Many people say the United States was not founded as a Christian nation, including the usurper in the White House. At a February 2016 speech at a Baltimore mosque, Obama stood in front of a glass wall containing the word “Allah” written 99 times. Yet, when giving a speech at a Catholic university in 2012, Obama had all religious signs and symbols covered up.

Some people say there is nothing in the Constitution about religion, but is that true?

The Founding Fathers were Christians, and believed that God helped them win the American Revolutionary War, and create the United States. In 1788, James Madison said, “It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it [the Constitution] a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution.”

In 1819, Thomas Jefferson said that, “The Declaration of Independence…[is the] declaratory charter of our rights, and of the rights of man.” In 1775, Alexander Hamilton said, “The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” In 1796, George Washington said, “The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, ‘till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all.”

If the Founding Fathers felt that the Declaration of Independence declared the rights of the United States, and the rights of man, and they were written “by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power,” it sounds like the Declaration is more important than the Constitution.

Is there a reference to Christianity in the Declaration of Independence? In fact, there are several references. The most famous line of the Declaration states:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . . .”

The Declaration also states that it became necessary for the colonists to dissolve their connection to Great Britain and:

“to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them . . .”

The last sentence of the Declaration says:

“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

Divine Providence means God’s intervention in the world.

No matter how much liberal progressives and others want to deny that the United States is a Christian nation, the facts prove otherwise!

The First Amendment states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .” What does this mean? It means that Congress cannot make a law mandating one religion for the entire country, i.e., in England they have the Church of England, and the Supreme Governor of the Church is the British monarch, although it is mostly a ceremonial role.

In 1956, “In God We Trust” was adopted by Congress as the official motto of the United States and signed into law by President Eisenhower. A law was also signed declaring that “IN GOD WE TRUST” must appear on money. It began appearing on paper currency in 1957, but first began appearing on coins in 1864.

The origin of the phrase may have been The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States. Written in 1814 following the burning of Washington during the War of 1812, the fourth verse says —

“O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

In 1782, when the Great Seal of the United States was created and adopted, it contained the phrase “E pluribus unum,” which became the unofficial motto of the United States. The “In God We Trust” motto is an alternative or replacement to the “E pluribus unum” motto.

According to the Constitution, any religion can be practiced in the United States, whether it’s Christian or not. Is that really true? If you’re a Christian, not so much.

What do you say and see during the Christmas season? Do you say Merry Christmas, happy holidays, or season’s greetings? Do you have a Christmas party at work, or a holiday party? Do stores have Christmas sales, or holiday sales? Do you use Christmas decorations or holiday decorations?

On 7/29/2015, an Obama-appointed federal judge ruled that a Mississippi school district must pay a $7,500 fine because a pastor led a prayer at the beginning of an optional student assembly. The judge became aware of the prayer after one of the high school students sued the school. The school will also have to pay the student’s legal fees.

On 7/23/2015, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state of Washington can require a pharmacy to deliver medicine even if the pharmacy’s owner has a religious objection.

On 6/30/2015, California Governor Jerry Brown made California the third state to eliminate religious and other personal vaccine exemptions, when he signed a bill eliminating the state’s personal beliefs exemption for school vaccine requirements. Yet, three years earlier Brown opposed eliminating the religious exemption for school vaccines.

On 3/18/2015, it was revealed that the federal government is planning to come after adults that are not current on their vaccinations. The new vaccination plan is part of Healthy People 2020 Goals. An important point to remember is that many of the goals are arbitrary, which means government officials have no legal authority over our healthcare decisions, even though these officials are creating legal mandates to force us to comply with them.

To guarantee that all adults are vaccinated, the government will work with your employer, community, and church, to ensure compliance with the government-approved schedule. The plan does not provide consumer privacy protections. There are no provisions for notifying the public they can opt out of electronic tracking and patient data sharing schemes.

In 2015, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled a Ten Commandments monument on capitol grounds unconstitutional, even though it had been built and maintained with private dollars.  The monument was ordered it to be removed. The governor of Oklahoma said, “The Ten Commandments monument was built to recognize and honor the historical significance of the Commandments in our state’s and nation’s systems of laws,” and during the appeal process the monument would stay on the capitol grounds.

