Attacks on religious freedom increasing

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

How do the Christians fare with the phrase “or prohibiting the free exercise (of religion) thereof?” The annual report of the First Liberty Institute, which defends the First Amendment rights of Americans, said there was a 15 percent increase in religious liberty cases in 2016 compared with the previous year. Titled “Undeniable: The Survey of Hostility to Religion in America,” the report was released in September.

In the 418- page annual report, First Liberty reported that attacks on religious liberty increased “massively” in 2016.

First Liberty CEO and Chief Counsel Kelly Shackelford, in a Facebook live broadcast about “Undeniable.” stated: “There’s a real battle over religious freedom, you try to pass a law (protecting) religion freedom in any state and it would be very difficult because there’s so much controversy now over religious freedom, which is amazing.”

According to the report, some of the religious liberty cases included:

• A disabled nurse ordered to stop praying in the privacy of her home.

• A beloved football coach fired for briefly kneeling in quiet prayer after games.

• A lay pastor fired from his position as a health official solely because of sermons that he preached at his church.

• An Air Force veteran physically ejected from a military base for planning to give a wellknown flag folding ceremony that included the word “God.”

• A high ranking Navy chaplain severely disciplined for compassionately counseling from the Bible.

Shackelford stated that veterans memorials are under attack and people who own their own businesses are now being told, “You either change your religious beliefs … or we’re going to shut your business down or we’re going to fine you.”

Different federal circuit courts of appeal have come down on opposite sides of whether prayers by boards of county commissioners before their meetings are “constitutional.”

This is occurring even though prayers before legislative proceedings date back to America’s founding, and the Supreme Court has affirmed that such prayers are constitutional.

Shackelford said he wonders “whether we’re going to move away from religious freedom or whether we’re going to stay the same United States of America that was built on religious freedom.”

People who hold religious beliefs have the authority of the First Amendment to make their ideas and actions known against those who promote anti-religious thoughts and actions. John L. Volanski Painesville