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religious freedom Archives – Concerned Women for America

Jul 22 2022
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The Myth of the Neutral State in Matters of Religion

By | LBB, Legal, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Now-retired Justice Stephen Breyer’s dissenting opinions in Carson v. Makin, one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest cases clarifying America’s robust religious liberty protections, reveals one of the fundamental misunderstandings of the First Amendment which impairs many people’s judgment in such cases. It is the myth of the neutral state.

 

In comparing religiously affiliated private schools to public schools, Justice Breyer writes that “public schools are religiously neutral.” I was glad I was not taking a sip of my coffee at that moment, or it would have been all over my desk. Can anyone who is aware of what is being taught in our schools seriously argue that schools are “neutral” regarding religious matters?

 

The radical left’s dogma is being imposed much more forcefully than any other religious tenet taught in most American religious institutions. And it’s not even close.

 

In Carson, the state of Maine had enacted a tuition assistance program for children in school districts that do not have a state secondary school. The program allows parents to choose the public or private school their children will attend, and the government would pay the school to help defray the cost. Before 1981, parents could choose any school if they met some basic requirements. But in 1980, the state excluded religious schools with a condition that the schools be “nonsectarian.”

 

The state “considers a sectarian school to be one that is associated with a particular faith or belief system and which, in addition to teaching academic subjects, promotes the faith or belief system with which it is associated and/or presents the material taught through the lens of this faith.”

 

Are not our public schools overwhelmingly associated with a particular “belief system”? In addition to teaching academic subjects, don’t they promote that belief system in any way they can? Have you seen the modern classroom decor? Have you seen the resources they are spending money to bring into the school… 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Jun 27 2022
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First Amendment Wins Again

By | News and Events, Press Releases, Religious Liberty | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2022
Contact: Katie Everett, Press Secretary
[email protected]
571-420-2488

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today’s U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which found Coach Joe Kennedy’s constitutional rights had been violated by the school district when he was fired for praying with students after football games, was a victory for the First Amendment of the Constitution.

 

“Americans of faith who believe in the country’s founding principles of liberty are rejoicing once again that the highest court in the land has reinforced the First Amendment that grants freedom of religion and freedom of speech,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest grassroots women’s organization in the country. “Both of these were at risk in this case.

“Government-run schools have tried to shut down people of faith for decades. This is one step back in the right direction to understand that Americans with deeply held religious beliefs cannot be banned from the public square.”

Nov 12 2021
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On the Maine Vaccine Mandate Case Before the U.S. Supreme Court

By | Case Vault, LBB, Legal, News and Events, SCOTUS | No Comments

In a recent emergency application before the United States Supreme Court, the justices declined an appeal from Maine health care workers to stop the enforcement of a vaccine mandate that did not contain a religious exemption. Though certainly disappointing, those concerned with these oppressive vaccine mandates should not read much into the denial, and indeed should be encouraged by Justice Neil Gorsuch’s excellent discussion of the legal principles involved which Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito joined.

It was disappointing that Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh declined to hear the case, but we should note their denial was a technical one as to the timing of the appeal. “[D]iscretionary consideration counsels against a grant of extraordinary [emergency] relief in this case, which is the first to address the questions presented,” wrote Justice Barrett. Practically all she wrote in her one-paragraph concurring opinion.

The bottom line is that the Supreme Court will end up taking one of the many cases challenging these vaccine mandates soon, and I am extremely confident that, at the very least, a religious exemption will be required.

Any government or private entity taking action against a worker’s request for religious accommodation does so at their own peril, putting itself at serious risk of legal liability once these cases work themselves out which will not take long, given how aggressively the strong arm of government is seeking to assert itself.

Not even a week after the Supreme Court’s denial in this case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked the Biden administration’s latest mandate. “Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate, the Mandate is hereby STAYED pending further action by this court,” the per curiam (by the court) noted.

There are a lot of moving parts in this battle, so be patient and continue to pray for the judges, the justices, and the attorneys involved. The Biden mandate is to take effect on January 4, so the one thing that we can be sure of is that it will move fast.