Many Christian conservatives, particularly evangelical Christians, feel betrayed by the Republican party. As the Supreme Court continues to treat the Constitution as a “living document” instead of adhering to its original intent, many Christians feel their way of life is being assailed and they are forced to go along with it.

Recently an evangelical Christian succinctly expressed the concern of many, not just Christians, when he said, “Do we not have any moral compass anymore? Are we to say to people who have a more liberal viewpoint, ‘Does everything go?’ If there are no boundaries to things of moral behavior as Christians believe, if we throw out everything . . . there’s no more faith.”

Church attendance constantly decreases as people are leaving churches, particularly in the younger Millenial age group. According to a Pew Research Center report, just 27% of all Millennials (born since 1990) attend weekly religious services, compared to 51% in the Silent generation. Approximately 40% of the youngest Millennials say they pray every day, whereas 60% of Baby Boomers pray and 67% of the Silent generation pray every day. Yet, instead of identifying why this is happening and correct it, many Christians choose to attack other Christians.

The report also showed that Americans who are “absolutely certain” God exists declined from 71% in 2007 to 63% in 2014. That number includes 50% of Millennials, 70% of Baby Boomers and 70% of the Silent generation. Approximately 40% of Millennials say religion is very important in their lives, compared with more than 50% of Baby Boomers and the Silent generation. In addition, “religiously unaffiliated” Americans rose from 16% in 2007 to 23% today. According to estimates, in 2050 church attendance will be half of what it is today. What does this mean? It means that America is heading down the same path to secularization that Europe has already travelled.

Another disturbing trend is that a significant amount of “believers” do not seem to understand the essential basics of the Christian faith. The report also highlighted the fact that 67% believe other religions can lead to eternal life, and 50% of all Christians say some non-Christian religions can lead to life everlasting. The belief that some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life is held by approximately 68% of Catholics, 65% of mainline Protestants, 59% of Orthodox Christians, 38% of the historically black Protestant tradition, 31% of evangelical Protestants, 31% of Mormons, and just 5% of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In a 2015 book, So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is There Christianophobia in the United States?, the authors made the case that a small group of powerful elites are openly hostile to Christianity. Unfortunately, these “Christianophobia” elites are influential in important areas, including higher education.

Liberal advocacy organization members were interviewed and a national survey was conducted to obtain data for the book. The authors quickly discovered that social status played a major factor in Christianophobia, because that resulted in liberal progressives being in authoritative positions where they could engage in their hatred and prejudices.

Christianophobes deny they are intolerant, whereas those intolerant of other differences admit their intolerance even as they justify it. When a Christianophobe doesn’t believe he is intolerant to Christianity, he is free to express his hatred against those he sees as being ignorant, stupid, backward, unable to think for themselves, child-like, and interfering with everyone else’s life. Christianophobes view Christianity as an evil force preventing them from achieving their utopia, which would actually be a dystopia.

One of the authors believes that some of the religious freedom laws are hard to defend, “such as the policies at California colleges which have led to the removal of Christian groups. I have written about such policies and still fail to hear a solid reason why we should give an atheist the “right” to be the president of a Christian group. The only viable reason I can think is because this rule allows college administrators to express some degree of latent Christianophobia with a fiction of promoting equality.”

What religions are filling the void in America that Christianity is leaving? Atheism, agnosticism and other religions.

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THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IS WORLDWIDE —

The New World Order was created by the Illuminati (the Illumined Ones) secret society. It was founded on May 1, 1776, in Bavaria by Adam Weiskaupt, the latest prominent individual claiming civilization was a mistake, and only a return to nature could save mankind. Believing God made a mistake, the Illumined Ones asserted a utopia would exist without the problems in the world had creation been designed differently. To establish a New World Order to ameliorate the mistake, everything old must be eradicated.

The Illuminati followed various principles, including abolishing all ordered government; patriotism, nationalism; and all religion. Weiskaupt knew he couldn’t realize his vision of a dictatorship for himself and his Illuminati friends to run without destroying the bedrock of civilization — religion. Accomplishing this would require changing the focus of worship from religion to reason. He said, “In the secret schools of wisdom through which Man will be rescued from his fall, Mankind will become one family and reason will be the only law of Man. When at last Reason becomes the religion of Man, then will the problem be solved.”

