Religious liberty is, perhaps, the most fundamental liberty that all Americans enjoy. However, you wouldn’t know it looking at the Democratic presidential candidates. They appear to embrace the Obama view of religion. That is, you are free to worship on Sunday. However, following God’s Word in the public square is not permitted if it contravenes Democratic talking points and the Party’s view of how people should think. Obama’s vision of religion was very closely in line with Josef Stalin’s.
Chicago’s Francis Cardinal George once wrote:
“Freedom of worship was guaranteed in the Constitution of the former Soviet Union. You could go to church, if you could find one. The church, however, could do nothing except conduct religious rites in places of worship — no schools, religious publications, health care institutions, organized charity, ministry for justice and works of mercy that flow naturally from a living faith. We fought a long Cold War to defeat that vision of society.”
The Obama administration backed efforts to remove church organizations from providing adoption and foster care services if they would not kowtow to the gay marriage philosophy. As a result children were being denied loving homes. People who had fostered children for many years were turned away because of their religious beliefs.
The Obama administration attempted to force religious institutions that were opposed to abortion as a matter of conscience to pay for such services as part of their health plans. Of course, the idea of murdering unborn children is anathema to most rational people except for the most deluded ones on the Left.
Recently Robert “Beto” O’Rourke has jumped in to restart the Obama crusade to allow the government to coerce religious beliefs. O’Rourke announced that churches that do not support gay marriage should be stripped of their tax-exempt status. O’Rourke wants to implement a communist vision of a society without true religious liberty.
One would think that a campaign statement like this would be an excellent opportunity for other aspiring leaders of the party to come out and condemn such an intrusion into the religious liberty of Americans. One would think that many of the other candidates would be happy to have the opportunity to embrace the idea of religious freedom for all Americans. Of course, in this day and age, one would be wrong to think along those lines. Not one other candidate condemned this proposed intrusion into the religious freedoms of all Americans.
The Democratic Party has had four “debates” so far. It certainly seems to me that a fair question for the candidates is his/her views on the most fundamental of human rights, that being the free exercise of religion.
Do they agree or disagree that small business owners should be penalized by the government for trying to operate their business according to their faith?
Do they believe that religious liberty is a threat to civil rights as O’Rourke states?
Are religiously affiliated Americans welcome in the Party, or do they fear them because of their religious beliefs?
Do the Democrats believe that a person who practices their religion daily is old fashioned and out of date?
Americans deserve to know.
Religious liberty is about protecting each man’s right to live according to his own beliefs. If government is allowed to come between a man and his God or force him to violate his own conscience, we will become like the old Soviet Union or Communist China today.
It’s time for the Democrats to stand up and be counted.