I commend to you Justice Gorsuch’s exceptional dissent from the denial of the application for injunctive relief against Maine’s vaccine mandate which demonstrates why we can be confident that religious liberty will win. The government must treat religious exceptions on the same level as any other exemptions. They cannot target religious exemptions as less worthy of protection. “Maine has so far failed to present any evidence,” wrote Justice Gorsuch, “that granting religious exemptions to the applicants would threaten its stated public health interests any more than its medical exemption already does.”

He concluded:

Where many other States have adopted religious exemptions, Maine has charted a different course. There, healthcare workers who have served on the front line of a pandemic for the last 18 months are now being fired and their practices shuttered. All for adhering to their constitutionally protected religious beliefs. Their plight is worthy of our attention.

Indeed. This is why the Court will have to address the issue in the not too distant future. Continue to pray.

Oct 25 2021
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Penny Nance Speaks to 15,000 College Students at Liberty University

By | CEO, News and Events | No Comments

Concerned Women for America’s CEO and President, Penny Nance, spoke at Liberty University’s convocation last Friday to over 15,000 college students in-person with even more watching online.

Nance led a panel entitled Women of Faith in Leadership that featured herself, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri), Carrie Sheffield, and Young Women for America National Director Annabelle Rutledge. The focus was to encourage students to vote their values, lean in on national issues, and to become informed citizens.

You can watch the full panel below and read more from Liberty University here.

 

Liberty University Convocation featuring Penny Nance and Women of Faith in Leadership Panel from Concerned Women for America on Vimeo.

Aug 27 2021
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Nance: It Is Demonic What Is Being Unleashed

By | Media, News and Events | No Comments

Concerned Women for America’s CEO and President, Penny Nance, joined CBN News this week to discuss highlights from CWA’s prayer vigil for Afghanistan outside of the White House. Nance speaks to the importance of women of faith from across the country coming together to pray for what she describes as “demonic” behavior being unleashed in Afghanistan.

Watch her full interview below:

Nance: It Is Demonic What Is Being Unleashed from Concerned Women for America on Vimeo.

 

Jul 19 2021
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Fox News Op-ed: Nance: What I learned from FBI’s ‘assessment’ of me, my organization

By | CEO, FBI, National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

Last week, Concerned Women for America (CWA) reported in this press release on the FBI’s unjustified targeting of CWA.

Penny Nance, CWA’s CEO and President spoke out on the FBI targeting in a Fox News op-ed and had this to say, “We should all be worried about the ability and hubris of a politicized FBI to invade and target American citizens and organizations out of favor with those in power … We call on Congress to clamp down on the trampling of our civil liberties using perhaps well-intentioned but overly indulgent rules. The American people deserve better. We demand better.”

Read the op-ed here.

Jun 17 2021
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Celebrating at the Supreme Court

By | Legal, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

A historic win for religious liberty at the United States Supreme Court today in Fulton v. Philadelphia! And you know who was the only group present at the Supreme Court to celebrate this landmark decision? That’s right, Concerned Women for America (CWA) was there to be your voice and provide some much-needed context for the media. Which is why you will see CWA pictures featured in news accounts across the wires. 

Check out our Facebook Live here. 

Check out our video below celebrating the decision at the Supreme Court.

 

 

 

Jun 17 2021
1

Freedom Rings Again in Philadelphia with Big First Amendment Win at U.S. Supreme Court

By | LBB, Legal, News and Events, Press Releases, Religious Issues, SCOTUS | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2021

Contact:
Jacklyn Washington
202-748-3501, [email protected]

Freedom Rings Again in Philadelphia with Big First Amendment Win at U.S. Supreme Court

Washington, D.C. – Conservative women celebrate the just-released U.S. Supreme Court decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the largest public policy organization for women in the nation, had this to say:

“As the Court acknowledged, ‘The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with [Catholic Social Services] CSS for the provision of foster care services unless CSS agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.’

“This is a commonsense decision that represents the most basic principles of freedom. Americans should be free to act upon matters of conscience according to their deeply held religious beliefs without fear of government retribution. 

“Children are the real winners here. Children in foster care or in need of a forever home have benefitted from religious communities, like Catholic Social Services, selflessly committed to their welfare for thousands of years. Government should welcome such humble assistance and encourage their expansion, instead of putting a target on them seeking their demise, as Philadelphia tried to do here.

“In a pluralistic society, we must resist those in power who seek to impose their preferred views in matters of faith by force. We must learn to respect one another and understand that disagreement is not bigotry. 

