especially on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs.

(news.yahoo.com, 2/10/23(1); faith wire.com, 2/9/23; aclu.org, 2/10/23; lifesite news.com, 2/11/23(2); washingtontimes.com, 2/10/23(3); catholicleague.org, 2/9/23)

Another Violation of First Amendment Protections: More March for Life Students Expelled from a Public Building

February 26, 2023

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; -1st amendment

Catholic students were expelled from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum on Jan. 20, 2023, for refusing to remove hats expressing their pro-life beliefs. "...they were accosted several times and told they would be forced to leave unless they removed their pro-life hats. The group all wore the same blue hat that simply said 'Rosary PRO-LIFE.' Other individuals in the museum were wearing hats of all kinds (of messages) without issue," said the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) "The museum staff mocked the students, called them expletives, and (said) the museum is a 'neutral zone' where they could not express such statements." (1) As they exited the building, the employee who forced them out rubbed his hands in glee.

This was clearly a violation of First Amendment protections of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and not the first time that pro-life students experienced discrimination during the National March for Life. In 2019, a Covington Catholic HS student was libeled and vilified by the mainstream media, accused of an action he didn't commit, and was subsequently vindicated by cell-phone videos. The teenager sued, and press giants such as the Washington Post and CNN settled out of court.

FBI Retracts Its Plot to Surveil so-called "Traditionalist Catholics"

"Deeply committed Catholics are the last people the authorities should be concerned about," said Bishop Joseph Strickland in response to an FBI agent's, turned whistleblower, document that the agency planned to conduct surveillance on those they thought had "radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology." (2)

Bishop Strickland said that while it's true that "committed traditionalist Catholics will defend the unborn and others who are helpless," any "attacks of violent aggression are antithetical to what it means to be a radically committed traditional Catholic...Sadly, the experience of (pro-life) Mark Houck provides evidence that this type of surveillance is not beyond the realm of possibility." (3) Fortunately, on Jan. 30, Houck was acquitted of charges that could have sentenced him to eleven years in prison.

Following intense backlash, the FBI released a statement saying it is retracting their plan against Catholics.

"The Bible clearly says that faithfulness and persecution often go hand in hand."
-Billy Graham, Evangelist

(faithwire.com, 2/9/23(1); lifesitenews.com, 2/1/23; aclj.org, 2/9/23; washingtonexaminer.com, 2/9/23; lifesitenews.com, 2/8/23(2)(3); dailycaller.com, 2/9/23)

March for Life Students Kicked Out of Smithsonian Museum

February 19, 2023

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” -Isaac Asimov, Writer, Science Professor

"The vandalism we are seeing today is quickly rising to levels that haven't been seen since the late 1800's and early 1900's from organized groups such as the Know-Nothings and the Ku Klux Klan," said Brian Burch, president of Catholic Vote, in his recent report about hundreds of attacks against churches since May 2020. (1) "Since civil unrest began on May 28, 2020, following George Floyds death in Minnesota, there have been at least 278 attacks against Catholic churches in the U.S. including arson attacks which damaged or destroyed historic churches, spray-painting and graffiti of satanic messages, rocks and bricks thrown through windows, and statues destroyed, often with the heads cut off," Catholic Vote reported. (2) While the unrest over Floyd's death eventually subsided, attacks on Churches continued to rise.

"Americans appear increasingly comfortable lashing out against church buildings, pointing to a larger societal problem of marginalizing core Christian beliefs, including those that touch on hot-button political issues related to human dignity and sexuality," said a Family Research Council report released in December 2022. (3) This report found that church attacks spiked to 397 following the overturning of Roe v Wade that returned the abortion issue to the states.

Pro-life facilities have also faced a barrage of attacks since the Dobbs abortion decision leak at the Supreme Court last May 2022. At least 80 pregnancy resource center attacks have been reported but many attacks are unreported because these centers want to protect their clients. The pregnancy resource centers provide free medical and financial support to pregnant and new mothers. They have been spray-painted with pro-abortion and anarchist messages and symbols and several have been set on fire.

The FBI is offering rewards up to $25,000 for information related to these attacks. "Today's announcement reflects the FBI's commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country," said the FBI Director. (4)

"Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.” -Pope John Paul II

"Saying that there are too many children is like saying there are too many flowers." -Mother Theresa of Calcutta

(catholicvote.org, 1/25/23(1)(2); msn.com, 1/23/23(3); washingtonexaminer.com, 1/19/23(4); catholicvote.org, 6/9/22; washingtontimes.com, 1/24/23)

Attacks Against Churches and Pregnancy Centers Increasing in U.S.

February 12, 2023

"Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech." -Benjamin Franklin

New licensing rules in Minnesota that require teachers to "affirm" students’ transgender identities will effectively ban religious Christians, Muslims, and Jews from teaching in public schools. MN state certified teachers will be required to "foster an environment that ensures student identities such as ... gender identity ...are...affirmed." (1) Other states are also looking for ways to implement these unconstitutional licensing rules.

