Religious Rights Watch

Congressman Steve King reacted last week to the atheists' attempt to ensure that our nation's motto, "In God We Trust," and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag are not permanently engraved in the new Capitol Hill Visitors Center (CHVC). Congressman King said: "This lawsuit is another attempt by liberal activists to rewrite history and deny that America's Judeo-Christian heritage is an essential foundation stone of our great nation."  read more »

"To those who would crush religious freedom, our message is plain:  you may jail your believers.  You may close their churches, confiscate their Bibles, and harass their rabbis and priests, but you will never destroy the love of God and freedom that burns in their hearts.  They will triumph over you."    These remarks were in President Ronald Reagan's speech to the National Religious Broadcasters on January 31, 1981, during his second week in office as president and a couple months before he was almost assassinated.  

Undoubtedly, President Reagan was mostly speaking to the communist dictatorships in the world at the height of the Cold War.  However, if he was president this year, he could well be speaking to Canada and Sweden, etc. which have thrown pastors in jail for preaching the Bible from their pulpits on politically-incorrect topics.     read more »

Thankfully in America, there are still young Americans who are not afraid to strike back at the left-wing's political correctness movement.  And a great example of this occurred last Saturday when several hundred graduating high school seniors stood in protest during their graduation ceremony at Pace High School in Santa Rosa County, Florida because the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had filed a lawsuit against the high school administration claiming the principal and some teachers supported religion.     read more »

Religious rights in America continue to deteriorate. A San Diego pastor and his wife have been told by county officials to stop holding Bible studies in their home.  According to Fox News' Special Report on Thursday night, they have been subjected to interrogation and threatened with fines if they continue to hold Bible studies in their home. They have about ten to fifteen participants in their Bible studies.    read more »

The most infamous organization in American, the so-called American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is fighting against American veterans yet again in the United States Supreme Court. As reporter Audrey Hudson writes in today's Memorial Day edition of "The Washington Times," in an article entitled: "ACLU 'dead wrong' on cross," a 7 foot cross standing for 75 years in a California desert to memorialize war veterans is being threatened with removal by, you guessed it, the ACLU.

It is reported that the cross was first erected in the federally protected Mojave Desert Preserve by a group of veterans whose doctors told them that desert heat would help them recover from shell shock. In his column today in "The Washington Times," Glen Gardner, a Vietnam War veteran, and the national commander of the 2.2 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. wrote that the United States Supreme Court will determine whether that gesture of respect violates the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state.

As Mr. Gardner says: "The real issue behind Salazar v. Buono is whether the use of religious symbolism in veterans memorials on public property violates the Establishment Clause. If the High Court rules in favor of the plaintiff, every such memorial across the land will be in jeopardy of being torn down -- and the ultimate loser will be America. That's because veteran memorials help our nation remember what came before."  read more »

In a rare move, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) correctly ruled that ministers and pastors do not risk losing their tax-exempt status for engaging in political acts on behalf of issues such as traditional-values advocacy according to yesterday's "The Washington Times." That is good news for those who believe in constitutionally-guaranteed religious rights in America.

The IRS sent a letter to a group called the Niemoller Foundation which, like churches, is a 501(c)(3) organization according to the IRS code, saying that it did not violate its non-profit status by gathering together pastors for a series of public policy conferences. A left-wing group called the Texas Freedom Network had filed a complaint against the Nielmoller Foundation with the IRS. At these conferences, prominent elected officials and others urged these pastors to register their congregations to vote. The IRS in their letter found "no evidence of political intervention."  read more »

Ironically, while yesterday was Barack Obama's 100th day, what was far more significant yesterday was the 402nd anniversary of the first English settlers landing on the shores of Cape Henry, Virginia, planting a huge wood cross in the sand dunes, kneeling down in the sand, and dedicating America to Jesus Christ.   

Although the Obama-adoring media has given their messiah more coverage than they gave to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush combined, you can believe that not one member of this establishment mentioned that important historical event. Indeed, the coverage they have given Obama during his first 100 days has been overwhelmingly positive, whereas the coverage they gave President Bush during his first 100 days  --  indeed,during his 8 years  --  was harshly negative.     read more »

Last week, Congressman Barney Frank, liberal Democrat from Massachusetts, put out a press release saying that the so-called "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act of 2009," H.R. 1913, of which he is an original co-sponsor, is expected to pass the House Judiciary Committee, populated by a majority of left-wing Democrats.  Frank --  in his press release  --  said that H.R. 1913 will most likely be on the House floor for a vote later this spring.  The legislation was introduced into the House of Representatives on April 2 by the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI.)
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Early last month the Obama Administration moved to rescind a current regulation the protects the conscience rights of America's health care workers.  Meaning they would no longer be able to decline to perform health care related "services", (ie: abortion), on the grounds of their conscience and/or religious convictions.

So how do Americans feel about this issue?  Well, thanks to a survey conducted on behalf of the Christian Medical Association, we now have a poll which answers that question.

From the survey:

"A sizable 87% of American adults surveyed believe it is important to 'make sure that healthcare professionals in America are not forced to participate in procedures and practices to which they have moral objections.'"  read more »

Americans' religious rights and First Amendment rights continue to be eroded as evidenced by the jailing of a black pastor from a Berkeley, California church last week. He was the first person convicted -- two months ago -- under Oakland's law preventing pro-life protesters from coming within 8 feet of anyone entering an abortion clinic.

The Union City pastor, Walter Hoye, received a $1,000 fine, 30 days in jail (although in the future pro-lifers can be actually be put in jail for up to two years) and 3 years' probation. This courageous pastor told the judge: "I believe that an unjust law is no law at all." Pastor Hoye even answered Alameda Superior Court Judge Hing's question of whether or not he would abide by an order to stay 100 yards away from the Oakland abortion clinic with a principled "No."  read more »