“Today, the Court lives up to the promise of our founding and adheres to the essence of our First Amendment freedoms to the free exercise of religion.”

###

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America. Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich 40-year history of helping our members across the country bring Biblical principles into all levels of public policy.

Mar 03 2021
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Important Religious Liberty Bill Needs Your Support

By | California | No Comments

“I have no greater joy than this:  to hear that
My children are living according to the truth.” 3 John 1:4

Concerned Women for America of California encourages prayer and action to protect and promote Biblical values and Constitutional rights. Today I am asking you to do both to protect our religious freedom in California.

Sen. Brian Jones (R-District 38) has introduced a vitally important bill that recognizes churches in California as essential during a public crisis. Senate Bill 397, the “Religion Is Essential Act,” declares that “religion provides extensive benefits to our country, not only in meeting the spiritual needs of our populace, but also supporting social services, health care, and economic activity.”

During a state of emergency or local emergency, the bill’s digest states it would “require the Governor or the local government to deem religious services to be an essential service and to be necessary and vital to the health and welfare of the public. The bill would prohibit the state and local government from taking a discriminatory action against a religious organization…and would require the state and local government to permit a religious organization to continue operating and engaging in religious services during a state of emergency to the same or greater extent that other organizations or businesses that provide essential services that are necessary and vital to the health and welfare of the public are permitted to operate.”

Take Action!

  • Jones deeply appreciates your voice of support! Please take 30 seconds to complete this form and let your voice of support make a difference. Every individual’s letter of support is necessary to get this bill through the Senate committees (assigned to Judiciary, Governmental Organization and Health) so it can continue to the Senate floor, pass the Assembly, and ultimately to the Governor’s desk. Again, please support SB 397 by completing this form.
  • Contact your state senator and assembly member and ask them to co-author Senate Bill 397. Find your California legislator and their contact information here. If you are a member of Concerned Women for America of California, be sure to let them know.
  • Pray for Sen. Jones and the success of this important measure.
  • Forward this information to family and friends!

Please pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that you hear us, You see us, and that You deeply love us. Lord, we come before You to pray for Sen. Brian Jones, a leader who listens to the voice of the people to protect religious liberty, a leader who will speak up for the rights of churches. Open the eyes, Lord, of the legislators in committee hearings and on the Senate and Assembly floor. May they see the benefit of this bill to the people of California and vote yes on SB 397.  We love You and thank You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Marlo Tucker
State Director

Feb 28 2021
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Register Today! International Women’s Day with Mariam Ibrahim

By | News and Events, Religious Liberty, YWA | No Comments

Falsely accused, sentenced to be hung, and shackled in a prison cell while she gave birth, Mariam Ibrahim is a modern-day hero of our Christian faith, an outstanding mother, and is joining Young Women for America on International Women’s Day to share her story.

Join Young Women for America via Zoom to learn more about Mariam’s story and the reality of life in nations that uphold Sharia law.

Date: Monday, March 8
Time: 5:30 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. Central; 3:30 p.m. Mountain; 2:30 p.m. Pacific)
Register here. An email with the link and information will follow registration.

About Mariam Ibrahim
Born in Sudan, Mariam was raised by her Christian mother and accepted Christ. According to Sharia (Islamic) law, religion is dictated by an individual’s father, and Mariam’s father is Muslim. When Mariam was married to her Christian husband, critics first accused them of adultery and finally accused Mariam of apostasy of leaving her father’s faith. Her story gained national attention. Here at Concerned Women for America, we were honored to take up her cause. We prayed faithfully and rallied outside the White House.

By the grace of God, the power of prayer, and the efforts of many, Mariam lives in the United States today. She uses her platform to declare the importance of human dignity and freedom of religion. You do not want to miss Mariam’s story!

Feb 26 2021
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Equality Act Exposes Radical Gender Ideology and Need for “Promise to America’s Children”

By | Erasing Women, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Religious Liberty, Sexual Exploitation, Vulnerable Children | No Comments

The “Equality Act” (H.R. 5) just passed a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives for the second time, but for opponents, including Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the latest result offers encouraging signs. This time, the deceptively-named Equality Act – proposing a revolutionary redefinition of sex in federal civil rights law with far-reaching and harmful implications for women, children, and people of faith – received only three Republican votes (less than half of the eight cast in 2019).

