Many have noted the President’s heavily ironic proclaiming of January 16, 2013 as Religious Freedom Day. I have stated before that many liberals are irony deficient and the President suffers from the same deficiency.
Whenever a quote is used which contains multiple ellipses it is usually interesting what was taken out. In this case the quote from Thomas Jefferson also included.
All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.
Right now if you are a religious believer and refuse to support an insurance plan because of its support of intrinsic evils you are indeed punished and burdened. If $100 dollars per day is not a punishment and burden I am not sure what is. Although for a President who goes through trillions as if it was tissue paper it might not seem like much in perspective. Well maybe not since this was intended as a fine so large as to be an encouragement to just buckle under to the oppression.
This is social engineering akin to Mafia fire insurance. “You don’t want something to happen to your fine business”? Pay up or you will be put out of business via fines.
So you might ask how the President can be so paradoxical between what he says and what he does? I mean other than the fact that this is typical politician behavior. Is he just totally being a hypocrite here? I would say probably not. A thrust of the Obama administration has been the emphasis of “worship” over “religion.” Where religious freedom comes to mean being able to belong to a church and to attend worship services. You are even allowed to practice your faith in everyday life just as long as it does not intersect with some government/culture created right.
This is the Chinese government model where they have Patriotic churches created by the government. A Catholic would be allowed by the government to belong to a Patriotic Catholic Church, but would not be allowed to rebel against intrinsic evils such as abortion or contraception. Citing conscience against the one child policy will get you nowhere except possibly prison. We have not gone that far down this road, but there are many similarities. Somebody who totally accepts the culture of death will not be having their conscience violated by Obamacare. This is why most so-called progressive Catholics have no problem with the HHS mandate. They might talk about this being the result of living in a pluralistic society, but really it is because they have no problem with abortion, sterilization, and contraception in the first place. An article in Commonweal today illustrates this.
As bad as the current situation is, no doubt it will only get worse as more phony rights are created and weighed against actual rights. When God-given rights are balanced against created rights the current administration has their thumb on the scales.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATIONForemost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose. Today, we celebrate one of our Nation’s first laws to protect that right — the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Written by Thomas Jefferson and guided through the Virginia legislature by James Madison, the Statute affirmed that “Almighty God hath created the mind free” and “all men shall be free to profess … their opinions in matters of religion.” Years later, our Founders looked to the Statute as a model when they enshrined the principle of religious liberty in the Bill of Rights.
Because of the protections guaranteed by our Constitution, each of us has the right to practice our faith openly and as we choose. As a free country, our story has been shaped by every language and enriched by every culture. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Sikhs and non-believers. Our patchwork heritage is a strength we owe to our religious freedom.
Americans of every faith have molded the character of our Nation. They were pilgrims who sought refuge from persecution; pioneers who pursued brighter horizons; protesters who fought for abolition, women’s suffrage, and civil rights. Each generation has seen people of different faiths join together to advance peace, justice, and dignity for all.
Today, we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.
As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2013, as Religious Freedom Day. I call on all Americans to commemorate this day with events and activities that teach us about this critical foundation of our Nation’s liberty, and show us how we can protect it for future generations at home and around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
Irony Alert! Today is Religious Freedom Day – Frank Weathers
Who Knew Our President Was Such a Great Comedian? – Tom McDonald
1 comment
I think the president misunderstood it to mean that January 16th is religious freedom day – the rest of the days you don’t have it.