Say White House Decision Still Denies First Amendment Protections
U.S. Constitution Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression
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.
The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
Bob Unruh, WND — Members of the Christian Medical Association had harsh words for Barack Obama after his latest attempt to mandate abortion coverage in Obamacare: You have failed.“This latest version of the contraceptives and sterilization mandate remains unacceptable,” said Dr. David Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical Association. “Since when does the government get to pick and choose which groups will get to enjoy First Amendment protections?
“Our founders intended the First Amendment to protect every American’s freedom to act according to one’s conscience,” he said. “They didn’t specify that only groups deemed religious will be afforded this protection; freedom of conscience applies equally to all Americans.”
Dr. Gene Rudd, CMA executive vice president, joined Stevens.
“The administration fails to understand that many employers and individual Americans, regardless of a religious label or not, maintain strong conscience objections to participating in any, way, shape or form in a plan that promotes pills that the FDA says can cause the demise of a living human embryo – a developing baby in her earliest stage,” Rudd said.
“It would appear that the administration is trying to diffuse the pressure from federal courts around the country by throwing a sop to religious groups,” Stevens added. “If administration officials think that this action will somehow cause us to back down and accept the terms of surrender, well, that’s just not going to happen. We all plan to stand united in the fight to ensure that everyone’s First Amendment freedoms of religion and conscience are protected.”
Rudd cited Thomas Jefferson’s assertion that “our rules 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,” Jefferson said.
[...]
But there are still no protections for religious business owners.
“We’re extremely disappointed that the Obama administration does not respect the religious beliefs of all Americans,” said Francis Manion, senior counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice.
“This country’s laws and Constitution protect the religious freedom of all Americans, whether organized into religious bodies or not. Religious believers who simply want to conduct their businesses in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs have the same right to religious liberty as everybody else,” he said.
The legal team already has four lawsuits on behalf of companies owned by Christians, and in those cases judges have issued injunctions preventing the application of the law.
[...]
While business owners argue the government cannot order them to violate their faith, the government says it can. » Read More
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About the Author
Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially.
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