Transcription
Religious Freedom: Our First Freedom
Adult Formation ClassJune 22, 2014
Legal Do’s and Don’ts Churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations havelegal limits as to what they can and cannot doregarding elections. Refer to USCCB.org, Political ResponsibilityGuidelines for more information.
Pope Benedict’s Warningand Call-to-Action“It is imperative that the entireCatholic community in theUnited States come to realizethe grave threats to theChurch’s public moral witnesspresented by a radicalsecularism which findsincreasing expression in thepolitical and cultural spheres.”
Foundation for Religious LibertyGod Himself is our source ofreligious liberty.“It is for freedom that Christhas set us free You, my brothers, were calledto be free.”Galatians 5: 1, 13
The Most Cherished ofAmerican Freedoms The Ark and the Dove Maryland’s 1649 ActConcerning Religion Is our most cherishedfreedom truly underthreat?
What Do We Meanby Religious Liberty?“The human person has a right toreligious freedom.”
Church TeachingFoundational Documents: Pope Paul VI: Dignitatis Humanae: Declarationon Religious Freedom, 7 December 1965 St. Pope John Paul II: Encyclical Letter: RedemptorHominis (4 March 1979) USCCB, Our First, Most Cherished Liberty:"Religious liberty is about whether we can make ourcontribution to the common good of all Americans.Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do,without having to compromise that very same faith?
Religious Libertyin the U.S. Constitution“Congress shall make no lawrespecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the freeexercise thereof ”
Separation of Church and State"If I could have entertained the slightestapprehension that the Constitution framed inthe Convention, where I had the honor topreside, might possibly endanger the religiousrights of any ecclesiastical society, certainly Iwould never have placed my signature to it; andif I could now conceive that the generalgovernment might ever be so administered as torender the liberty of conscience insecure, I begyou will be persuaded that no one would bemore zealous than myself to establish effectualbarriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny,and every species of religious persecution.“George Washington, Letter to the United Baptist Churches in Virginia,1789
Separation of Church and State"[T]he conscientious scruples of all men shouldbe treated with great delicacy and tenderness;and it is my wish and desire, that the laws mayalways be [] extensively accommodated tothem "George Washington, Letter to the Annual Meeting of Quakers, 1789
Separation of Church and State"To compel a man to furnish contributions ofmoney for the propagation of opinions whichhe disbelieves and abhors, is sinful andtyrannical."Thomas Jefferson, The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1779"No provision in our Constitution ought to bedearer to man than that which protects therights of conscience against the enterprises ofthe civil authority.“Thomas Jefferson, Letter to New London Methodist, 1809
Separation of Church and State"[T]he equal right of every citizen to the freeexercise of his Religion according to thedictates of conscience is held by the sametenure with all our other rights. If we recur toits origin, it is equally the gift of nature; if weweigh its importance, it cannot be less dear tous; if we consult the Declaration of Rightswhich pertain to the good people of Virginia, asthe basis and foundation of Government, it isenumerated with equal solemnity, or ratherstudied emphasis.“James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against ReligiousAssessment, 1785
Separation of Church and State"[W]e hold it for a fundamental andundeniable truth that religion, or the dutywhich we owe our Creator, and the manner ofdischarging it, can be directed only by reasonand conviction, not by force or violence. TheReligion then of every man must be left to theconviction and conscience of every man; and itis the right of every man to exercise it as thesemay dictate."James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against ReligiousAssessment, 1785
Separation of Church and State““That consciences ought not to be violated orforced:” and indeed it is most true That persecution for cause of conscience hasever proved pernicious, being the cause allthose wonderful innovations of, or changes in,the principallest and mightiest kingdoms ofChristendom.”Roger Williams, “A Plea for Religious Liberty" an excerpt from TheBloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, 1644
Eternal VigilanceIs the Price of Liberty“Those who expect to reap the blessing ofFreedom must, like men, undergo the fatiguesof supporting it.”Thomas Paine, The Crisis, 1777
Church Heroes of Religious LibertySt. John FisherSt. Thomas More
Church Heroes of Religious LibertySt. Elizabeth Ann SetonSt. Katherine Drexel
Church Heroes of Religious LibertyJohn Courtney Murray, SJ
Protecting Conscience Why Conscience Is Important: Example of Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Jr. Some unjust laws must be opposed, no matterthe cost
Review - Questions1.2.3.4.What do we mean by religious liberty?What does the Church teach about religious freedom?What are two foundational Church documents on religious freedom?What is the First Amendment?What does "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"mean?What does "prohibiting the free exercise thereof" mean?5. What did our early American leaders say about religious freedom?6. Who have been the heroes of religious liberty in the church?7. Why is conscience important?
Speak Up for Conscience Rights Today
Adult Formation ClassJune 29, 2014
Preserving Religious LibertyIs Crucial“Our Constitution was made only for amoral and religious people ”John Adams
Protecting Conscience (cont.) HHS Mandate: Do we have a right to follow our conscience? Should people of faith be forced to violate theirconsciences? Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do,without having to compromise our faith?