It’s obvious Weiskaupt has been very successful at destroying religion. “I have contrived an explanation, which has every advantage; is inviting to Christians of every communion; gradually frees them from all religious prejudices; cultivates the social virtues; and animates them by a great, a feasible, a speedy prospect of universal happiness, in a state of liberty and moral equity, freed from the obstacles which subordination, rank, and riches continually throw in our way. My explanation is accurate, and complete, my means are effectual and irresistible. Our secret association works in a way that nothing can withstand, and man shall soon be free and happy.” Man will “soon be free and happy” in a dictatorship? How happy are you living in the dictatorship of the United States?

Why are Christians being persecuted? The Bible explains it in John 15:19

“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Not being part of the world is also referenced in 1 John 2:15

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

What do these scriptures mean? They mean that although we have to live in the world, we do not have to participate in wickedness (being of the world). If someone chooses to participate in wickedness, that person will not receive blessings from God. If someone chooses not to participate in wickedness, God will bless them, but the rest of the world will hate them because the world is under the control of Satan and that person is doing what’s right.

According to a Pew study, in the history of Christianity, there has never been a time when Christians have been more persecuted than they are today. An intense hatred of Christianity is spreading worldwide, and only a few world leaders are trying to stop the persecution of Christians. In significant areas of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, governments are passing laws to prevent the spread of Christianity.

In Iraq, ISIS considers Christians second-class citizens in the caliphate. To survive, a Christian must either pay a tax or convert to Islam. If a Christian does neither, the Christian is killed.

According to Elijah Brown of the 21st Century Wilberforce, “Last Christmas (2014) was the first time that bells did not ring out in the city of Mosul in 2000 years. I think that speaks to the reality that hundreds of thousands of Christian families are living on the edge of extinction.” Mr. Brown added, “Unfortunately, there are also many who are hesitating to use the proper label for what is occurring in many of these countries, which is genocide.”

According to a report published October 13, 2015, the end result of “ethnic cleansing motivated by religious hatred” could be the extinction of Christians in areas around the world. Christians are being “driven out of ancient biblical heartland . . . and are on course to disappear from Iraq possibly within five years – unless emergency help is provided at an international level on a massively increased scale.” As Christians increasingly escape from large areas of the Middle East and Africa, “the one continent which until now has been the church’s brightest hope for the future,” Christianity is “changing from being a global faith to a regional one, with the faithful increasingly absent from ever-widening areas,” even though the last 100 years has seen followers of Christianity quadruple to more than two billion.

During the reporting period from October 2013, to July 2015, conditions for Christians worsened in 15 out of 19 countries that were reviewed. The most common, and increasing, threat is militant Muslim groups such as Daesh. Additional threats include extremists in other faiths and regimes like North Korea. According to the UN, 2014 saw an all-time high of nearly 60 million displaced people and refugees.

Christians were subjected to severe persecution in 10 countries, a 66% increase from the previous report that identified six countries. The 10 countries identified were Iraq, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, China, Eritrea, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. Vietnam is one of the 12 countries that will be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement that includes the United States, and transfers U. S. sovereignty to foreign corporations.

In 2012, 80% of all religious discrimination was against Christians, according to the International Society for Human Rights. Nearly 100,000 Christians die each year, the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity in the U. S. has reported.

The 97% Muslim nation of Pakistan is among the most dangerous places for Christians in the entire world according to a State Department report. Christians are being violently attacked at an increasing rate by Islamist fanatics. A 2014 State Department report to Congress stated that government policies “did not afford equal protection to members of majority and minority religious groups, and due to discriminatory legislation, minorities often were afraid to profess freely their religious beliefs. Media and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported killings of religious minorities by police.”

According to the American Center for Law & Justice, “As a country that receives considerable aid from the United States, blame for the continued failure to protect religious minorities in Pakistan lies both on the Pakistani Government and the U.S. Government.”

Nine countries were named Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) by the State Department in 2014. These countries, Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, were recommended for redesignation as CPCs the following year, and eight additional countries, Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, and Vietnam, were requested to be added by the U.S. Center for Religious Freedom.

