Posts Tagged ‘religious freedom’
TV Network Started by Cloistered Nun Sues Sebelius
TERRENCE P. JEFFREY, CNSNEWS.COM Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)--founded in 1981 by Mother M. Angelica, a cloistered Roman Catholic nun belonging to the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration--has filed suit against Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other senior officials in the Obama administration arguing that a [...]
Obama and Ginsburg on America’s “Rather Old Constitution”
PAUL G. KENGOR, CENTER FOR VISION AND VALUES I’ve gotten some very interesting emails regarding President Obama’s mandate commanding Roman Catholics (and many evangelical Protestants) to violate their consciences by providing mandatory contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing pharmaceuticals. The emailers noted that Obama’s [...]
Catholic Group to Sue Obama Administration over Obamcare
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, PRIESTS FOR LIFE Staten Island, NY - Priests for Life, a New York based international pro-life organization of Catholic clergy and laity, today announced that it will be filing a lawsuit against the Obama Administration in an effort to seek injunctive relief from impending regulations that would require the organization to [...]
Help Restore Religious Freedom in America
Liberty Alerts, JBS.org Freedom Campaign The contraception mandate recently dictated by the Obama administration has met with a firestorm of opposition. It requires all employers, regardless of the tenets of their faith to purchase health insurance plans that cover sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacients. Aside from the attempts by [...]
Pelosis Stands With ‘Courageous’ Obama Against Religious Freedom
THOMAS CLOUD, CNSNEWS.COM House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) vowed today that she will join with the Obama administration in standing up against the Catholic Church in defending a new regulation that will require Catholic individuals to buy, and Catholic institutions to provide, health insurance plans that cover sterilizations and [...]
Obamacare’s Assault on Religious Freedom
Mike Brownfield, Heritage Foundation It has not even been two years since Obamacare was enacted, and already the President’s health care law has taken another victim — the religious freedoms Americans hold dear, as reflected by the First Amendment. The Obama Administration recently reaffirmed a rule under Obamacare that requires many [...]
The Obama Mandate to Catholics: “To Hell With You?”
PAUL G. KENGOR, CENTER FOR VISION AND VALUES America’s Catholic bishops are princes of diplomacy, highly educated, erudite, men of tact, propriety. They’re asked to shepherd the flock with a long historical timeframe—like, say, eternity. They tend not to have knee-jerk reactions to issues of the moment. And so, it’s not often when a [...]
Pastors Permitted Political Speech
JORDAN SEKULOW, ACLJ This past week I had the distinct privilege to attend the Minnesota Faith & Freedom Coalition Annual Pastors’ Briefing & Strategy Event where I spoke to over 120 pastors on their rights in the political process. The event was hosted by Pastor Brad Brandon, President of the Minnesota Faith & Freedom Project [...]
Victory: Jesus Statue Remains Because ACLJ Members Spoke Out
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice In a significant victory for religious liberty, the Flathead National Forest announced today that it would in fact renew the Knights of Columbus special use permit for the display of a statue of Jesus Christ. The statue, which was placed there as a World War II memorial by returning veterans, [...]
Bishop: Obama Administration Is Telling Catholics ‘To Hell With You’
TERRENCE P. JEFFREY, CNSNEWS.COM Roman Catholic Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh says the Obama administration is telling American Catholics: “To Hell with you.” “The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, ‘To Hell with you!’” the bishop said in a column posted on his diocesan website. “There [...]
Elisha Williams: The Right of Judging in Matters of Faith
Called Unto Liberty, Founding Era Sermons, Elisha Williams That the sacred scriptures are the alone rule of faith and practice to a Christian, all Protestants are agreed in; and must therefore inviolably maintain, that every Christian has a right of judging for himself what he is to believe and practice in religion according to that rule: Which [...]
James Madison and Religious Freedom
AMERICAN MINUTE WITH BILL FEDERER James Madison's defense of religious freedom began when he stood with his father outside a jail in the village of Orange and heard Baptists preach from their cell windows. Their crime? -Preaching without a license from the government. Madison wrote on the fate of more Baptist ministers to William [...]