"...teachers are going to be faced with hiding their beliefs or getting denied (a state teaching license)," said Doug Seaton of MN Upper Midwest Law Center. "Christians, Muslims, and Jews need not apply for MN teaching jobs." (2)

The new standard requires that a licensed teacher, "fosters an environment that ensures student identities such as sex and gender, gender identity, sexual orientation ... are historically and socially contextualized..." (3) Standard 6C requires that "The teacher understands the historical foundations of education in MN ...that have and continue to create inequitable opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for learners ... on the basis of ... gender, sexual orientation." (4)

"The (licensing board) has made it impossible for those practicing orthodox Christianity and Judaism, for example, to freely exercise their religion and simultaneously hold a teaching license. ... It compels potential licensees to speak the (licensing board’s) chosen beliefs as an established creed and live them out in order to have a job. It establishes (licensing board’s) view of human sexuality and gender as orthodoxy despite sincere opposition based on biological reality and traditional theistic beliefs," wrote attorney Doug Seaton to the law judge who approved nearly all the new standards in December. (5)

College teacher preparation programs will also have to comply with these new requirements. This sets up another constitutional conflict by requiring religious institutions to endorse behaviors and ideologies that conflict with their beliefs. When put into effect, these new rules will likely meet court challenges.

"When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril." -President Harry S. Truman

(ground.news, 1/12/23(1); thefederalist.com, 1/12/23(2)(4); olivetreeviews.org, 1/15/23; therightthing.com, 1/12/23(3)(5)

Banning Religious Americans from Teaching in Public Schools

February 5, 2023

Mall security guards at the Mall of America in Minnesota, ordered a man to remove his "Jesus Saves" T-shirt or leave the mall. A video of the incident that took place on Jan. 7, 2023, shows the guard telling Paul Shoro to remove his shirt because "Jesus is associated with religion and it's offending people." (1)

Mr. Shoro explained, "I didn't speak, I didn't say anything." The guard said, "Take your shirt off, and you can go to Macy's and do your shopping, or you can leave the mall. OK? Those are your only options right now." (2) The guard told Shoro that the shirt is treated as religious soliciting which isn't allowed at the privately owned mall. Fortunately, the mall later said that security subsequently allowed Shoro to remain in the mall while wearing the shirt.

The question is: why is this happening in America? Why would any American feel the need to shut down such a common declaration of faith as a message on a T-shirt? The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit religious messages on clothing because doing so would violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1994. These laws and statutes protect religious freedom as well as freedom of speech and expression including the right to wear T-shirts with religious messages and images, religious jewelry, etc.

Iowa Elementary School Misunderstanding of "Separation of Church and State"

An elementary school child in Iowa was told in the fall/winter of 2022 that because of "separation of Church and state" he could not hand out religious materials to his classmates, share his faith with them, or bring religious books or items to school. His mother contacted the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) for help. It was clear to ACLJ attorneys that the school officials did not understand the law regarding the religious freedom of students and sent a legal letter detailing the legal rights of students. Upon receiving this information, the school reversed its objections, and the student has been allowed to continue his non-disruptive religious activities without any issues. (3)

This fortunate child has a parent who took action to defend her son's religious freedom rights and now fortunate school officials are aware of the rights of students and teachers to practice their faith.

"It's the duty of everyone to defend religious freedom and promote it for all people."- Pope Francis

(washingtontimes.com, 1/17/23(1); blaze media.com, 1/18/23(2); aclj.org; dailysignal.com, 1/17/23; repository.uchastings.edu, 2018; aclj.org,12/13/22(3)

Attempts to Suppress Any Religious Expression Continue

January 29, 2023

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."-1 Corinthians 16:13

The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a long legal battle concerning a public prayer vigil in Ocala, Florida. The litigation has been in the court system for 8 years and in July, 2022, a decision from the Eleventh Circuit opened the way to a Supreme Court appeal where this case has the potential to achieve legal landmark status.

The circumstances of the case are as follows: In 2014, the City of Ocala experienced a crime spree causing serious injury to several children. The police knew the identity of the shooters but were unable to persuade frightened witnesses to testify. Following community policing standards, Police Chief Graham met with local leaders who suggested the police department reach out to the faith-based community for help persuading witnesses to come forward. These leaders decided to hold a community prayer vigil, planned and organized by private citizens.

Volunteer chaplains led the vigil that was widely supported and well attended. At the request of the organizers, Chief Graham posted a letter encouraging unity and prayer and attendance at the vigil. Atheists, offended by the idea of a prayer vigil, demanded city officials cancel the event and later sued the City for allegedly promoting the vigil.

Now, 8 years later, following reversals at the lower courts, this case will be presented to the Supreme Court. The ACLJ petition, on behalf of the City of Ocala, will be the first to raise the issue of whether "offended observer" standing is sufficient to bring a case. Recently, commenting on the decision in another case, Justice Gorsuch and Justice Thomas said that the lower courts "invented observer standing for Establishment Clause cases in the 1970s in response to this Court's decision" in a similar lawsuit that has recently been overturned.(1) Thus, the ACLJ is hopeful that the Supreme Court will take up this important case that will be a major moment for prayer and religious liberty.