According to an annual report by Open Doors, a watchdop organization helping persecuted Christians, 2015 marked “unprecedented” levels of worldwide persecution. “The levels of exclusion, discrimination and violence against Christians is unprecedented, spreading and intensifying. Christians, longing to stay in their home countries, are being forced to flee for their lives and for their children’s lives,” according to the president and CEO of Open Doors USA.

Nine of the top ten countries that treated Christians harshly in 2015 were more than 50% Muslim. The report said, “Islamic extremism is by far the most significant persecution engine in 40 of the 50 countries on the World Watch List.” The two most dangerous countries for Christians are North Korea and Iraq, and the other eight nations are Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, and Libya, all of which have Muslim majorities.

North Korea was named the worst place for Christians to live for the 14th straight year. The population in the labor camps is believed to include between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians, according to Open Doors. As a constant reminder that the state is not the highest power in the land, Christians are especially despised by the North Korean government. Communist countries typically view Christianity as “opium for the people.” North Korea gave thousands of Christians a choice in 2015: renounce Christianity or flee under threat of death.

In Kenya, hundreds of students were attacked when university dormitories were raided by Al-Shabaab militants. Christian students were separated from Muslim students, with 147 were killed and dozens more wounded. Even though the Christians have been warned they will be killed if they attend Mass, the Christians continue going to Mass.

More than 10,000 Nigerians, including thousands of Christians, have been killed since 2009 when Boko Haram was created.

China views its Christian population as a threat to its dominance. As a result, churches and crosses are demolished, pastors and church members are imprisoned on criminal charges, and the state-run media calls churches cult organizations.

In December 2015, China instigated a crackdown that led to the closing of a thriving Christian church, and detaining a pastor on charges of “possessing state secrets.” A local Communist Party group was ordered by the government to close the church in order to “maintain social stability.” Closing the church is part of the atheist Communist Party’s plans to control the spread of religion as well as crush dissent. Yet, Christianity is thriving in China, and has been for hundreds of years since it was introduced by foreign missionaries.

The Chinese government estimates there are 23 million Protestants (the government calls them “Christians”) in China and more than five million Catholics. Foreign scholars estimate the number of Chinese Christians between 67 million and 100 million. Estimates are that there will be 250 million Christians by 2030, with Evangelical Protestants being the fastest-growing group.

According to the China director at Human Rights Watch, “The Chinese Communist Party is violently allergic to non-party organizing vehicles, whether they’re nonprofits, libraries or churches.” Even though the Chinese constitution protects the right to religion, religions can only be practiced as the government dictates. This means Christians can only meet at a state-backed church, and Communist Party propaganda takes precedent over religious doctrine. Local Communist officials decide what activities a church can conduct in its meetings, and what is legal, including no proselytizing. This allows authorities to close churches, tear down crosses, or arrest Christians whenever they want to.

A different kind of Christian persecution exists in Western countries, and occasionally a violent terrorist attack. Christians are persecuted by laws, movies and TV shows mocking Christianity. Some employers actually disqualify an applicant if they find the applicant is Christian.

During his 2015 Christmas Day sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury said that Christianity is facing “elimination” in the Middle East at the hands of an Islamic State “apocalypse.” He added that IS is “igniting a trail of fear, violence, hatred and determined oppression. Confident that these are the last days, using force and indescribable cruelty, they (IS) seem to welcome all opposition, certain that the warfare unleashed confirms that these are indeed the end times. They hate difference, whether it is Muslims who think differently, Yazidis or Christians, and because of them the Christians face elimination in the very region in which Christian faith began. This apocalypse is defined by themselves and heralded only by the angel of death. To all who have been or are being dehumanised by the tyranny and cruelty of a Herod or an ISIS, a Herod of today, God’s judgement comes as good news, because it promises justice.”

According to the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth in the UK, “It has been reported that persecution of Christians persists in over a hundred countries, more than for any other religion. Faith communities have a responsibility to stand together to oppose discrimination and attacks on freedom of religious expression wherever they are to be found. Most recently, the shocking ban on public celebrations of Christmas in Brunei is reflective of an intolerance that as Jews, we simply cannot countenance.” The Rabbi urged unity among all faiths whenever the freedom to worship is attacked.

