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The most cherished right of the American experiment is under threat right now on two main fronts: the push for government recognition of so-called "gay marriage," and healthcare reform laws which force religious providers and employers to make available drugs which violate their consciences. Sadly, the current presidential administration is 100% on board with both efforts, leaving defenders of religious freedom with no other choice but to take matters to the courts.

Despite a continuing effort by some in the media and Washington to paint this disagreement as an effort by Christians to force their point of view upon the public, precisely the opposite is true. Again and again, spokespeople like Jenifer Roback Morse, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Congressman Frank Wolf, and Archbishop Cardinal Donald Wuerl have made it clear that Christians have no interest in denying anyone healthcare services or sexual freedom. But people of faith also will not tolerate being forced to participate in that which runs contrary to their beliefs.

With President Obama having just declared his unequivocal support for so-called "gay marriage," and the deadline for religious organizations to comply with the notorious Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate fast approaching, the debate is heating up. This is especially true for the legions of religiously-affiliated organizations nationwide which fall outside of the narrow  conscience exemption offered by the Obama Administration under the new healthcare law.

On this week's program, John Stonestreet interviews Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Congressman Frank Wolf, two of the most prominent Christians drawing a line in the sand on today's critical religious freedom issues.

Cardinal Wuerl, along with other Catholic bishops and forty-three dioces, schools and social service agencies, has filed lawsuits in twelve federal courts challenging the new HHS contraception mandate. They hope to win back a robust recognition of religious freedom from an administration which Cardinal Wuerl says has offered only disappointing concessions. You can read the full story in The New York Times.

Congressman Frank Wolf, meanwhile, has has partnered with former Congressman and U.S. Ambassador Tony Hall in issuing an appeal to clergy nationwide to stand their ground. In this bi-partisan open letter, the congressmen echo Dietrich Bonhoeffer, reminding churches that "Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act."

"In that spirit," they write, "we implore you, with an urgency that the situation demands, to boldly lend your voice to the public square..."

As long as religious freedom is in as much peril as today, nothing less will do.

Learn More...

• Visit PreserveReligiousFreedom.org to learn more about the Catholic bishops' lawsuit against the Obama administration. >>CLICK HERE
• Ready to join the ranks to defend religious liberty in America? Learn more at ManhattanDeclaration.org. >>CLICK HERE