7 Recent Attacks on Religious Freedom by Government in the United States

Excerpt from an insightful article from the Christian Post:

Freedom of religion encompasses many beliefs and actions, obviously including worship. But this rhetorical shift of limiting freedom of religion to only worship embodies a dangerous ideology that is shared by the current administration. Ironically, the former Soviet Union – a self described atheistic country – allowed “freedom of worship” but not “freedom of religion.” Not only have President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently repeatedly used the same “freedom of worship” rhetoric, but this administration has engaged in several other hostile actions that also show a disdain for the freedom of religion, including the following:

1. Requiring religious organizations to provide abortion-inducing drugs and contraceptives free of charge.
2. Requiring individuals to pay a surcharge to fund abortions.
3. Overturning HHS protections for religious health care workers not to be forced to participate in abortions.
4. Using a recess appointment to place radical homosexual activist Chai Feldblum as a commissioner on the EEOC-who recently stated that when religious liberty and sexual liberty conflict, she has “a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.”
5. Refusing to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act.
6. Removing non-profit work that relates to “religious instruction” from the student loan forgiveness program.
7. Arguing recently at the Supreme Court that the government can interfere with the internal operations of religious organizations.

Read full article…

When Political rhetoric can blurs the lines between freedom of religion and religious expression, on the one hand, separation of church and state, on the other, it becomes all the more necessary for us to live up to our religious and moral convictions and actively contribute to the political process, like any good citizen. Infringements on religious freedom can only make headway if we allow them to hinder our convictions and stop us from being involved in politics.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing — Edmund Burke