Hostility towards Christians is increasing in North America. In Canada, there are more attacks on churches. In the United States, street preachers are being attacked more often. If Christians keep a low profile, they are usually left alone.

On 2/4/2016, a federal complaint was unsealed accusing a 21-year-old Michigan man of illegally having a firearm while using a controlled substance. Khalil Abu-Rayyan told authorities he wanted to kill Christians in a Detroit megachurch that can seat 6,000 people. According to court records, Abu-Rayyan said, “I tried to shoot up a church one day. I don’t know the name of it, but it’s close to my job. It’s one of the biggest ones in Detroit. Ya, I had it planned out. I bought a bunch of bullets. I practiced a lot with it. I practiced reloading and unloading. But my dad searched my car one day, and he found everything. He found the gun and the bullets and a mask I was going to wear.” As for a motive, he said, “A lot of people go there. Plus people are not allowed to carry guns in church. Plus it would make the news. Everybody would’ve heard. Honestly I regret not doing it. (If I) can’t go do jihad at the Middle East, I would do my jihad over here.” The church was not named.

The FBI is alleging Abu-Rayyan was supporting Islamic State extremists, but he is yet to be charged with terrorism-related crimes. The FBI was investigating him “regarding increasingly violent threats he has made to others about committing acts of terror and martyrdom — including brutal acts against police officers, churchgoers and others — on behalf of the foreign terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.”

Abu-Rayyan had been using Twitter for more than a year to promote IS propaganda. According to the affidavit, the tweets included video of people being brutally murdered, including beheadings of Egyptian Christians. The court documents also said Abu-Rayyan kept a “large knife or sword in his car” in case he got into a fight, and that “it is my dream to behead someone.”

On 2/24/2016, Secretary of State John Kerry (a CFR) testified before Congress regarding the ongoing murder of Christians, among others, in the Middle East by the Islamic State and others. When asked by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) if the killing should be declared genocide, Kerry replied that an “additional evaluation” is being performed to help him determine if it is genocide. “I will make a decision on it as soon as I have that additional evaluation and we will proceed forward from there,” Kerry said. Is the decision being delayed to allow time to exterminate all the Christians?

The Congressman has sponsored a resolution that expresses “the sense of Congress that those who commit or support atrocities against Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities, including Yezidis, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kaka‘e, and Kurds, and who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons, are committing, and are hereby declared to be committing, ‘war crimes,’ ‘crimes against humanity,’ and ‘genocide.’”

THE WAR ON CHRISTIANITY IN SCHOOLS —

What better place for indoctrination into the New World Order’s view of how the world should function than in public schools?

St. Louis University, a Catholic university, moved a statue of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet S.J. from the location where it had stood for 60 years, to the university’s art museum. As a missionary to Indian tribes, he converted thousands to Christianity and was a friend of Sitting Bull.

An assistant vice president at the university said that, “some faculty and staff … raised questions about whether the sculpture is culturally sensitive.” A student said, “The statue of De Smet depicts a history of colonialism, imperialism, racism and of Christian and white supremacy.”

At the Gateway Charter High School in Florida, a student reported being told to remove a rosary from around his neck because school officials said it indicated an involvement with gangs. The student said he received a two-day suspension when he refused to remove the rosary.

When the suspension was issued, school officials said violation of the school’s dress code was the issue. The dress code does not mention a rosary as jewelry that might cause “injury,” or as “symbols that may be gang-related.”

THE GOVERNMENT IGNORES THE FIRST AMENDMENT —

What does the First Amendment to the Constitution say?

“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.”

In today’s politically correct dystopia of the New World Order, does government still support the First Amendment? Not really.

In 2013, a lesbian couple in Portland, OR, sued a bakeshop for discrimination because the bakeshop would not make the couple a wedding cake. Same-sex marriage was not legal in Oregon at the time the complaint was filed. Imagine suing a company because they won’t do business with you. Wouldn’t reasonable people have just gone to a different bakeshop that would have provided them with a wedding cake?

A 2007 Oregon law protecting gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations also includes an exemption for religious organizations. A judge rejected the bakeshop owners argument that their religious freedom was being violated. The state labor bureau ruled that the 2007 law exemption did not allow private businesses to discriminate against potential customers. Isn’t it up to the business owners to decide who their customers will be?