"The Secret to Happiness is Freedom; The Secret to Freedom is Courage."-Thucydides, Greek Philosopher

(aclu.org, 8/24/22; aclj.org, 12/16/22(1); TFP.org, 7/25/22)

Defending Freedom to Pray in Public

Americans Who Are Not Afraid to Show Their Faith in Public

January 22, 2023

"Human rights, of course, must include religious freedom..." -Pope Benedict XVI

The observation of Religious Freedom Day every year on Jan. 16 may be the most important, and most overlooked, American observance on the calendar. It stands with such critical historical moments in U.S. history as the signing of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the ratification of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

On January 16, 1786, the Virginia Assembly passed the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, written by Thomas Jefferson, that became the model for the First Amendment's religion freedom clauses that guarantee no creation of a state religion and the free practice of religion according to one's conscience: "all men shall be free to profess, and...maintain their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no way diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." (1)

"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof… - First Amendment: Constitution of the United States

Each year, since 1993, the President issues a proclamation designating January 16th as Religious Freedom Day in commemoration of the many faiths that make up our country, in recognition of religious freedom as the essential foundation for all our liberties and as a call for Americans to go forth to live out their faith and exercise their religious liberty.

"Now, therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim January 16, 1993, as Religious Freedom Day. I urge all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities in their homes, schools, and places of worship as an expression of our gratitude for the blessings of liberty and as a sign of our resolve to protect and preserve them."

(Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom(1); firstliberty.org; daily citizen.com, 1/16/19)

Jan.16 is No Ordinary Day ... It's National Religious Freedom Day!

January 16, 2023

A pro-life volunteer, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, was approached by police in Birmingham, England on Dec. 6, 2022 and asked, "Are you praying?" as she silently stood near a closed abortion clinic. She was subsequently arrested when she admitted she "might" be praying inside her head. She was charged with four counts of breaking a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), designed to stop antisocial behavior, because police received complaints from an onlooker who suspected she was praying even though she was not holding a sign or making any visible form of protest. She had been spotted near the clinic three other times and when asked about these occasions, she explained that she may have been praying but she also may have been thinking about other things. Nevertheless, she endured this ordeal even though her 'behavior' was quiet and peaceful.

"It's abhorrently wrong that I was searched, arrested, interrogated by police and charged simply for praying in the privacy of my own mind. Censorship zones purport to ban harassment, which is already illegal. Nobody should ever be subject to harassment. But what I did was the furthest thing from harmful - I was exercising my freedom of thought, my freedom of religion, inside the privacy of my own mind. Nobody should be criminalized for thinking and for praying, in a public space in the UK," Isabel told Alliance Defending Freedom UK.(1)

George Washington University Law Professor, Jonathan Turley, wrote, “... free speech has been in free fall in the UK for years. It is a cautionary tale for those in the United States, which is facing arguably the largest anti-free speech movement in its history. ... It is easy for Americans to wave off such European prosecutions by pointing to our First Amendment. However, there is a growing movement in the U.S. to replicate such European laws." (2)

"The UK is an example of the slippery slope of speech criminalization that inevitably took them to 'thought crimes,' even criminal prayers. These cases should be a wake up for all who value free speech (and freedom of religion). If such prosecutions stands, free speech literally does not have a prayer in the Western world." (3)

"If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to slaughter." - George Washington

(aleteia.org, 12/24/22(1); jonathanturley.org, 12/24/22(2)(3); gbnews.uk, 12/23/22; nypost.com, 12/22/22; birminghammail.co.uk, 12/20/22; cna.com, 12/21/22)

"Are you Praying?" A Cautionary Tale for America

January 8, 2023

"Eucharistic Revival: My Flesh for the Life of the World”

This 3-year grassroots revival was proposed by the Bishops of the United States (USCCB) to revive devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Launched on June 19, 2022, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the theme for the current year through June 2023, is the “Year for Diocesan Renewal”, offering events to promote and inspire understanding of the Eucharist.

"According to Pew Research Center, only 31% of Catholics even believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist." (1) The Revival vision is to inspire Catholics who are healed, converted, formed, and unified through encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist to share this relationship "for the life of the world." (2)

Misnamed "Respect for Marriage Act” Rejects Meaning of Marriage and Jeopardizes Religious Freedom

The so-called "Respect for Marriage Act," signed into law on Dec.13, 2022, overturns the 1996 Clinton era "Defense of Marriage Act" that said marriage is between one man and one woman. The legislation also codifies same-sex marriage by reinforcing the 2015 Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage legal. The Catholic Church is one of several Christian denominations and religions (Orthodox Jewish, Muslim, etc.) that only recognize marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The authors of the newly signed bill claim that it provides protections for religious freedom, but most faith leaders dispute this claim.