ACLU Still Attacking the Ten Commandments
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY REPORT No school is too small to escape the anti-religious fervor of the American Civil Liberties Union, known as the ACLU. A battle has been going on about the 10 Commandments for about a year in rural Virginia, nearly 300 miles southwest of Washington, DC. The 10 Commandments had been peacefully hanging in [...]
Pastors Protest Bloomberg Booting 60 Churches Out of Schools
PETE WINN, CNSNEWS.COM New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera and NYC religious leaders organized a rally at Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s State of the City speech on Thursday to protest the city’s decision to stop 60 churches--but not other groups--from meeting in public schools. New York City protest “Treating houses of worship [...]
The Ministerial Exception
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, CARL L. BANKSTON III A couple days ago, in the case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission et al., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that a teacher fired by a religious school could not sue her former employer for workplace discrimination because of the [...]
Victory for Religious Freedom at Supreme Court
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice In an unanimous decision, the Supreme Court today issued an important decision representing a tremendous victory for religious freedom. The high court concluded that courts should not intervene in the workings of churches. The Justices determined that the First Amendment protects the [...]
Take a Stand at “The Awakening”
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, LIBERTY COUNSEL A war is raging against our shared values. Our faith and freedom are under attack. Silence in the face of this war is not an option. A spirit of revolution and renewal is awakening people all across America! Now there is something you can do about it. Join us for a powerful gathering called The Awakening [...]
2011 Victories and Challenges for Religious Liberty
Sarah Torre, Heritage Foundation As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at a few of the victories and challenges for religious liberty during the past 12 months and look forward to greater respect and protection for religious liberty in 2012. HHS “Preventive Service” Mandate In August, the Department of Health and Human [...]
Christmas Behind Bars for Pakistani Death Row Christians
PATRICK GOODENOUGH, CNSNEWS.COM As Christians celebrate their savior’s birth on Sunday, they are being urged to remember persecuted fellow believers unable to enjoy the day with their families, including death row prisoners Asia Bibi of Pakistan and Youcef Nadarkhani of Iran, both of whom will be spending their third Christmas behind [...]
Walter Reed Banned Family Members From Bringing Bibles
PENNY STARR, CNSNEWS.COM In a Sept. 14 policy memorandum, Col. Chuck Callahan, chief of staff of Walter Reed National Medical Center, banned family members from bringing Bibles and other "religious items" when visiting wounded military personnel at the facility. In a section entitled “Partners in Care Guidelines," describing what family [...]
Christianity May Be Eradicated In Iraq and Afghanistan
TERRENCE P. JEFFREY, CNSNEWS.COM Despite long-term U.S. military occupations aimed at establishing representative governments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Christianity now faces the real threat of eradication in those countries because of severe and persistent persecution of Christians there, according to the chairman of the U.S. Commission on [...]
2011 Victories: Public Prayer is Not a Constitutional Crisis
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice This is the latest installment in a year-end series looking back at a few of the hundreds of victories by the ACLJ in 2011. Just weeks before this year’s National Day of Prayer, a federal appeals court threw out a challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) to the yearly [...]
Constitution Not Perfect
Called Unto Liberty, Joseph Smith Jr.: 1844, 19th Century Sermons It is one of the first principles of my life, and one that I have cultivated from my childhood, having been taught it by my father, to allow every one the liberty of conscience. I am the greatest advocate of the Constitution of the United States there is on the earth. In my [...]
Obama Religious Freedom Initiative Called Unfeasible & Naive
Liberty Alerts, Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com The State Department on Monday launched three days of closed-door talks with representatives of international organizations and several dozen countries with the stated aim of promoting religious freedom and tolerance while ensuring that freedom of expression is not harmed in the process. U.S. [...]
Should a Candidate’s Faith Be an Issue? Dealing With the Romney Question
Dr. L. John Van Til, The Center for Vision and Values Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith remains a frequent news item as the 2012 election cycle grinds on. Not long ago, a Texas evangelist called Mormonism a cult and has since been sharply criticized for stating his views. On Halloween, CNN Today ran a segment that scrutinized Romney’s time as a [...]
