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Right from the Middle, Religious Freedom under attack
By Bill Lipinski
Religious freedom is under attack in our Land of Liberty like never before, and unless we work very hard to keep our religious liberty, we are going to lose it. If we lose our religious liberty, it will make it that much more difficult to keep the America we know and love.
Our founding fathers strongly believed in religion, they believed that religious freedom was necessary for our democratic republic to be successful. George Washington said “Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.”
He also said “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.’’
Thomas Jefferson wrote “Equal and exact justice to all …freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of the person under the protection of habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected – these principles form the bright constellation that has gone before us.” Jefferson also wrote “I am for freedom of religion and against all maneuvers to bring it down.”
John Adams said “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion …our constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Numerous founding fathers on a number of occasions stated that American freedom of religion not only meant every citizen could practice whatever religion they wished, but that government could not force citizens to partake in activities that their religion opposed, like people whose religious institutions are being forced to permit abortions.
Ronald Reagan made the following comments over the years: “I believe that faith and religion play a critical role in the political life of our republic, and always has and that the church, and by that I mean all churches, all denominations, has had a strong influence on the state and this has worked to our benefit as a democratic republic.”
President Reagan also said those who created our democratic republic, the founding fathers, understood that there is a divine order which transcends the human order, and felt that the bedrock of moral order is religion.
For years now, the ultra-liberals and the progressives have been attacking our religious freedom.
Examples of their many attacks on American religious freedom over the course of many years are as follows: the loss of government contracts for religious charities to provide foster care and adoption services in a number of states because the agencies refuse to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite- sex couples care; the denial of contracts to religious humanitarian service agencies because they refuse to provide or refer clients to contraception or abortion services; not allowing prayer in school; not permitting religious organizations to use meeting rooms in public buildings; not permitting religious meetings on public grounds; and not allowing distribution of free religious literature on public grounds; forcing individuals in business to supply services to individuals whose practices are opposed to the religious tenants of the business person; and removal of monuments, memorials, and displays of religious symbols on public property. In the first 110 years of our democratic republic, only three questions about freedom of religion reached the United States Supreme Court.
In relatively recent years, 14 cases on religious freedom have been decided by the US Supreme Court. In recent years, 75 cases have been filed in federal courts trying to limit freedom of religion. I am sure those of you reading this know of many other attacks on freedom of religion – I would appreciate it very much if you would send me information about those instances.
I do not have all the answers on how to stop these attacks on religious freedom, but I have some ideas of actions that we can take. Also, please remember that these attacks on religious freedoms are also attacks on our America!
We must enlist in our crusade all Americans that want to save freedom of religion in our nation and restore faith in our democratic republic as the greatest nation on earth and the hope of mankind. When we see or hear some individual or some entity attacking religion in our America, we must all be willing to stand up and state the need for religion and for the greatest nation on earth our America.
We should establish organizations to fight the enemies of religion and America, so we will not have to oppose these evil forces alone. The organizations could be simply called the “Religious Freedom in America Club”.
We must become involved in politics, not just donating money to parties and candidates, but working for candidates that represent our views and have the same goals for our nation, and by running for public office ourselves, and becoming involved in putting together the parties agenda.
We must become involved in all areas of our society to blunt the forces of evil that are trying to do away with the freedom of religion in the America we know and love.
It will take a maximum effort by clergy, laity, women, men, Christians, Jews and Muslims to turn back those evil forces out to destroy religious freedom in America and the American way of life. Unfortunately those destroyers are in our churches, in our temples, in our mosques, our schools, in journalism , in tv and radio news, in our hospitals, in the entertainment industry and in sports.
That is why it will be a long hard fight to save religious freedom in America and our American way of life.
(Don’t forget to check out the Podcast Two Guys on Politics with former Congressman Bill Lipinski and former Chicago City Hall reporter Ray Hanania. Visit: www.anchor.fm/twoguysonpolitics.)
Lipinski writes the "Right from the Middle" Column twice each month.
Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill and graduated fromSt. Patrick High School, Chicago, Ill., 1956; attended Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, 1956-1957; United States Army Reserves, 1961-1967.
Lipinski was elected alderman, Chicago, Ill., city council, 1975-1982; He was a delegate to: the Democratic National Midterm Convention, 1974; Democratic National Convention, 1976 and 1984; Illinois state Democratic convention, 1977.
He was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-eighth and to the ten succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1983-January 3, 2005)
His email is [email protected]
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