More are coming to see how radical gender ideology endangers children’s minds, bodies, and relationships with their parents—and the Equality Act would cement it into law.

Democrats bypassed any congressional hearings and denied any amendments, flexing their power muscle to force a vote but also fearing too much scrutiny. Republicans were ready to speak with conviction and clarity against the extremism of the bill.

As Penny Nance, CEO and President, said in a statement, “The gender ideology of the elitist left erases the ability to differentiate between men and women and denies the harm this inflicts on women and children. Democrats should fear any examination of the real impact of the ‘Equality Act’ because Americans reject its destructive agenda.”

As the Equality Act was being debated on the House floor, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) was questioning President Biden’s HHS nominee, Dr. Rachel Levine, in a Senate committee hearing. Dr. Levine, who is transgender, has promoted the use of gender transition medical treatments and surgeries on minors.  Sen. Paul’s questions emphasized the reckless approach of gender affirmation ideology that freely administers damaging and irreversible medical transition treatments on children who self-declare a desire for a sex change. Please watch this clip and share this shocking exchange that shows what’s at stake in the Equality Act.

Rising against these threats, the Promise to America’s Children initiative has launched. The Promise recognizes that our children are most at risk of harm in a culture sowing gender confusion and chaos. It frames the conflict and the solutions in this context: protecting children’s minds, protecting children’s bodies, and protecting children’s relationships with their parents. The 10-point Promise identifies principles that should guide policy and advocacy. It equips and invites others to take a stand against the harms of radical gender ideology endangering our children. It provides model legislation for policymakers.

Concerned Women for America is participating with the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom, and others as a national partner in this important movement. State legislators are signing the Promise and taking action by sponsoring legislation. Parents, citizens, and policymakers are encouraged to sign the Promise and take action in their schools and communities.

In endorsing the Promise to America’s Children, Penny Nance declared,

“America’s children are our most precious gifts. Concerned Women for America believes that as parents and leaders, it is our duty to protect their minds, bodies, and souls – all of which are under attack by a radical sexual agenda …. CWA supports the Promise to America’s Children so that our daughters and granddaughters will be assured of fairness on the playing field and bodily privacy and dignity in intimate spaces. I call upon lawmakers and other leaders to sign this pledge and commit to defending our children both personally and in the public square.”

Join the movement to protect our children and defeat the Equality Act, which is now moving to the Senate. We need every concerned citizen to rise to the challenge facing our culture through prayer AND action. Check how your Representative voted on the Equality Act here, and please contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to oppose the Equality Act through our Action Center today!

Dear Reader: Like the quality of the work we do? Donate now to keep the information flowing!

May 06 2020
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Concerned Women for America Rallies (Virtually!) in Support of the Little Sisters of the Poor

By | Blog, LBB, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Believe it or not, the Little Sisters of the Poor are back at the U.S. Supreme Court still trying to defend their religious liberty from the burdens that states continue to impose on them following the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare). Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in their case, Little Sisters of the Poor v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court is broadcasting the arguments live, via conference during the Covid-19 lockdown period. Click here to listen to oral arguments that will be transmitted by C-Span starting at 10 AM today.

Concerned Women for America will be joining Becket, who represents the Sisters, and other pro-religious liberty organizations in a virtual rally, starting at 8:45 AM. The theme is a simple one that has carried us throughout the years fighting for these poor sisters, “Let Them Serve.” Click here to join in!

To refresh your memory, the Sisters run 30 health care facilities for the elderly poor in the United States — from nursing homes to intermediate care to residential or assisted living and other independent-living facilities. All members of their order disregarded worldly comforts, taking vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and hospitality, in order to serve the Lord and their neighbors. The Little Sisters of the Poor actually maintain a tradition of begging, demonstrating a life of true dependence on faith.

That is why it has been so infuriating from the beginning that the Obama Administration insisted that these sisters violate their religious beliefs and provide health insurance covering contraception and abortifacients. The Sisters won their case at the Supreme Court, which required the federal government to accommodate the Sisters.

The Trump Administration also broadened the scope of religious liberty protections, hoping to put an end to the issue finally. But several states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, sued the Federal government, saying the protections were too broad.