The USCCB criticized the Respect for Marriage Act as being contrary to the common good. "The bill fails to include clear, comprehensive, and affirmative conscience protections for religious organizations and individuals who uphold the sanctity of traditional marriage that are needed," said Bishop Robert Barron, chairman of the USCCB committee on laity, marriage, family life and youth. (3) This concern is not unfounded since there have been dozens of instances of government persecution of religious practice in America over the past few years.

"In recent years, the list of parties with religious objections to same-sex marriage who have lost their court battles include Catholic adoption agencies, Jewish universities, and Christian wedding vendors," wrote The Washington Stand. (4) This bill would only multiply the occasions whereby people and organizations of faith could be discriminated against or sued.

"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." -Ephesians 6:13

(nationaleucharisticrevival.com (1)(2); ncregister.com, 12/13/22(3); washingtonstand.com, 11/28/22(4)

2023 - A Year for Faith and A Year for Concern for Religious Liberty

January 1, 2023

"Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home." -G.K. Chesterton

Christmas Season, which celebrates the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has been fast changing from a religious holy day to a secular holiday. One effort to combat this goal of a secular, indifferent and often atheist society is from the American Nativity Scene project and their mission to give away free, large nativity scenes for public display on public property with a particular aim to put nativities in front of all 50 State Capitol buildings. This Christmas, 40 State Capitols have now erected Nativity Scenes and are proof that the religious and many non-religious alike, value the true reason and joy of the season that celebrates the humble birth of the Christ Child - the King of Kings. In fact, a 2022 poll by the Washington Times "showed an overwhelming majority of 72% of the citizens agreed that religious scenes displayed on public property by private individuals should be allowed as our constitution allows." (1)

The Thomas More Society and the American Nativity Scene are helping groups of private citizens across the nation to display Biblical manger scenes on government property. "Many erroneously assume that government entities are prohibited from allowing a religious display," said Thomas Olp, Senior Counsel at the Thomas More Society. "The law is clear: Government entities may erect and maintain celebrations of the Christmas holiday, including nativity scenes, as long as a creche's sole purpose is not to promote its religious content, and it is placed in context with other symbols of the season ... We pray that the nativity scenes of the Christmas season will help to foster a sense of unity and peace on earth." (2)

This year Juneau, Alaska’s State Capitol, will display a Nativity scene for the first time. "The true joy of Christmas is a newborn baby lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes," said Andrew Klausner, coordinator of the Juneau State Capitol Nativity. (3) With this addition of Alaska, now 40 state capitols have nativities. The states that have, as of yet, not erected a nativity scene from the American Nativity Scene project are Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. (4)

"Awake mankind! For your sake God has become man." St. Augustine

(americannativityscene.com, (1)(4); thomasmoresociety.org, 12/15/21(2); thomasmoresociety.org, 12/1/22(3); returntoorder.org; juneauempire.com, 12/1/22; drik.news, 12/1/22)

Keeping Christ in Christmas at 40 State Capitol Buildings

December 18, 2022

“Mankind is a great, an immense family… This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.”

- Pope John Paul XXIII

December holidays are always a challenge and educators often receive confusing advice about how to treat religious holidays. The last decades of increased diversity in our schools have challenged public schools to deal creatively and sensitively with student populations representing many faiths and beliefs, secular and religious. Happily, research reveals that celebrating Christmas and other holidays in the classroom brings children and teachers closer together, builds community links, and improves pupils' learning. (1)

A good way to deal with the December Dilemma is to begin the season with a focus on an often ignored holiday: Bill of Rights Day, December 15th. It was established to commemorate the adoption of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution on December 15. 1791. Beginning the season with activities around the Bill of Rights offers an opportunity for students to reflect on the civic values of rights, responsibility, and respect that all Americans share as citizens, no matter their religious or secular beliefs.

Senior fellow at the Freedom Forum, Charles Haynes, recommends that before planning holiday activities in public schools, choral directors, teachers, and administrators should ask themselves three simple questions:

"1. Do we have a clear educational purpose? Under the First Amendment, learning about religious holidays is an appropriate educational goal - devotionally celebrating is not.

2. Will any student or parent be made to feel like an outsider by the concert, lesson or activity? Most parents and students are fine with learning about religious traditions - as long as the approach is academic, not devotional.

3. Is our overall curriculum balanced and fair? December shouldn't be the only time sacred music is in the curriculum. Students should learn about religious music from various world traditions at other times in the school year." (2)

Prepare, celebrate and evangelize the coming of our Savior

Let your December explode with joy as you anticipate the Birth of the Christ Child with a manger on your lawn, Christmas lights on your bushes, a glowing tree in your window, a magnet on your car, a lapel pin on your coat, a donation to the local soup kitchen, a gift under your church’s Giving Tree and an enthusiastic “Merry Christmas” greeting for all.

