By Capt Joseph R. John, May 6, 2019: Op Ed #431     

Because religion is critical for a functioning of Democracies, Religion and “People of Faith” have been under the relentless attack by Marxists, Socialists, Progressives, Communists, and atheists.  By clicking on the below listed link, you can watch and listen to Professor Clay Christensen of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration as he discusses the importance of religion in a democracy.

                                                https://www.youtube.com/embed/YjntXYDPw44

Persecution of “People of Faith” in the United States has been increasing over the last 12 years.  There is open mockery of prayer at athletic events and in public schools.  Saying or advertising “Christmas parties”, “Christmas sales”, “Christmas decorations”, “Christmas holiday”, “Christmas plays”, and labeling “Christmas trees” is suppressed and we are warned that it is not politically correct.  

There are ongoing attempts to destroy Christian memorials, crosses at veteran memorials, nativity scenes, burn churches, shoot worshippers at Churches & Synagogues, and the attempts by leftists, with the obvious help of the left of center liberal media establishment, to equate Christianity with White Supremacism.

There has been the appalling shooting massacres in houses of worship in Nashville, TN, Southerland Springs, TX (by an atheist), Charleston SC, OAK Creek, WI (Sikh Temple), Overland Park, KS (Jewish Center), Pittsburg, PA(Synagogue), and Poway, CA(Synagogue).  American Christians’ alarming choice to either betray their faith or close their businesses requiring long legal battles to protect their religious rights.

Most recently the Governor of Virginia, who is a physician, stated that abortions can be performed up to the date of birth.  He further stated that after an abortion procedure, if the child is actually born, the child should be comforted, then the parents could decide whether the child should live or die; putting a child to death after birth would be murder.  “People of Faith” believe abortion of a living child in the womb is a life and death issue, and that it is justified to protect the life and mental health of the mother in the event of incest or for other serious life and death reasons.  They should be allowed to practice their faith with regard to this very controversial issue. 

Chaplains in the US Armed Forces were disciplined if they prayed out loud or spoke Jesus’ name at Bible study, at family council sessions, and in prayers outside of a Chapel service; President Trump cancelled those Obama administration regulations.

Obama banned Catholic Chaplains from reading letters to their parishioners from their archbishop, ordered Christian Chaplains to perform same-sex "weddings", even if it was against the teachings of their faith (if they objected they were told to leave the military).  

In 2015, a highly-decorated Navy SEAL Chaplain was fired for discussing his faith with sailors while leading them in counseling sessions, and an Army Ranger Chaplain was disciplined for discussing faith while counseling a soldier not to commit suicide.

American Citizens who are long-time residents of California, find it difficult to understand how religious intolerance has taken hold, and the attack on “Freedom of Religion” is being supported in the California Legislature.  In late 2018, a proposed California Bill, AB2943, would condone the continued attack on the Catholic Church, Christianity, and may lead to the ban on the sale of Bibles in California.  

If AB 2943 passes, Catholic Catechism classes, commonly known as CCD, in which every Catholic child who attends public school must participate, in order to prepare to make their First Communion, would be banned.  A report in the Federalist warns that this “consumer fraud” law could ban the catechism of the Roman Catholic church, which the religion requires be taught to children.

On January 29, 2019, a coalition of Radical Progressives, Socialists, Democrats, Marxists, and Communists in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives opposed to “People of Faith” in the Natural Resources Committee,  proposed a rule to change how witnesses are to be sworn, prior to testifying in Congress.

The leftists and anti-religious members of Congress proposed a rule that would strike four words "So help me God!" from the oath administered to witnesses testifying before Congress.  Because of the massive opposition by many religious organizations, led by the Family Research Council, that attempt was beaten back, but dark forces were not deterred for long.

Less than three months later, the same coalition of Radical Progressives, Socialists, Democrats, Marxists, and Communists, in control of the House of Representatives, again demonstrated their opposition to “People of Faith” by proposing a bill that places Christians, who believe in traditional marriage, at grave “legal” and “civil” jeopardy.  The bill, falsely named "The Equality Act", proposed by Anti-Christian members of Congress, would be a serious threat to “People of Faith.”
  

The Equality Act would eliminate the protection for Christians to practice their faith as outlined in The Religious Restoration Freedom Act, previously passed, that upholds their religious rights.  The Anti-Christian Equality Act is discussed in detail, in the below listed article.  It must be opposed because if it were passed, it would violate “Freedom of Religion” for Christians, that is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

We admire  “People of Faith” for their selflessness, courage, faith, and genuine love and concern for others, even for those persecuting them.  American citizens who desire to worship their God in the faith they practice, deserve to be supported by their fellow Americans who support the First Amendment and “Freedom of Religion.”  Americans citizens can no longer sit back and ignore the repeated assaults by radical leftists on religion and on “People of Faith.”
  

Americans must take action to support religious leaders in the various houses of worship, seek support from their Congressional  Representatives to put a stop to the assaults on religion & “People of Faith”, by voicing their opposition to the left of center liberal media establishment who run editorials attacking against “People of Faith”, and must aggressively oppose the election of local politicians who do not support “People of Faith” and “Freedom of Religion.”

“The First Amendment was not written to protect people and their laws from religious values, it was written to protect those values from government tyranny.”  

                                                                                                        President Ronald Reagan

Copyright by Capt Joseph R. John.  All Rights Reserved.  The material can only posted on another Web site or distributed on the Internet by giving full credit to the author.  It may not be published, broadcast, or rewritten without the permission from the author  

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WND EXCLUSIVE

DEMOCRATS PREPARING ULTIMATUM FOR PEOPLE OF FAITH

The Equality Act proposed by Progressives and LGBT Rights activists in the Democratic-majority House is a threat to people of  faith.  It gives people of faith an ultimatum, to either change your faith-based practices or face government punishment.  It would prevent Christians from relying on The Religious Restoration Freedom Act to uphold their religious rights. It would amend the Civil Right Act to prohibit discrimination on  the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Judicial Watch warned it would eliminate single sex public multi-stall bathrooms, domestic violence and rape crisis shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, jails, juvenile detention facilities, homeless shelters, locker rooms, or group showers.  James Dobson warned that the so-called Equality Act is nothing but a thinly-veiled attempt to finally finish off Religious Liberty in the Republic, once and for all

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a powerhouse of civil and religious rights advocacy, has joined other groups in denouncing the Equality Act proposed in the Democratic-majority House as a threat to faith.  ADF said that while “equality” may “sound nice to some ears, this bill actually poses a devastating and unprecedented threat to religious freedom and the progress that women have made toward true equal treatment in law and culture.”

The ADF added that, The Equality Act, would also overrule the authority of churches and religious nonprofits over employees with opposing views of marriage and morality.  And it would threaten religious foster care and adoption agencies, and creative professionals and business owners who live and work according to their beliefs, the analysis said

James Dobson of the James Dobson Family Institute said: “I wish I could say I was shocked to see the speed with which Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have brought to committee the sweet sounding but entirely treacherous Equality Act. This decision demonstrates a frightening willingness by those on the left to advance a radical social agenda at a time when our nation already faces so many other divisive challenges.

“Simply put, by creating a protected class of citizens out of the LGBT community, this bill places Christians, who believe in traditional marriage, at grave legal and civil jeopardy,” said Dobson.

“This bill literally sets the stage for setting up the Bible as prohibited material where it addresses homosexuality,” Liberty Counsel said.