Today, a coalition of 45 pro-life and family organizations jump-started a campaign to demand conscience protection rights. The coalition includes Family Research Council Action, 40 Days for Life, Liberty Counsel Action, Students for Life of America, and Live Action Advocate. The Susan B. Anthony List is spearheading the campaign. Their president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, explains:
There must be no religious ‘test’ by the government as to who and what type of entities are entitled to a conscience.
We demand respect for non-religious entities such as the Susan B. Anthony List that recognize the taking of human life is the antithesis of health care. Congress must act immediately to ensure the right of citizens to be free from government compulsion of this most fundamental issue.
Despite the many objections and dozens of lawsuits, President Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have refused to allow real conscience protection to be inserted into ObamaCare. Religious and non-religious organizations alike are being forced to fund abortion-causing drugs, despite their convictions.
The religious exemption remains very narrowly drawn – no matter the attempted changes by Sebelius’ department. And companies like Domino’s Pizza and Hobby Lobby have found themselves completely outside the exemption, since they are technically defined as secular corporations.
Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, speaks for the entire coalition as she calls on Congress:
Since the Obama administration continues to callously trample Americans’ religious liberties…we call on Congress to boldly act to protect our convictions by including conscience legislation in any must-pass legislation to fund the government. When Americans are forced to deny their deeply held religious convictions, it is not called ‘balance,’ it’s called ‘tyranny.’
So what can you do?
A Call 2 Conscience has made it very easy for you to send an e-mail or a printed letter to your U.S. congressman and senators. Clicking on this link will take you right to the form. In less than two minutes (I just tried it), you can get a message off to them that expresses the vital need for conscience protections. Keeping our true constitutional freedoms – and helping to protect innocent lives in the process – is certainly worth a couple minutes!
A portion of the letter reads:
Religious liberty and the protection of conscience are foundational, not partisan or political. Attacks on these foundational freedoms cannot be allowed to stand. I urge you to demand leadership to enact conscience protections in must-pass legislation.
There must be no religious ‘test’ by the government as to who, and what type of entities, are entitled to a conscience. It is critical that strong conscience protections are included in any continuing resolution or appropriations package.
Conscience is not up for negotiation. Enacting conscience protections must be the highest priority.
You can also sign up for an important webcast, launching tomorrow night (Tuesday, February 26) at 9pm EST.
Now is a critical time in the fight to protect conscience! Congress is poised to take up “must-pass” funding legislation, and they need to know that measures protecting conscience for all Americans must be enacted in this legislation!
We cannot wait. The time to act is now. Please register for this critical information and action-focused event.
Please register for the webcast and join several pro-life leaders to find out what you can do to advance every American’s right to conscience protection.
