ACLJ & Nearly 70,000 Americans Call on HHS to Reverse Regulations & Protect Religious Liberty

Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)

Washington, D.C. – The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), along with nearly 70,000 Americans, is calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to change the mandate and “accommodation” on contraceptives to protect freedom of religion and the conscience rights of Americans. The ACLJ legal analysis, posted here, comes as nearly 70,000 Americans have signed on to an ACLJ petition urging Secretary Sebelius to reverse the troubling regulations.

Obama Tone Deaf to Religious Freedom, Pseudo-Compromise Still Violates Conscience Rights

FRC President Tony Perkins. Photo: FRC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Obama administration made another attempt at placating the millions of Americans who have moral and religious objections to being forced to cover or pay for contraceptive services. This mandate, issued in August, includes drugs that work after conception to destroy life rather than prevent it. The January 20th decision to grant a one year delay and add a referral requirement showed that the administration had no intention of providing conscience protections but wanted to defuse the political problem.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins had the

Catholic Bishops Reject Obama’s Contraceptive/Abortifacient “Accommodation”

By Alan Sexton, Green Mountain Scribes

Cardinal-designate Dolan, President USCCB. Photo: Archdiocese of New York

Washington, D.C. – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) late Friday rejected President Barack Obama’s “accommodation” to his plans of forcing  religious organizations to provide free contraceptive and abortifacient coverage announced by Obama in a press conference earlier on Friday.

Additionally, the Bishops called for the “rescission of the mandate altogether”, and promised to “continue—with no less vigor, no less sense of urgency—our efforts to correct this problem through the other two branches of government.”

Following is the text of the full statement issued later

Obama Compromise Infringement of the First Amendment Guarantee of Freedom of Religion is Still Unconstitutional, Experts Say

Officials at the National Center for Public Policy Research are responding today to President Obama’s “compromise” infringement of the First Amendment guarantee of Freedom of Religion in the matter of the HHS “free” contraception/early abortifacient mandate.

Supreme Court Renders Decision Protecting Church Authority to Hire & Fire Employees

Washington, D.C. – The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, today applauded a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned a lower court decision and concluded that courts should not intervene in the workings of churches. In a unanimous decision, the high court correctly

Public School District Refunds Illegal Charges Against Good News After-School Club

Midlothian, TX – A school district has repaid hundreds of dollars to Child Evangelism Fellowship’s (CEF) Good News Club at the request of Liberty Counsel, because the fees violated the First Amendment. The Midlothian Independent School District agreed that CEF

The case for Christmas

Audrey Pietrucha

 

T’is the season for religion in general and Christianity in particular to come under attack by the not-so-tolerant anti-god folks. Having pretty much eliminated any references to Christmas in our schools and other public spaces (Holiday Trees anyone?) they can now put all their energy into the battle against nativity

Cancer Center Reverses Decision to Ban Santa, Nativity Scene is Still “Left Out in the Cold”

Charleston, S.C.– Liberty Counsel sent a letter to a cancer treatment center, demanding it extend its reversal of a decision to ban Santa Claus to now also allow Nativity scenes and other religious Christmas symbols. The Hollings Cancer Center, a state-funded institution in South Carolina, decided to ban all Christmas displays from its facilities. Two days later, they reversed the

Controversy Erupts Over Prayer at Flagpole at Florida School

Jacksonville, FL - Liberty Counsel sent a letter to the Clay County School District, demanding it stop interfering with constitutionally protected prayer prior to the start of the school day. For some time, students, some teachers, and community members have voluntarily gathered at the Flagpole at Clay Elementary School to pray prior to the

Forest Service Orders Knights of Columbus to Remove World War II Memorial That Includes a Statue of Jesus From Flathead National Forest

Kalispell, MT - The Knights of Columbus (KOC) has been ordered by the United States Forest Service to take down a World War II Memorial that includes a statue of Jesus erected in 1953 in the Flathead National Forest. The KOC, which erected and maintained the memorial, has a permit that has to be renewed every ten years in order to place the statue on a 25′ by 25′ plot of land leased from the Forest Service. In their recent attempt to renew, the U.S. Forest Service denied the permit and