In July 2015, the bakeshop owners were ordered to pay damages of $135,000 for denial service. In October 2015, the bakeshop owners appealed the ruling.

In December 2015, the bakeshop owners paid the damages of more than $135,000 (including interest).

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage Constitutional in the United States, even though it is not mentioned in the Constitution. Numerous county clerks across the country refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, including Kim Davis in Kentucky, who was sued by some homosexual couples.

When Ms. Davis refused to issue the marriage licenses, at a subsequent court hearing a judge ordered her to issue the marriage licenses. This was illegal at the time because the Kentucky legislature had not changed the law.

Days later Ms. Davis was in court again for her continued refusal to issue the marriage licenses. She explained to the judge that because “My conscience will not allow it . . . God’s moral law convicts me and conflicts with my duties,” she was unable to issue same-sex marriage licenses. She was sentenced to five days in jail for contempt of court.

The arrest of an elected county clerk upholding state law, without “due process of law,” for refusing to follow a law that does not exist is an example of Federal tyranny. The legal definition of tyranny is “arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.” Technically its judicial tyranny, since the judicial branch appropriated the “unconstitutional” power to “make law.” As an act of “overthrowing the constitutional form of government,” it’s also treason.

Article 1 of the U. S. Constitution states that only Congress has the power to make laws. This does not include the president or the supreme court. The supreme court issues opinions.

Our justice system has deteriorated into what you would expect to find in third-world countries. Your guilt or innocense in a crime is based on your political views.

Four months after Ms. Davis was sent to jail for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, the real reason she was sued was made known. It was about whether homosexuals can crush dissent of their beliefs. According to an Appeals Court brief, Ms. Davis “has consistently argued that there were multiple alternatives by which her undisputed sincerely held religious beliefs protected by the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment, both of which predate and survive Obergefell, could be accommodated while simultaneously ensuring individuals who are qualified to marry under Kentucky law may obtain valid marriage licenses in Rowan County . . . Rowan County is bordered by seven counties, and the clerks’ offices in these counties are within 30-45 minutes from the Rowan county clerk’s office. … More than ten other clerks’ offices are within a one-hour drive of the Rowan County clerk’s office, and these counties are issuing marriage license, along with the two counties where the preliminary injunction hearings were held in this matter.”

The brief also stated, “In a rush to judgment that promoted expediency over due process, the district court’s original injunction [from Bunning] in this dispute tramples upon Davis’ religious rights in subjugation to plaintiffs’ ‘preference’ for a marriage license authorized by a particular person in a particular county . . . Marriage licenses – including licenses issued to same-sex couples — are and have been readily available across Kentucky in more than 130 locations, and plaintiffs are indisputably financially and physically able to drive to those locations to secure a license, as shown by their 60-mile and 100-mile trips to attend court hearings.”

In addition, the brief said, “Plaintiffs admitted that they never even attempted to obtain a license in any county other than Rowan County, despite the widespread availability of such licenses and even though plaintiffs have the economic means and no physical handicap preventing such travel. … In fact, plaintiffs only attempted to obtain a marriage license from the Rowan County clerk’s office after becoming aware of Davis’ religious objections to SSM.” The district court had said the plaintiffs “can obtain marriage licenses from one of the surrounding counties,” the plaintiffs are “not totally precluded from marrying in Kentucky” and “plaintiffs have the means to travel.” The judge decided the plaintiffs preference to get their marriage licenses from Ms. Davis was more important than Ms. Davis’ constitutional rights.

After the November 2015 election, the governor-elect in Kentucky “vowed to remove the names of county clerks from marriage licenses.”

Think about the last time you went to a government office to obtain a license of any type. What was your goal? Was it to be issued a license, or be issued a license by a specific person (unless the person was a friend)?

On October 12, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that made it mandatory to refer women to abortionists by faith-based organizations. The Pacific Justice Institute filed lawsuits, and according to its president, “Forcing a religious pro-life charity to proclaim a pro-abortion declaration is on its face an egregious violation of both the free speech and free exercises clauses of the First Amendment.”

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Source Materials —
www.cfr.org

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