Luther: The Wrong Answer for Heresy, the Right Path to Faith
Called Unto Liberty, 16th Century Sermons, Martin Luther Martin Luther stated: "If fire is the right cure for heresy, then the fagot-burners are the most learned doctors on earth; nor need we study any more; he that has brute force on his side may burn his adversary at the stake." By contrast he laid out his plan: "I will preach, speak, [...]
Testifying in Congress on Religious Freedom
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice It’s what the ACLJ exists to do – defend your fundamental freedoms in the halls of Congress, the courtrooms of America, and around the world. And the most basic of these freedoms is the right to freely practice one’s faith. On Wednesday at 2:30p.m.ET, ACLJ Senior Counsel Colby May [...]
The Pulpit and the American Revolution: Isaac Backus
Leonard O. Goenaga Article Series: The Pulpit and the Patriots WEEK 6: The Pulpit and the American Revolution: Isaac Backus (1730-1788) Isaac Backus was born in Connecticut, in 1724, and was a conversion from the Great Awakening preaching of Eleazer Wheelock. After pastoring a church in Middleborough Massachusetts for about a decade, [...]
Standing Up for Egypt’s Coptic Christians
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice Not long ago, I told you about the growing danger facing Coptic Christians in Egypt and reported about an attack earlier this month that claimed the lives of more than two dozen Christians in that country. As I reported earlier, not only did the government fail to defend the Coptic [...]
Not a Single Christian Church Left in Afghanistan, Says State Department
Liberty Alerts, Edwin Mora, CNSNews.com There is not a single, public Christian church left in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. State Department. This reflects the state of religious freedom in that country ten years after the United States first invaded it and overthrew its Islamist Taliban regime. In the intervening decade, U.S. [...]
Urgent News Out of Iran
Liberty Alerts, Jay Sekulow, ACLJ We have just received news reports today regarding the life of Christian pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani. The Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei will personally decide the fate of Pastor Nadarkhani. The step to involve the most powerful leader in Iran is unusual and demonstrates that Iran is feeling [...]
Religious Freedom Threatened at Veterans’ Burials
Culture Watch, Heritage Foundation The rifle salute, the solemn playing of Taps, and the presentation of the folded flag to family members are important, iconic rituals of a military funeral. During many veterans’ burials, volunteers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) will also include recitation of a prayer and express condolences to [...]
Destroying America’s Moral Fiber
By Alan Caruba There’s something very wrong when the forthcoming memorial ceremonies of 9/11 at Ground Zero in New York City will not include prayer. Almost by definition, a memorial service includes prayer for the souls of the dead and for renewal in the face of adversity. No doubt a combination of political correctness and common sense [...]
The U.S. Constitution and Common Sense Prevail in Lake County, Florida
Liberty Alerts, Liberty Counsel Mount Dora, FL – Jerry Buell has been reinstated as a teacher, allowing him to return back to the classroom tomorrow. The Lake County School Board made its decision today after a week-long “investigation” into a comment Buell made on his personal Facebook page expressing his disapproval of legalized [...]
Reagan & Prayer in Schools
American Minute with Bill Federer AUGUST 11, 1984, by an 88-11 Senate vote and a 337-77 House vote, Congress passed the Equal Access Act, stating: It shall be unlawful for any public secondary school which receives Federal financial assistance and which has a limited open forum, to deny equal access or a fair opportunity to, or discriminate [...]
Hope When It Was Needed
Liberty Alerts, Jay Sekulow, ACLJ September 11th marked the greatest challenge our nation has faced in a generation. It also marked the beginning of a decade of turmoil we are still experiencing; but through the disasters and triumphs, we know there is eternal hope and a Creator Who can turn all things to good. In the days immediately [...]
Almost to Goal: 72,000 Americans Supporting the Cross
Liberty Alerts, ACLJ, Jay Sekulow One week ago, I asked you to stand with us in protecting the Ground Zero Cross from an atheist lawsuit. You have responded in a powerful way. In just a few days, over 50,000 of you have joined the Committee to Protect the Ground Zero Cross online but we only have a few more days to reach our online goal. We [...]
