The Ongoing Assault on Christianity
The latest salvo in the war on religious freedom was fired last week when President Obama mandated that religious organizations offering healthcare insurance for their employees must offer contraception services, including abort-inducing drugs, like the morning after pill. This is, of course, linked to the unconstitutional Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which is hanging over the American populace like the proverbial sword of Damocles. The Catholic Church immediately took exception as their doctrine permits no contraception other than rhythm and abortion-inducing drugs are certainly taboo. The Catholic Church proclaims that life begins at conception; it is a tenet of their faith and of most Christian (Bible-believing) religions. They rightfully protested, how can you mandate that we violate the principles of our faith? Implicit in their outrage is that Catholics answer to a higher power and you, Mr. President, are not authorized to mess with our beliefs and our God. As an evangelical Christian, I stand in unity with the Catholic position. They are absolutely right: the Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion or impeding the free exercise of religion.
The uproar became deafening throughout the week until the President announced an “accommodation” on Friday, referred to by some in the MSM as a cave. It was anything but a cave in. How can he announce an accommodation to something he had no business doing the first place? Be that as it may, the accommodation that was then issued on Friday compounds one unconstitutional misstep with another: the President now mandates to the private insurance industry that they provide those reproductive services for free! What a solution: first, assault the Church’s first amendment rights and then, dial back your massive screw up by seeking to constrain free enterprise? Is this covered in the Commerce Clause or did I somehow miss that?
But, I digress. This is simply the latest in an on-going series of attacks on people of faith by this administration, and it’s not going to end. Aided and abetted by their willing accomplices at the anti-Christian lawyers union (aClu), this administration continues the effort to flush any remnants of Christianity from the public sector. Is this by accident? I think not. The intent seems to be to eliminate faith – its traditions and symbols – and to replace God with the Government. In socializing healthcare, removing crosses or monuments from public lands, eliminating “Christmas” from the popular lexicon and sanitizing the public school system (no prayers on the wall, winter solstice programs), we see Christianity under direct attack by the government, supported by a withering barrage of lawsuits from atheists and the aClu. Add to this the expansion of the nanny state and freedom will surely disappear. The lines to sign up for whatever the government is doling out just continue to get longer. Just take a moment to look at the current outrage and violence in Greece as the government cuts back benefits and you’ll be looking at “Obamica” 15 years into the future if the government has its way.
So what about the prime liberal virtues of diversity and tolerance? Aren’t we supposed to be tolerant of all people and welcome diversity in every facet of life? They proclaim these virtues devoutly from the rooftops and excoriate anyone who is intolerant or exclusive in any way. But, apparently, diversity and tolerance are principles applied only to the color of one’s skin or national origin. Diversity in religion is not permitted. If it’s okay for some schools to be teaching about the Koran or Sharia law, why has a New Jersey school banned any and all Christmas carols, even as instrumental renditions? Why can Illinois State employees not wish someone a “Merry Christmas?” As far as faith goes, the current climate tells us that being a Muslim or a secularist is about as diverse as you can afford to be. Christians, on the other hand, are persona non grata.
And a last word here for all the atheists in the crowd: if you are “offended” or “marginalized” by prayers on a wall or Christian symbols, and you run to the aClu for protection, I might suggest your lack of belief in anything represents either weakness or fear of the unknown. If Christianity is such a threat that you must seek to eliminate it via legal remedy, you are probably just looking for your 15 minutes of fame; at the expense of someone else I might add. Be our guest, have at it; we’re not going anywhere and, the Constitution and Bill of Rights happens on our side. Most Christians are not threatened at all by atheists. We might attempt to convert you once or twice, but we’re more than happy to live and let live. Atheists are apparently not willing to let Christians live as Christians.