Dear Friends,
People on the other side of religious liberty often call religious people “intolerant.” Moreover, they accuse them of “discrimination.”
Naturally, no one wants to be accused of discriminating. So, our well-intentioned tendency is to explain how we are not “discriminating” against anyone. We just want to be able to believe what we believe and live accordingly.
Then the next line of argument, inevitably, is: “Religion is bad. It causes divisions. It causes wars. Religious exemptions, therefore, are wrong and bad for society.”
Most believers do not know what to say at this point. So, they walk away. Or worse, apologize for exercising their rights.
(Sure, there have been people that have done terrible things in the name of religion. But, many have also done terrible things in the name of ethnicity or equality–think of the terrible Rwanda killings, the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the Nazis or the French Revolution. Yet, I don’t hear anyone saying that belonging to an ethnic group makes you intolerant or belonging to an ethnic group is bad for you or that fighting for equality is inherently wrong.)
Friends, do not let opponents of religious liberty paint you into a corner. Stand up for your rights.
We at the Becket Fund defend religious liberty in the courts of law precisely so you can speak courteously and persuasively about your own faith. I need you to join me and defend religious liberty in the public square. It is important to know the facts.
As Mark Rienzi, one of our attorneys, wrote for the New York Times:
“Religious exemptions are an essential part of our democracy. They provide breathing space for religious individuals and institutions to exist. They benefit all Americans, regardless of religion or lack thereof.
Consider the Quakers. Early in our history, when Quakers refused to fight in the military, they were given exemptions. Even in dire national emergencies, our early governments recognized that the state generally should not force a religious individual to violate sincerely held beliefs.
There was a surprise beneficiary of these exemptions: slaves. Because the Quakers were not forced out, they were around to lead the public charge against slavery, reminding their fellow citizens of the humanity and inherent dignity of African slaves.
Our nation has often benefited from religious individuals and institutions who were free to bring their religious perspective into the public square, whether by arguing for fair labor laws, advocating better treatment for immigrants, or providing food, shelter and health care to those in need. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and our civil rights movement often made expressly religious calls for the equal treatment of African-Americans.
As Justice Elena Kagan recently explained, religious groups provide a ‘critical buffer’ against the power of government, and religious autonomy ‘has often served as a shield against oppressive civil laws.’”
Let me add another interesting data point. A Gallup poll released last year says that 77% of Americans think that religion is losing influence in America, but 75% think that American society would be better off if Americans were more religious.
Also last year, during a UN speech by Archbishop Tomasi he explained what the Catholic Church was doing to serve others.
“In this connection, it may be useful [to] recall some pertinent data on the current services to the human family carried out in the world by the Catholic Church without any distinction of religion or race. In the field of education, it runs 70,544 kindergartens with 6,478,627 pupils; 92,847 primary schools with 31,151,170 pupils; 43,591 secondary schools with 17,793,559 pupils. The Church also educates 2,304,171 high school pupils, and 3,338,455 university students. The Church’s worldwide charity and healthcare centres include: 5,305 hospitals; 18,179 dispensaries; 547 Care Homes for people with Leprosy; 17,223 Homes for the elderly, or the chronically ill or people with a disability; 9,882 orphanages; 11,379 creches; 15,327 marriage counseling; 34,331 social rehabilitation centres and 9,391 other kinds of charitable institutions. To such data about social action activity, there should be added the assistance services carried out in refugee camps and to internally displaced people and the accompaniment of these uprooted persons.”
Friends, religious liberty allows the Little Sisters of the Poor to operate hospices. It allows the LDS Church to distribute millions in relief assistance. It makes it possible for the Lutherans to operate immigration relief services. Millions are fed and clothed because religious people think of it as their duty. Nothing else occupies that space.
So, I encourage you to investigate what members of your own religious faith are doing and spread the word. It is good for America and it is good for religious liberty.
With gratitude for your support,
Kristina Arriaga
Executive Director
P.S. Until recently, I was not aware of a terrific group called Catholic Leadership Institute. They help Catholic priests and lay leaders. They presented me an award for our work at the Becket Fund. I was very humbled. |