(ca3rsproject.org, 12/22(2) tes.com, 12/20/19(1); continental press.com,11/10/20)

The December Dilemma 2022: Celebrating Religious Holidays in Public Schools

December 11, 2022

"Conscience is the most sacred of all property." -James Madison, 1792

"It is deeply concerning that the U.S. Senate has voted to proceed toward passage of the "Respect for Marriage Act," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, USCCB Chairman for Religious Liberty. "The Catholic Church will always uphold the unique meaning of marriage as a lifelong, exclusive union of one man and one woman. ... we are joined by millions of ...reasonable and sincere Americans - both religious and secular - who share this time-honored understanding of the truth and beauty of marriage." ..."but the provisions of the Act that relate to religious liberty are insufficient." (1)

The Respect for Marriage Act is a bill that seeks to reinforce the already legalized same-sex marriage rights. In 2015 the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell vs Hodges, that the 14th Amendment requires states to recognize and license same-sex marriages. However, after the Dobbs decision which ruled that federal abortion rights are unconstitutional and the issue of abortion must be decided within each state, many supporters of same-sex marriage want to reinforce the 2015 decision in case the court ever overrules the Obergefell decision.

Unfortunately, religious freedom "protections" in this new version of the “Respect for Marriage Act” are entirely inadequate and also threaten the institution of marriage in multiple ways. (2)

· It further embeds a false definition of marriage in the American legal fabric.

· It jeopardizes the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that exercise their belief that marriage is a union of one man and one woman.

· It endangers faith-based social-service organizations by threatening litigation and liability risk if they follow their views on marriage when working with the government.

· It could make religious freedom and free speech cases harder to win.

· It opens the door to federal recognition of polygamous relationships.

"Obergefell created countless religious liberty conflicts, but this Act offers only limited protections. Those protections fail to resolve the main problem with the Act: in any context in which conflicts between religious beliefs and same-sex marriage arise, the Act will be used as evidence that religious believers must surrender to the state's interest in recognizing same-sex civil marriages. Wedding cake bakers, faith-based adoption and foster care providers, religious employers seeking to maintain their faith identity, faith-based housing agencies - are all at greater risk of discrimination under this legislation," said Cardinal Dolan in his statement. (3)

“It is the duty of everyone to defend religious freedom and promote it for all people.” -Pope Francis

(usccb.org, 11/17/22(1)(3); adflegal.org, 11/3/22(2); thewashingtonstand.com, 11/17/22; ncregister.com, 10/7/22; deseret.com, 11/21/22; congress.gov, 7/17/22; the week.com, 11/18/22; law.com, 11/4/22)

Deceptively Named “Respect for Marriage Act” Denies
Religious Freedoms and Causes Deep Concern Among Bishops

December 4, 2022

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana

Few Americans realize that New England's first form of government was collectivism (socialism) and practiced what Karl Marx would promote two centuries later as: "each produced according to his ability, and each received according to his need." The Pilgrims, a pious and decent people, discovered that even the best men cannot thrive under an incentive-crushing system. Within two years of the First Thanksgiving, the colonists had reaped shortages and starvation.

Writing in the History of Plymouth Plantation, Gov. William Bradford said that with the survival of the colony at stake, they contemplated upon "how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery." They decided to abandon the collectivist model of government in favor of a freer model. So, they "assigned to each family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number, for that end ..."

A happy Gov. Bradford wrote, "This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been ... The women now went willingly into the field and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression."

Thus, the Pilgrims now wished to work because they got to keep, and then trade, the benefits of their labor. They discovered that freedom is a much greater stimulus than force.

"Instead of famine, now God gave them plenty," wrote Gov. Bradford, "and the face of things was changed to the rejoicing of the hearts of many, for which they blessed God ... Any general want or famine hath not been amongst them since to this day."

(libertyunderfire.org; townhall.com; historyofmassachusettes.org; History of Plymouth Plantation)

"Posterity - you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." - John Quincy Adams

Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, and a Failed Experiment: Part 2

November 27, 2022

A Quick History: The Mayflower set sail from England on Sept. 6, 1620, and arrived at Cape Cod on Nov. 11, 1620. The ship moved on to Plymouth with its 102 Pilgrims and on Nov. 21, 1620, they drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact, a legal document, "in the presence of God, and of one another, (to) covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic."

Weakened from the 65-day voyage and unprepared for the harsh winter, by spring, half had died from starvation and disease. Fortunately, with the help of local Native Americans (Indians), the 53 remaining Pilgrims learned to plant and harvested an abundant crop by fall. Thus, the First Thanksgiving was to celebrate a successful harvest and give thanks to God.

The Experiment: The Pilgrims decided that their new community would create a collectivist model of governance where all labor was communal, with men raising crops for all families, not just their own, and women engaged in domestic chores for their neighbors. Few did more than the minimum because the incentive to excel was destroyed. Within two years, the results were shortages and starvation.

The Pilgrims’ Governor, William Bradford, described the folly of collectivism, "For this community was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For the young men, that were most able and fit for labour and service, did repine (complain) that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men's wives and children without any recompense (payment).... And for men's wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands brook (tolerate) it."

Gov. Bradford also spoke about another problem from this created famine… thievery. "much was stolen both by night and day..."

