Tired of Hobby Lobby?

You’re tired of hearing about Hobby Lobby and the Supreme Court, tired of all the talk of fines and health-care plans and reproductive rights, tired of being bombarded with words spoken in anger from both sides of the aisle. You want to put your fingers in your ears, switch the channel, and wait for the ruling and the rest of it to just go away.

But even though you are tired, even though you’ve grown weary of having the same discussions about the same points, Hobby Lobby and fines and health-care plans still matter. They matter because your country – the United States of America – was founded on the principle that you were born with certain rights: the rights to seek and follow truth, to live according to your beliefs, to worship freely.

Today, our federal government threatens that right, consistently refusing to protect religious liberty as our Constitution and the laws of nature demand. In the dozens of cases against the Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate, the government has started dictating the boundaries of religious beliefs, and to pick and choose which beliefs – and which individuals – deserve religious liberty protection.

The contraceptive mandate, part of the Affordable Care Act, requires employers to provide a full range of 20 FDA-approved contraceptive devices, drugs and services in their health-care plans. These include “emergency contraceptives” with the ability to prevent implantation of an embryo – in other words, the ability to end a human life. Catholics, Lutherans, and many other Americans find these drugs morally reprehensible. Yet, though objections to the mandate are strong and numerous – with over 90 lawsuits filed so far – the government has simply swept them aside.

The mandate’s provisions allow for very narrow exemptions for houses of worship. Exemptions do not extend even to affiliates of those houses of worship; for example, a Catholic order of nuns, operating homes for the elderly poor, is not exempt. Nor are Christian colleges, nor are thousands of other religious non-profit organizations, which serve the public good.

In the case of the non-profits, the government has come up with an empty “accommodation” that would force organizations to sign HHS forms directing third-party administrators to provide the drugs that the organizations cannot. As one plaintiff, the Little Sisters of the Poor, explained, these forms are nothing more than permission slips. The Little Sisters cannot direct someone else to act immorally, just as they cannot act immorally themselves. The government has branded this particular belief meaningless.

Neither the exemption nor the false “accommodation” extends to individuals who run their own businesses, like David and Barbara Green, owners of Hobby Lobby. The Greens morally oppose providing drugs that can prevent implantation and have filed suit against HHS, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. In the Greens’ case, the government claims that moral convictions must be abandoned at the door of the workplace. The Greens may not run their own companies according to their consciences. Or, in return for staying true to their convictions, they will be forced to pay crushing fines.

The government’s distinctions under the mandate don’t make sense. The government does not get to reduce God and the way in which He works down to what happens only in church or worship. By its definition, religious liberty stipulates that a church – not the government – must be permitted to form its own definition and its own boundaries.

Moreoever, God uses each of us in our vocations to serve those around us. This call to serve others and live according to our beliefs extends beyond our houses of worship, into our homes, our communities, and our work. To prevent individuals from following the dictates of their consciences is an abuse of power and a gross infringement on human dignity.

As the leader of a Christian church body, I strongly object to the government’s approach of picking and choosing whose beliefs merit consideration. Now, according to the government, Catholic nuns must authorize others to give out free contraceptives, and evangelical Christians must abandon their most deeply held convictions in the operations of their own businesses. What group, and what belief, will next be under attack?

Friends, we may be weary. We may be tired. But we must stand together to protect our God-given right to religious liberty. This mandate threatens not only those whose religions specifically compel them to oppose it, but all Americans. We cannot allow our government to define the content of our beliefs or the degree of their significance.

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison is the current and 13th president of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

The presumption by courts is that not only federal law, but all diktats from agencies are constitutional. It is up to plaintiffs to prove otherwise.

That is a horrendous assumption in a supposedly free republic dedicated to unalienable rights.

It is way past time to take peaceful means to reclaim our liberties.

An Article V state convention to propose structural amendments is our only hope.

Democrat???

What is it about the Democrat Party that makes you want to be part of it?

Is it gun control? Socialism? Abortion? Sodomy?

You wouldn’t get my vote ... I DON’T VOTE FOR THE PARTY OF DEAD BABIES. You have chosen to associate yourself with perverts, baby-killers, thieves, and tyrants. Either you’re one of them, or you have really bad judgment.

Peace, NorthMountain,

What is it about the Democrat Party that makes you want to be part of it?

Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Cleveland, to name five examples.

Is it gun control? Socialism? Abortion? Sodomy?

So, logically, all Republicans are for crony capitalism, both through "bailouts" and "stimulus", new entitlement programs, increased spending and debt, and amnesty? Because that's what we've gotten from the Bush administration and Boehner House.

You wouldn’t get my vote

Did you vote for McCain or Romney? If so, you'll vote for "moderates" who are just socialist-light and who vote for unconstitutional acts and powers, but you'll not support someone who is a staunch defender of the Constitution simply because of a letter after their name?

James R. McClure Jr.
Jeffersonian Anti-Federalist Democrat candidate for IN09

Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Cleveland, to name five examples.

BWAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaha!!!!

You're kidding, right? Tell me that's some sort of sick joke ... you can't POSSIBLY think they have anything to do with today's sodomite, abortionist, socialist, gun-thieving democrat party.

So, logically, all Republicans

"They're doing it, too!!!" is a rather childish defense. Look at YOUR democrat national party platform. It's on the internet, so you can't BS me about what's in it. That's what you're signing up to support when you call yourself a democrat. You're aligning yourself with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barack 0bama. You're willfully becoming part of the Death Party ... and you have the temerity to call yourself a Christian.

but you'll not support someone who is a staunch defender of the Constitution simply because of a letter after their name?

No, I'll not support someone who gives any sort of credibility to the socialist, nanny-state tyrant, homosexual, abortionist, gun-thieving democrat party. It's not just a letter after the name. Assuming you get elected ... who do you support for Speaker of the House?

Peace, NorthMountain,

You're kidding, right? Tell me that's some sort of sick joke ... you can't POSSIBLY think they have anything to do with today's sodomite, abortionist, socialist, gun-thieving democrat party.

You asked a question. I answered it, plainly and clearly. Your disdain for My answer does not make My answer any less valid.

"They're doing it, too!!!" is a rather childish defense. Look at YOUR democrat national party platform.

I didn't say, "You are doing it too." I drew a logical parallel between your attempt to stain Me for being a member of the Democratic Party, by claiming that I must support all the activities of that party, with your support for Republicans, which according to your logic, you must support all their anti-constitutional actions. You cannot have it both ways. If I am guilty of the Democratic sins, then you are guilty of the Republican ones.

I appreciate you giving Me the respect to say that My candidacy as a Jeffersonian Anti-Federalist gives credibility to the Democratic Party. I am fighting to save her soul. I have answered that question publicly and am happy to answer again. I would not support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. She had her chance and we've all seen what happened. As to who I would vote for for Speaker, Collin Peterson springs to mind.

James R. McClure Jr.
Jeffersonian Anti-Federalist Democrat candidate for IN09

You failed to draw a parallel.

You, as a member of the democrat Party, have chosen to affiliate yourself with the Democrat Party Platform. There it is, that's what you're affiliated with.

I appreciate your candor; I think you are mistaken in your belief that the democrat party can be saved, deserves to be saved, or would benefit these United States if it were saved.

I think it should be destroyed, root and branch.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.