The Sisters were then forced to intervene in the lawsuit once again, asking the courts to let the Trump Administration implement the religious protections that will finally protect their religious liberties.

It is a simple ask that we are hoping the Supreme Court will quickly uphold, telling states to stop harassing people of faith.

May 05 2020
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From Penny Nance on #GivingTuesdayNow!

By | Blog, CEO, News and Events | No Comments

Would any of us back in February have believed how our world would change? There is hardly anyone who has not been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  I know that we here at CWA have certainly felt the pressure. 

Today is #GivingTuesdayNow. CWA asks for your help to continue standing for Biblical values and constitutional principles through this time of uncertainty in our country. 

Would you please consider using this opportunity to join in the fight to stand for the sanctity of life, defense of family, religious freedom, education, support for Israel, national sovereignty, and against sexual exploitation?

Send your #GivingTuesdayNow donation to Concerned Women for America now.

What we will do with your gift:

Help support our Prayer/Action Chapters in almost every state, where our members pray, educate themselves and others, and act to protect those Biblical principles we believe are the foundation of freedom.

Help us create a conservative movement by growing our Young Women for America chapters on college campuses around the country. Concerned Women for America’s Young Women for America initiative focuses on prayer, education, and action through the leadership of our Campus Chapter Leaders and Campus Representatives.

Help us provide CWA and YWA volunteers with all the training and educational tools they need to make your voice heard in every state and at the federal level.

Thank you so much for participating with us in #GivingTuesdayNow.


Penny Young Nance
CEO and President
Concerned Women for America

Mar 25 2020
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Gov. Northam’s Radical Overreach Must be Stopped. Calls Needed!

By | Virginia | No Comments

Dear Fellow Virginians,

Gov. Ralph Northam needs to hear from you!

Contact him by clicking here and calling 804-786-2211.

Virginia’s radical, liberal governor has shown, once again, how little regard he has for our rights and values. His latest overreach came as he signed his Coronavirus Executive Order (Fifty-Three), where he has the audacity to make it a crime for more than 10 people to attend a church service, anywhere in the state. Even at a private home!

This is a severe violation of our First Amendment rights!

If the language of the order did not make it clear enough, the Governor’s Office put out a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document that makes it clear; he is threatening Virginians with a criminal offense, a misdemeanor, if more than 10 people gather for a church service.

The document states:

What about religious services? Can I still go to my church, synagogue, or mosque?
Virginians are strongly encouraged to seek alternative means of attending religious services, such as virtually or via “drive-through” worship. Places of worship that do conduct in-person services must limit gatherings to 10 people, to comply with the statewide 10-person ban. (Emphasis ours)

This move is misguided and unnecessary. Most churches have voluntarily complied with the government’s directives. But Gov. Northam’s executive order sets a dangerous precedent that Virginians should reject outright.

Contact Gov. Northam today and tell him to stop bullying churches and respect religious freedoms.

Phone number: 804-786-2211 | web form here.

Tell him to respect Virginians’ First Amendment rights!

Thank you for being the difference in Virginia!
Toni DeLancey
State Director
Feb 14 2020
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Act Now to Protect First Amendment Rights for College Students

By | Blog, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Act Now to Protect First Amendment Rights for College Students. 

Religious freedom is under attack on college campuses. Imagine being falsely told your First Amendment Rights don’t apply at a public university. That is the reality for many college students involved in faith-based clubs on campuses across the country.

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a new rule on the Eligibility of Faith-Based Entities to provide religious freedom protections in higher education. The rule protects faith-based clubs on public campuses from discrimination and makes other improvements to ensure First Amendment rights in education.

There is a short turn around to comment with your support and help the President protect the rights of religious groups on campus before the deadline Tuesday.

This proposed rule is the regulatory form of the Equal Campus Access Act. Like the bill, this rule ensures students in faith-based groups receive equal access to public university resources and funds as other non-religious groups.

Join us to protect the students and campus ministries in your lives.

Jan 16 2020
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Great News on this Religious Freedom Day

By | Blog, LBB, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

January 16 is Religious Freedom Day. It marks the anniversary of the passage of Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the precursor language of our First Amendment guarantee of religious freedom. This American ideal was born on Biblical soil. Freedom is impossible without faith. This is as true today as in the times of our founding. John Adams, the principal author of our Bill of Rights said:

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence, were … the general principles of Christianity … Now I will avow, that I then believed, and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God; and that those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature and our terrestrial, mundane system …

Questions of faith are the questions of life. That is why religious freedom is known as our first freedom, listed first as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. If we lose our religious freedom, we lose our freedoms.