(libertyunderfire.org; townhall.com; historyofmassachusetts.org; mayflowerhistory.com)

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

George Santayana, philosopher, poet, cultural critic

Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, and a Failed Experiment: Part 1

November 20, 2022

“The new rule in development has the potential for adverse effects on Catholic employers, but could prove devastating to Catholic health-care providers, including Catholic hospitals that care for one in six hospital patients in the United States.” - Peter Jesserer Smith; National Catholic Register, Nov. 17, 2021

"The same excellent care will be provided in a Catholic hospital to all patients, including patients who identify as transgender, whether it be for a broken bone or for cancer," said four committee chairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "But we cannot do what our faith forbids. We object to harmful procedures, not to patients." (1)

The recently published Health and Human Services (HHS) Section 1557 Super Rule would deny religious freedom since it allows no exceptions for religious or conscience beliefs or for certain insurance plans. The proposal is part of the HHS department's attempt to clarify a section of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), to ensure that all medical practitioners and institutions be willing and able to provide services like transgender surgeries, "gender affirming care," puberty blockers for children as young as 12 years old, abortions, assisted suicide and more. (2)

"Sadly, (these) proposed regulations threaten our ability to carry out our healing ministries, and others' to practice medicine. They mandate health care workers to perform life-altering surgeries to remove perfectly healthy body parts," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and three other archbishops. "Assurances that HHS will honor religious freedom laws offer little comfort when HHS is actively fighting court rulings that declared HHS violated religious freedom laws the last time they tried to impose such a mandate. This is a violation of religious freedom and bad medicine." (3)

The U.S. Bishops stress that Catholic health care ministries serve everyone, no matter what their race, sex, belief system, or any other characteristic. The 2,400-member Catholic Medical Association called the proposed rule "coercive" and a "clear violation of First Amendment protections." (4)

"Every health care facility, especially those of Christian inspiration, should be a place where care for the person is practiced and where it can be said: 'Here you do not see only doctors and patients, but people who welcome and help each other: here you can experience the therapy of human dignity."
- Pope Francis

(aleteia.org, 7/28/22(1)(3)(4); catholicbenefitsassociation.org (2); ncregister.com, 10/25/22; usccb.org; America magazine.org,9/26/22)

Religious Liberty and Catholic Health Services at Risk

If Latest HHS Super Rule is Mandated

November 13, 2022

A California judge has ruled in favor of a Christian cake designer in the latest court decision regarding the conflict between religious freedom and same-sex marriage.(1) This is the latest in a series of court decisions over several years regarding wedding vendors - such as cake designers, florists, photographers and artists - who refuse to use their creative talents for same-sex ceremonies because of their biblically based belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

The evidence showed that the baker, Cathy Miller, both employs and serves LGBT people but that she has a long-standing policy for refusing to bake cakes that violate her Christian beliefs. (2)

"The State asks this court to compel Miller to use her talents to design and create a cake she has not yet conceived with the knowledge that her work will be displayed in a celebration of a marital union her religion forbids," wrote the Superior Court Judge. "For this court to force such compliance would do violence to the essentials of Free Speech guaranteed under the First Amendment." (3)

Some Bad News for Religious Freedom

A Colorado Christian baker, Jack Phillips, who won a partial victory of 7-2 at the US Supreme Court in 2018 when he declined to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, is now on trial for refusing to design a transgender birthday cake for a woman who requested a specialized cake in honor of her gender transition. Phillips’ attorney from Alliance Defending Freedom explained that forcing him to create a message contrary to his religious beliefs violates his right to free speech. Phillips also objects to making cakes with other messages he opposes, including Halloween items. (4)

"It's one thing to be sued repeatedly; it's another to watch your family suffer harassment and face death threats, be forced to lay off longtime employees, and lose a substantial part of your business," reads a statement from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). (5) "No American should be bullied or banished from the marketplace simply for living and working consistently with their faith," ADF stated. "Opponents of religious freedom want to strip away our freedom to live and work consistently with our deeply held beliefs.... Praise God that Jack refused to give up his freedom without a fight. He knows it's not just his own religious freedom on the line - it's yours too." (6)

(christianitytoday.com,10/25/22(1)(2); ncregister.com,10/26/22(3); deseret.com,10/24/22; nytimes.com,10/15/22; christianco.com,10/11/22(4)(5); 1cbn.com,10/7/22(6)

Rosary for America - Elections 2022 - Please Pray with Us

Let us pray together to implore God's blessing on our Nation as we choose our leaders. Led by Catholics for Freedom of Religion on Sunday, Nov. 6, rosaries will be prayed on the hour from noon through 5 pm.