Religious Liberty Under Attack:The Health and Human Services Mandate
Historical Religious Liberty Issues Equal treatment of Catholic Schools Anti-Catholic bigotry in presidential campaigns Establishment of diplomatic relations with theVatican
Current Threats to Religious Liberty HHS Mandate for sterilization, contraception andabortion inducing drugs. Catholic foster care and adoption services State immigration laws Discrimination against small churchcongregations Discrimination against Catholic humanitarianservices Christian students on campus
Other Threats to Religious Liberty Religious speech in the public squareReligious worship in one’s own homeThe ministerial exceptionCatholic schools, charities and hospitals notreligious enough International threats
The HHS Mandate June 2013, HHS final ruling, mandating contraceptives,abortions and sterilization Bishops’ primary concern: Catholics choosing betweenhealth insurance that violates conscience anddevastating penalties 3 Concerns: Narrow definition of “religious employers” The “accommodation” of religious ministries Treatment of for profit business
The HHS Mandate 3 Categories of employers Churches: exempt from Mandate Religious organizations (non-church entities):accommodated Secular entities (primarily for-profit): not exempt Why is the Catholic church opposed to theaccommodation?
The HHS Mandate3 Reasons why religiousinstitutions should not beforced to cover contraceptivesin health plans:Reason #1:There is no need for increasedaccess to contraception.
The HHS MandateReason #2:Drugs and devices thatcause abortion areincluded in the fullrange of FDA-approvedcontraceptives
The HHS MandateReason #3:The contraceptive mandate is aprofound violation of religious freedom
The HHS Mandate“This latest erosion of ourfirst freedom should make allAmericans pause. When thegovernment tampers with afreedom so fundamental tothe life of our nation, oneshudders to think what liesahead.”Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Where We Stand Across the country and around the world, people of allfaiths are standing up for their religious freedom – and westand with them. Through prayer, education, and publicaction, we are activating Americans from all faiths andwalks of life to turn back these threats. In March 2012, the Administrative Committee of the USConference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued “United forReligious Freedom,” a statement specifically on the HHSmandate. In April 2012, the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee forReligious Liberty issued “Our First, Most CherishedLiberty,” a statement more broadly on threats to religiousliberty, both here and abroad.
Where We StandStatus of Pending Litigation: 97 cases have been filed challenging HHS Mandate 49 are for-profit and 51 are non-profit 35 of the for-profit cases have been grantedinjunctions & 6 denied 22 of the non-profit cases have been grantedinjunctions & 4 denied For more oncentral/
The Hobby Lobby CaseQuestions of Interest Can for-profit entities exercise religion? Is the government's mandate an undue burden on theexercise of religion? Can the government tell corporations and individuals whatis the exercise of religion and what violates and does notviolate the exercising of religious practices? (Does thegovernment have the right to tell corporations andindividuals that once they enter the marketplace orincorporate a business, they may not express and operateaccording to their beliefs?)
The Hobby Lobby CaseQuestions of Interest Can the refusal to comply with a government order an exercise ofreligious beliefs? What is the compelling government interest that would justifythe government imposing burdens on corporations andindividuals to violate their expressed consciences? For more information: http://www.becketfund.org/hobbylobby/ The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March25, 2014. A decision is expected by the end of the Court’s term inJune.
Our Call to Action“As bishops we seek to bring the light of the Gospelto our public life,but the work of politics is properly that ofcommitted and courageous Catholics.We exhort them to be both engaged and articulate ininsisting that as Catholics and as Americans we donot have to choose between the two.”
What Can You Do? The U.S. Bishops have called for us to getinformed, to pray and to advocate. Stay erty To send your message to HHS and Congresstelling them to uphold religious liberty andconscience rights, go tohttp://www.nchla.org/action.asp
What Can You Do? The Bishops have called for a Fortnight forFreedom – June 21-July 4, 2014. http://www.stmarys-waco.org/fortnight-forfreedom for more information on this importanttime of prayer and action!
If you will not fight “If you will not fight for right when you caneasily win without bloodshed; if you willnot fight when your victory is sure and nottoo costly; you may come to the momentwhen you will have to fight with all theodds against you and only a precariouschance of survival. There may even be aworse case. You may have to fight whenthere is no hope of victory, because it isbetter to perish than to live as slaves.”Winston Churchill
The Church’s Unique Role of Hope“The Church is uniquely positionedto help reclaim a sense ofthe importance of religious liberty The stakes are very high.They implicate our country,our Church, and the world.”Thomas Farr**Director, Religious Freedom Project & Visiting Professor, Georgetown University
Review - Questions1. Why is conscience important?2. What are some historical religious liberty issues?3. What are some current threats to religiousliberty?4. What are 3 reasons religious institutions shouldnot be forced to cover contraceptives in healthplans?
render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution." George Washington, Letter to the United Baptist Churches in Virginia, 1789