President Donald J. Trump understands this, and he has been a champion of religious freedom since his first day in office. Just today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing rules to further implement President Trump’s 2018 Executive Order removing regulatory burdens on religious organizations and ensuring they are treated equally under the law within the agency’s programs.

This is important work that will never get much attention in the mainstream media, but which protects people of faith from being forced to do the government’s bidding when it comes to things that violate their conscience, like abortion — a favorite area where the left wants to force pro-life people to actively engage in supporting.

Yesterday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo aimed at protecting religious freedom in government grants at all levels. OMB Acting Director Russ Vought (himself a victim of religious discrimination) said, “No longer will faith-based organizations be bullied by the government, which has not done enough to ensure that religious groups are not discriminated against when receiving federal resources.”

The Department of Education is also taking serious steps to protect religious freedom and clarify the First Amendment’s protection of prayer in public schools. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement:

Our actions today will protect the constitutional rights of students, teachers, and faith-based institutions. The Department’s efforts will level the playing field between religious and non-religious organizations competing for federal grants, as well as protect First Amendment freedoms on campus and the religious liberty of faith-based institutions. I proudly share President Trump’s commitment to religious freedom and the First Amendment.

And that is just what the president has done recently. The president has also stood strong against the Johnson Amendment which has been used for decades to try to silence pastors’ political and cultural engagement. He has stood strong against anti-Semitism. He has also promoted religious freedom abroad.

The president issued a proclamation today saying:

[W]e reaffirm our commitment to protecting the precious and fundamental right of religious freedom, both at home and abroad.  Our Founders entrusted the American people with a responsibility to protect religious liberty so that our Nation may stand as a bright beacon for the rest of the world.  Today, we remain committed to that sacred endeavor and strive to support those around the world who still struggle under oppressive regimes that impose restrictions on freedom of religion.

Let us continue to pray for the President as he stands for religious freedom and let us support these efforts that are to the benefit of all freedom-loving peoples around the world, not just Christian or religious people.

 

Dec 13 2019
0

America Stands with Hong Kong

By | Blog, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Last Sunday, 800,000 protestors took to the streets of Hong Kong, the largest pro-democracy demonstration yet. The number of demonstrators has steadily increased since the start of the protests six months ago with no sign of slowing down. This movement is so significant that despite ongoing trade negotiations with China, the Trump administration entered the fray to ensure China respects Hong Kong’s autonomy and fundamental right to protest.

Protests began in June in response to a new Beijing-backed extradition law that would have allowed people arrested in Hong Kong to be imprisoned in China. The first couple months of protests were peaceful and extraordinarily respectful, as demonstrators apologized to those inconvenienced by facilities closed due to the protests, even moving out of the way to allow emergency vehicles to maneuver through the massive crowds. They sang “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord” as their anthem.

Momentum swelled as a record number of people came out to vote in Hong Kong’s local elections in November despite the increase in police force and violence, including the shooting of two protestors. An astonishing 452 local seats flipped from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy officials, a significant and peaceful victory. Chinese President Xi dismissed this as “window dressing,” but it is impossible to ignore. The election could very well be a bellwether of changing times.

As Hong Kong protests and China waits, the United States is acting. President Trump signed into law Sen. Rubio’s (R-Florida) bill supporting the protestors and creating a U.S. congressional oversight mechanism to ensure China does not violate its agreement for Hong Kong to have autonomy at least until 2047.

Predictably, China was not thrilled. In response, the Chinese foreign minister Hua Chunying said China would no longer review requests for U.S. ships and aircraft to stop in Hong Kong.

To be clear, China generally does deny these requests; they are just announcing they won’t even look at the requests. This is more bark than bite.

Hong Kong is a Chinese territory that is supposed to have its own autonomous government. In 1997 the U.K. handed Hong Kong, its then colony, over to China under the agreement of “one country, two-systems” for the first 50 years. It is unknown what will happen after the year 2047.