To add your presence to this important petition of prayer, call 681-999-0162; Access Code 801851#

"Civic engagement is part of the task of discipleship. It is part of the vocation of all God's faithful who are called by Jesus to be 'salt of the earth' and the 'light of the world." - Bishop Andrew Cozzens

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Some Good News for Religious Freedom

November 6, 2022

"As a Catholic bishop and Roman Catholic cardinal, I condemn these actions against non-armed families, against children; it's threatening for children, terrorizing them. There is no reason and no justification for this brutal action against these peaceful families,"(1) said German Cardinal Gerhard Muller when he visited the home of Mark Houck who was arrested on Sept. 23, 2022, by several armed and unexpected FBI agents in the early morning hours and charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. In 2021, Houck had protected his 12-year-old son from an aggressive male escort at an abortion facility in PA where he regularly prays the Rosary, hands out literature and occasionally does "sidewalk counseling." (2)

"Persecution of the good people is always a sign of the beginning of dictatorship and tyranny," said Cardinal Muller. "But the United States has always had the leadership for democracy, and democracy doesn't work when there is no respect for basic rights ... We are citizens of the states and not serfs of some ideological leaders." (3)

Another Pro-Life Parent Arrested by FBI

"It was all very shocking. No one can believe the federal government would do something like this, with two cars and four armed FBI agents," said Paul Vaughn, father of 11 children in TN, after the FBI agents came to his home at 7:00am on Oct 5, 2022, pounding on the front door so loud that it reportedly made the whole house shake. (4)(5)

"Paul Vaughn's arrest in front of his wife and 7 of his children, including the 18-month-old child she was holding, followed by his indictment on federal charges, is yet another attempt on the part of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to frighten and intimidate Christians and committed life advocates," said Thomas More Society senior counsel, Stephen Crampton. "We believe the evidence will show that Paul did not violate the FACE Act, and we look forward to a chance to prove that in court." (6)

"We believe that authority was abused in this situation. Especially when contrasted with the utter lack of interest, let alone investigation and arrest, of those committing genuine acts of violence against churches and pregnancy resource centers," said Attorney Crampton. "It seems clear that the FBI is carrying out an agenda ... - to terrorize - Christians and the pro-life community, while excusing and even condoning those on the pro-abortion side engaged in much more serious and harmful acts." (7)

"Government exists not only to make rules, but to ensure justice. If a government fails to provide equal justice under the law, it must be replaced by one that does."

James Madison, Founding Father and 4th President

(ncregister.com, 10/12/22(1)(3); christianpost.com, 9/27/22((2); ncregister.com, 10/18/22(4)(6((7); lifenews.com, 10/7/22(5); washingtontimes.com,10/16/22; liveaction.org, 8/9/22)

Quoting Pope Francis on elections and the faithful’s civic duty to vote, Bp. Andrew H. Cozzens added “Civic engagement is part of the task of discipleship. It is part of the vocation of all God’s faithful who are called by Jesus to be the ‘salt of the earth’ and the ‘light of the world.” “This is not a duty that any of us can delegate.”

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Cardinal Muller Visits Pro-Life Father of 7 Arrested by FBI

October 30, 2022

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted." -2 Timothy 3:12

According to a 2022 Pew Research Center report, over 75% of the world's population live in countries with high or very high governmental and/or societal restrictions on religious freedom. Throughout the Middle East, Church leaders - from Jerusalem to Iraq - are concerned that the Christian population is emigrating at alarming rates. The very birthplace of Christianity now faces the serious threat of losing its heritage because Christians are fleeing systematic violence in their homeland. (1)

In Southeast Asia and Africa, the countries of Myanmar and Nigeria are now seeing the most brutal persecution. "Myanmar authorities brutalized us," said a 30-year-old Muslim refugee. "They burned down our houses, raped our mothers and sisters, burned our children. We took shelter in Bangladesh to escape that brutality." (2) These killings by the Myanmar military led to over 700,00 Rohingya Muslims into overcrowded, disease-ridden camps.

Christians are the particular target of persecution in Nigeria. More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. (3) "Nigeria is currently one of the scariest places to be a Christian," says an Open Door's analyst. "The country has witnessed an explosion of violence in recent months. Attacks are happening almost on a daily basis.... (This) is what is happening across West Africa - the agenda, and the process and model of persecution are being implemented elsewhere with impunity."(4)

"The United Nations estimates that over 82 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, the highest number on record. Many are displaced due to conflicts, real or manufactured, over religion..." (5)

"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account" -Matthew 5:11

(usccb.org, 2022(1)(5); humanrightswatch.org, 8/24/22(2); opendoorsuk.org, 5/10/22(3)(4); bbc.com, 5/24/22; anglican.ink, 9/16/22)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Globally, Religious Freedom is Under Siege

October 23, 2022

“The Bible clearly says that faithfulness and persecution often go hand in hand.” -Evangelist Billy Graham

On Sept. 23, 2022, Catholic pro-life activist, Mark Houck, was arrested by a fully armed team of FBI agents at his home in PA in front of his wife and seven young children after the agents had pounded on the door in the early morning. "They said they were going to break in if he didn't open it. And then they had about 5 guns pointed at my husband, myself, and basically at my kids," said Mrs. Houck. (1)

Houck is accused of assaulting a male Planned Parenthood client escort outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic on Oct. 23, 2021, under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Houck regularly prays the Rosary, hands out literature, and does some "sidewalk counseling" outside the clinic. On this day, when "the escort began harassing Mark’s 12-year-old son, they walked down the street away from the building entrance. The escort followed them and when he continued yelling at the boy, getting within his personal space, Mark pushed him away," wrote a spokesperson. (2) The man fell down but was not seriously hurt, requiring only "a Band-Aid on his finger," said the spokesperson. (3) After local authorities declined to press charges, the escort pressed charges in Philadelphia municipal court, but the case was dismissed when the man repeatedly failed to show up for court dates.