In God We Trust
Thomas Sanford, Heritage Foundation Fifty-five years ago this weekend, at the height of the Cold War, President Dwight Eisenhower designated “In God We Trust” as the national motto of the United States. Even before then, the motto had long been part of the American tradition. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln placed it on the [...]
Dixie County to Defend Open Forum Policy Which Allows Private Ten Commandments Display
Liberty Alerts, Liberty Counsel Cross City, FL – Today Liberty Counsel filed a Notice of Appeal on behalf of Dixie County, Florida, at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to defend the county’s Open Forum policy, which allows private displays of law and history, including the Ten Commandments. Liberty Counsel represents Dixie County in a [...]
Lawsuit Seeks to Set Aside New York Same-Sex Marriage Law Over Open Meetings Violations
Liberty Alerts, Liberty Counsel Livingston County, NY – In response to the flagrant violations of the New York state constitutional and legal procedures, Liberty Counsel has filed a law suit in the New York Supreme Court (the trial court) for declaratory and injunctive relief against the same-sex marriage law (the “Act”) which was signed [...]
Summary Judgment Requested to Stop Anti-Christian Bias at New Mexico School
Liberty Alerts, Liberty Counsel Liberty Counsel has filed a brief requesting summary judgment in the lawsuit Taylor v. Roswellagainst the Roswell Independent School District, for retaliating against a Christian group called Relentless in Roswell. The school punished and suspended members of the group for buying and giving fresh Krispy Kreme [...]
Freedom From Religion Foundation Needs Grammar Lesson
By Bryan Fischer The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has sued Texas Gov. Rick Perry because he has called for a day of prayer and fasting on August 6. The event, sponsored by the American Family Association, will take place in Reliant Stadium - home of the NFL Texans - in Houston. (For more information, go to TheResponseUSA.com) FFRF [...]
Atheists Take Offense at 9-11 Memorial for Fallen Firefighters
Sarah Torre, Heritage Foundation, Culture Watch Antagonists of religious belief will go to extraordinary lengths to drive out any mention of the spiritual from the public square. A few weeks ago, the streets of Brooklyn were witness to such extreme secularism. There a new commemorative street sign has created a stir among local and national [...]
Pilots Refuse to Fly Atheist’s Banner
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice The American Atheists hoped to use Independence Day to spread their message calling for an America without God. The atheists had contracted to fly banners over ballparks and large Fourth of July gatherings but they had one big problem – 80% of the pilots hired refused to fly their "God-LESS" [...]
John Adams To Abigail (September 16, 1774)
American Correspondence, Democratic Thinker John Adams writes to his wife relating the religious intolerance first exhibited during the opening of the First Continental Congress.—And to the results. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.—Psalms 35:1. To [...]
Progressive’s Perfect Storm Against God — T.F. Stern
By T.F. Stern, You may recall a movie made not too long ago, The Perfect Storm, in which weather systems combined making for a devastating mix. We are witnessing the makings of a different kind of “perfect storm”, one brought about by years of pain staking efforts by progressives; call them what you will, these folks are the [...]
Why Does Religious Freedom Matter?
By Jennifer Marshall, Heritage Foundation Religious liberty and a thriving religious culture are defining attributes of the United States, characterizing the American order as much as its political system and market economy. From the earliest settlements of the 17th century to the great social reform causes led by religious congregations in [...]
Christianity and Religious Freedom: On a Candlestick or Under a Bushel?
By Steve Farrell, The New American Nowadays, in order to justify each and every sin under the sun, each and every assault upon the moral fiber of our family,community, and nation, one approach fits all: opponents of everything good and right, sensible and salutary need only push the claim that their privacy has been violated. But how can [...]
Congress: An Int’l Push to Protect Religious Freedom
Liberty Alerts, American Center for Law and Justice As you know, the ACLJ - along with our international affiliates - remains committed to working to ensure that religious freedom is protected here and around the globe. We report regularly about the dangers facing Christians who are often persecuted - even put to death in some [...]
Doctor Richard Scott: Victim of Hate Crime in U.K.
By Bryan Fischer “A hate crime is usually defined by state law as one that involves threats, harassment, or physical harm and is motivated by prejudice against someone's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability.” - USLegal.com If facing harassment because others have [...]
