Dear CWA of Washington Member,
Our current president has effected a storm of commentaries with his National Prayer Breakfast comments last week. Other presidents have expressed very different opinions about problems with America’s religious liberty rights in the midst of serious crises:
Dwight Eisenhower is quoted in the TIME Magazine article, “Eisenhower on Communism,” October 13, 1952:
“The Bill of Rights contains no grant of privilege for a group of people to destroy the Bill of Rights.
A group – like the Communist conspiracy – dedicated to the ultimate destruction of all civil liberties, cannot be allowed to claim civil liberties as its privileged sanctuary from which to carry on subversion of the Government.”
President Ronald Reagan stated at an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast, August 23, 1984:
“The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance and freedom and open-mindedness. Question: Isn’t the real truth that they are intolerant of religion?”
As U. S. citizens, we must thoughtfully consider the current threats to our First Amendment religious liberty seriously, whether those threats comes from outside or inside our borders. Both of the preceding quotes reflect such threats. While we may not agree with what one believes, we still need to stand for their right to believe as they do or all of our thoughts and values will be subject to approval from impersonal sources. This has always been a challenge in our nation, but never more so than currently.
PRAYER
February 15, 2015 – Prayer and Fasting Day For Victims Of Islamic Terrorism Concerned Women for America joins the world in outrage and sadness regarding the murder, rape and forced prostitution of women and children at the hands of Islamic militants. This is a war against evil much like described in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Please join us on Sunday, February 15, 2015, for Prayer and Love >Terror: a Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Victims of Islamic Terrorists. Click here for more information.
Bellevue Prayer Vigil for Life from February 18 – March 29, 2015 at the new location of Planned Parenthood (14730 N. E. 8th St., Bellevue, WA 98007). Pray, fast and witness for human life with other pro-lifers! Prayer with action: CWA’s way! For more information click here or contact prayervigil4life@gmail.com.
40 Days for Life from February 18 – March 29, 2015. Click here for a location near you.
Pray for Those Under Attack for Their Religious Values
I cannot over-emphasize the importance of praying for those under attack for their religious values. While there are multiple cases around the nation, our state has two egregious examples of religious persecution and prosecution:
Arlene’s Flowers owned by a 70-year-old grandmother, Baronnelle Stutzman, Arlene’s Flowers is being sued by our state’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson for the supposed hate crime of politely refusing to provide the flowers for a homosexual wedding. Longtime customers had purchased flowers there many times, but when it came to celebrating their marriage, the owner gently declined because of her sincerely held religious values about marriage. AG Ferguson had widened the lawsuit against Mrs. Stutzman to include both her business and her personal estate, a devastating blow to her religious freedom and to many long years of building a respected business in her community. This case will go to court in March.
Please pray that God will protect Arlene’s Flowers and Mrs. Stutzman and also use this case to show the real motivation: “Isn’t the real truth that they are intolerant of religion?” Why does sexual liberation trump religious liberty? The founders would be quite astounded at this twisting of the well-thought-out principles put into our Bill of Rights.
Stormans Iga Pharmacy This case re: standing for freedom of conscience and a privately-owned business’ right of refusal to stock and distribute abortifacients when they are available at other nearby pharmacies is awaiting a court decision since the November trial. Now is the time the judges are contemplating their answers so now is an important time to be praying for God’s intervention and His will to prevail.
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
CWA has seven core issues we focus on to develop our legislative agenda in protection of the family: Sanctity of Human Life, Family/marriage, Education/parental authority, Sexual Exploitation, Religious Liberty, National Sovereignty, and Support for Israel. As Washington State’s Legislature continues its work, we have several bills about which to alert you. You may read bills and updates at http://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/. You may find your legislators’ contact information at http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/. You can call to leave messages for your district legislators at 1-800-562-6000.
SB 5289 An act relating to abortion notification
Abortion and birth control are the only health issues that require no parental permission. Why? We are asking only for 48-hours parental notification, and the bill allows for court intervention in dysfunctional situations. Ask yourself why you must approve your child taking any medication at school or camp, body piercing, sun bed tanning, or tattoos, but you can’t ever be notified in the case of your daughter seeking an abortion? This is not logical and very bad state law that needs to be changed in order to protect our families and parental authority.
Current status: 1/19 First reading; 2/2 Public hearing in Senate Law & Justice Committee; awaiting committee action.
HB 1647/SB 5574 An act relating to improving access to reproductive health– Also known as the “Abortion Insurance Mandate”
We have battled similar attempts to force every one of us to pay for abortion coverage in our insurance policies. While you may stand against abortion, your insurance dollars will still go to pay for other women’s abortions if this bill passes. We stood up and fought before and must do so again in order to preserve religious liberty as well as moral and conscience choices for the state’s citizens.
Current status: Public hearing was held on Tuesday, 2/10, in the House Health Care Committee with committee’s executive session scheduled for 2/13.
SB 5215 An act relating to establishing the Washington internet crimes against children account
Although CWA is hesitant to support anything that grows government, this bill would create an account dedicated to respond “to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and internet crimes against children”. In the interest of our families and our children’s innocence, we are supporting this bill as it moves through the system. The bill does not raise taxes but funds the task force through unclaimed prizes in the state lottery account.
Current status: 2/10 Senate Law & Justice Committee passed the substitute bill.
There are other important bills before the Legislature. Please do your best to educate yourself and others on the three bills above, then pray and take action.
Contact your legislators and politely speak your mind on these issues! Our children and our elected officials need our involvement! Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000; Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; closed 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. and holidays.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29
Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God. Exodus 18:21
In His Service,
Maureen Richardson
State Director
CWA of Washington
PO Box 143
Woodinville, WA 98072
director@washington.cwfa.org
425-869-1923
Att: Membership form