If convicted, Houck could face 11 years in prison. "This case is being brought solely to intimidate people of faith and pro-life Americans," said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society senior counselor. "Mark Houck is innocent of these lawless charges and we intend to prove that in court." (4)

In the meantime, "Nobody responsible for the nearly 100 attacks, including firebombs and vandalism, on pro-life pregnancy centers has been charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ), wrote Greg Price of xStrategies. (5) These frequent attacks, many by pro-abortion group "Jane's Revenge”, were seemingly ignored after the Supreme Court decision in June on Roe v Wade. "This kind of overreaction for a minor infraction of the law is deeply troubling and it becomes even more troubling when paired with the under reaction by the DOJ when the pro-life side is targeted," wrote William Donohue, Catholic League president. (6)

Berkeley develops "Jewish-free Zones"

Nine student groups at U.C. Berkeley created "Jewish-free Zones" when they adopted a rule forbidding pro-Israel speakers at school events. The controversial bylaw, promulgated by a pro-Palestinian group on campus, says it aims to stop the spread of Zionist (pro-Israel) beliefs.

"It is troubling to broadly exclude a particular viewpoint from being expressed," said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, who is Jewish. "This would mean that I could not be invited to speak because I support the existence of Israel, though I condemn many of their policies." (7)

(christianpost.com, 9/27/22(1)(2); catholicnewsagency.com, 9/27/22(3)(4)(6); 1cbn.com, 9/27/22(5); ncregister.com, 9/27/22; nypost.com, 9/29/22); nypost.com, 9/30/22(7); newsweek.com, 10/2/22

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

Legalized Religious Persecution Comes to America

October 16, 2022

* Christians took real, practical steps helping the sick. The Emperor Charlemagne (800-814) decreed that every cathedral was required to have an attached hospital.

* Monasteries generated the copying of Scripture and other literature, especially from Greece, and their libraries provided the inspiration for the first universities in the 12th and 13th centuries.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom." -Corinthians 3:17

(dailycaller.com, 12/22/17(1)(4); christianunion.org, 5/3/16(2): chnistiantoday.com(3); byfaith.co.uk; discover.hubpages.com, 9/17/18; coldcasechristianity.com, 10/22/21(4)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

The Unique Contributions of Christianity to the World

October 9, 2022

"The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations, and the world.” -Pope John XXIII

"Our Christian faith is based, not on abstract speculation, but on historical events.... The Church's feasts are acts of thanksgiving for actions of God that have affected the course of human existence," wrote Fr. George Rutler, Pastor of Church of St. Michael in NYC. (1)

Anticipating the Muslim threat to take over the Mediterranean Sea and be in a position to conquer European Christian nations, in 1569, Pope Pius V urged the Christian faithful to pray the Rosary and seek the intercession of the Blessed Mother to defeat the Muslim aggression. (2) He "understood the tremendous importance of resisting the aggressive expansion of the Muslin Turks better than any of his contemporaries appear to have. He understood that the real battle being fought was spiritual; a clash of creeds was at hand, and the stakes were the very existence of the Christian West," wrote G.K. Chesterton in his poem "Lepanto." (3)

On October 7, we celebrate the improbable victory of Christian naval vessels over those of the Ottoman Muslims who outnumbered the Christians by two to one and whose ships were manned by 15,000 Christian galley slaves. The Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, was the greatest naval engagement known until World War I. (4)

Pope Pius V interpreted the event as the movement of Providence in favor of the Church and European civilization. He asserted that the triumph properly belonged to the Mother of God and that her intercession had moved the "Holy League" of Christian vessels to victory. He added a new feast day to the Liturgical Calendar - October 7 would henceforth be the feast of Our Lady of Victory. His successor, Pope Gregory XIII would change the name of this day to the feast of the Holy Rosary. (5)

Let us pray: We pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Victory, Patroness of the United States. Blessed Mother Mary, we place our country in your care, remembering your intercession in the Battle of Lepanto. Teach us to imitate Jesus, as you did, and always to follow Him with your courage so that religious liberty, His gift to all mankind, may be preserved throughout the land. Amen

crisismagazine, 10/7/16(1)(4); simplycatholic.com(2); thecatholicdormitory.blogspot,10/7/13(3); madisoncatholicherald.org, 10/26/17(5); ghirelli.com, 1/1/19

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN A MINUTE

What Happens When Entire Nations Pray for Religious Freedom? It's Happened Before - It Can Happen Again

October 2, 2022

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEEKLY

Read more here: bit.ly/3pHrhgr bit.ly/3JOqCAJ bit.ly/46AHW69

Janet Stecklein, CNHI Oklahoma, May 17, 2023

Psalm 30:2 “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.”