The watching world exposes and puts a check on China. Between Beijing-backed police increasing violence towards protestors in Hong Kong and the concentration camps of around 1 million Uyghur Muslims, China’s violations of human rights are egregious and in the limelight.

Secretary Pompeo’s formation of the Commission on Unalienable Rights provides another mechanism by which China can be held to account. The commission’s purpose is to ground U.S. foreign policy on human rights in American’s founding principles of individual liberty. While the Commission is advisory, it will also help create a standard by which to measure the nations, exposing those, like China, who provide pseudo rights to veil their egregious violations of human rights.

Though the extradition law has been withdrawn, Hong Kong’s hunger for liberty has only grown. The world watches to see what action, if any, China might take. In the chaos one thing is clear, the United States stands with the people of Hong Kong as they fight for freedom.

Nov 08 2019
0
child and mother

Trump Administration to Reverse Obama-era Regs that Sidelined Faith-Based Adoption and Foster Care Agencies

By | Blog, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

UPDATE:

President Trump just issued the new proposed rule that would reverse an Obama-era regulation that harmed faith-based adoption and foster care providers. This Obama “nondiscrimination” mandate, imposed just days before President Trump was inaugurated, jeopardized the status of faith-based adoption and foster care providers who work with adoptive and foster families who shared their beliefs. President Obama added categories to HHS nondiscrimination laws that require grant recipients to accept unorthodox, ideological views on gender and sexuality. The result has become government discrimination against faith-based providers used as a weapon for lawsuits and disqualifying them from serving families and children.

In the new rule, the Keep Kids First Rule, the Trump Administration has reversed this activist policy and clarified that discrimination laws enacted by Congress, not imposed by unelected bureaucrats, apply to adoption and foster care providers. The Administration’s effort to restore religious freedom and include all child welfare providers on the playing field is especially important as the need for loving families is on the rise.

The Trump Administration needs your help to make the Keep Kids First Rule a reality.  Public comments supporting the rule are the key to guaranteeing the religious freedom of all providers and ending government discrimination against them. Your positive comment supporting the Keep Kids First rule must be submitted by December 19 at 11:59 p.m. 

Click Here to learn more.  

 

Last Friday the Trump Administration announced its intention to reverse Obama-era regulations that have sidelined faith-based adoption and foster care agencies. CWA has been working with Congress and the Administration on this change for nearly two years!

President Obama added categories to nondiscrimination laws that require grant recipients to accept ideological views on gender and sexuality. Such government discrimination has been weaponized against faith-based providers – several are facing lawsuits; others have discontinued operations. The Administration’s effort to restore religious freedom and enable all qualified child welfare providers to be eligible for placing children in loving homes is especially important as the need for loving families is on the rise.

As with other proposed rules that represent major changes, like the Protect Life rule and the Conscience Care Rule, supportive comments of the new rules will be crucial! The timeline to comment will only be 30 days. We will need your help to get the word out. We are awaiting publication in the Federal Register this week before we are able to submit comments, and we will alert you as soon as the comment period begins!

Nov 07 2019
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Judicial Attack on Conscience Protections for Healthcare Professionals Must Be Appealed

By | Blog, Legal, News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2019
Contact: Toni DeLancey
Direct Line: (202) 266-4816 | Mobile: (202) 527-3434
STATEMENT by CWA CEO & President Penny Nance

Judicial Attack on Conscience Protections for Healthcare Professionals Must Be Appealed

 

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), had this to say regarding U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Engelmayer’s decision to strike down a rule by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) protecting the right of conscience of healthcare professionals that object to participating in procedures like abortions.

“The mask comes off once again with this ruling. Not only is the left adamant about having the “choice” to end the life of the pre-born child, they also want government to force everyone to participate in it. They want to force healthcare professionals to participate in the procedure, and they want every American to support abortion through our tax dollars.

“It is simply outrageous for a judge to interject his personal preference as judicial findings, saying that a simple rule such as this one, giving medical professionals the right to simply say, “I do not want to participate in something that violates my conscience,” is a “solution in search of a problem.”

“The Trump Administration must appeal this misguided decision and continue to stand for the right of all Americans to act according to their conscience. As James Madison said, “Conscience is the most sacred of all property.” And we must continue to fight against the left’s continued push to infringe on this God-given right.”

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