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It’s that time of the year again. As 200+
million Americans gear up for the Christmas season, a vocal minority is at it
again in their never-ending War on Christianity, and religion in general.
With the holidays approaching, we are once
again forced to endure the War on Christmas.
Yes, it is easy to get
caught up with how retailers are now forced to say “Happy Holidays” instead of
“Merry Christmas.” But there is not a single religious tradition in this
country that is criticized in this manner. No one tells Muslims they aren’t
allowed to say Ramadan Mubarak (Ramadan the Blessed Month) during Ramadan, and
it would be unconscionable for anyone to prevent Jews from wishing people
L’Shanah Tovah (A Blessed New Year) during Rosh Hashana. Yet it is somehow
offensive for Christians, roughly 80% of all Americans, to openly celebrate Christmas
and proclaim the birth of Christ.
Courts are already removing
the Ten Commandments, Crosses, and Nativity Scenes from public property. Even
the military is too afraid to put up religious Christmas decorations; for fear
that the celebration of the majority might offend a vocal minority. And while
the Judicial and Executive branches continue to prohibit the open celebration
of Christmas, the Congress has remained silent on this issue. It is
unacceptable how the Federal government, as a whole, thinks it has any right to
determine how you and I practice our faiths.
The First Amendment is very
clear when it comes to religious freedom in this country. “Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion,” it reads “or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof.” It couldn’t be clearer. The government cannot specify
an official state religion. The government never has. But the most important
part of the First Amendment is the promise that the government has no right to
determine how you, me, or any citizen peacefully practices the faith.
This is a principle that the
Founders felt was so important, they made it the First Amendment to the
Constitution. However over time, this simple promise of individual religious
freedom has been warped by activist judges to mean something completely
different. Instead of ensuring that government cannot prevent your freedom of
religion, we are now led to believe that First Amendment really protects every
American’s freedom from religion.
But Obama’s War on Religion
goes so much deeper than cheery Christmas wishes.
The Supreme Court is
currently hearing the case brought by Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned
arts-and-crafts store that has challenged the constitutionality of forcing
business owners to violate their religious beliefs in order to provide
contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs to employees. The essential argument
is that for many of the religiously devout, it would be a First Amendment
violation to force employers to violate their belief system in order to provide
contraceptives and abortion coverage to their employees.
The case is pretty simple,
and in many ways, it is a continuation of the Citizens United v. Federal
Election Commission case that has changed election finance laws since
2010.
Now I know what you’re
asking: What does a Supreme Court case about campaign finance law have to do
with Obamacare forcing business owners to violate their faith?
In the Citizens United
decision, the Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to prohibit corporations
from engaging in politics because – and here is the important part – a
corporation is a person. While these types of expenditures can be regulated, it
would be a violation of the First Amendment to prohibit a company from
exercising free speech.
At this time of year, we are
always reminded of the War on Christmas. Anti-Christian groups have reignited
their attempts to remove Christ from the public eye. We are told we must give
up crosses and nativity scenes in public, and must stop wishing each other
“Merry Christmas.” But these are just the symptoms of the problem. These are
just more proof that the government really believes it has the right to tell
you how to practice your religion. The War on Christmas is an attempt to
belittle the birth of Christ, there’s no doubt about that. But these attacks
against a Holy-day pale in comparison to the constitutional struggles taking
place across America when it comes to our individual freedom of religion.
The fact that anyone in
government thinks that it is unconstitutional to practice your religion, as you
see fit, is abominable.
Join me in telling Congress
to stop the ongoing War on Religious Conscience and reaffirm that as
the First Amendment clearly says, the federal government cannot compel
individuals and religious institutions to act against their faith!
Sincerely,
Joe Otto
Conservative Daily
Conservative Daily
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