As recent challenges to our religious liberty here in MA have shown, people of faith need protection from hostile government bureaucrats and activist judges. Therefore, I am grateful that President Trump has promised to protect our Constitutional freedom of religion. Now is our chance to hold him to that promise!
Yesterday, we at Massachusetts Family Institute, along with Family Policy Alliance and our network of 40 state-based family groups, signed a letter to be sent to President Trump and Vice President Pence urging them to issue an Executive Order to protect our religious freedom.
The Executive Order would reinforce existing religious freedom protections in the law and affirms that the Administration will respect the religious freedom rights of all Americans.
The policy of the previous administration was one of systematically bullying individuals of faith, religious organizations, faith-based businesses and churches. This hostility at the federal level impacted religious freedom at the state level as well, including here in Massachusetts. It was an Executive Order promoting LGBT employment policies for federal contractors that caused Gordon College in Wenham to request an exception for religious organizations in July of 2014. The vicious attacks on Gordon’s reputation and religious freedom that followed from that have been well documented.
And who can forget the story of Barronelle Stutzman, a florist in Washington State, who stands to lose her business and her life savings all because she refused to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding ceremony? Or what about the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of nuns who provide care for the elderly? They were nearly forced to offer contraception in their healthcare plan simply because the Obama Administration dictated it. Here at home, we have an Attorney General who tried to force churches to embrace transgenderism or face the threat of up to a year in jail.
As the letter states, “non-discrimination laws have been used as a weapon to punish people of faith and prevent them from earning a living— unless they comport their businesses in the image of the government’s viewpoints.”
MFI believes that we as American citizens have the right to live according to our faith. We are proud to stand for your religious freedom here in Massachusetts, and we are excited to join our national and state affiliates in speaking up for people of faith and their right to religious liberty as protected by the First Amendment.
President Trump needs to hear that you believe religious freedom means more than just the freedom to worship in our churches—it means that all people, of all faiths, in all places, at all times have the freedom to live out their faith. That’s what makes our country great.
We’ve made it easy for you to make your voice heard. In FPA’s action center, you can send President Trump and Vice President Pence an email urging them to stand by their promise. Please take action today!