Religious liberty is the very foundation upon which our nation was built. As the Bill of Rights states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Yet, Americans are facing persecution today at the hands of an over-reaching government simply for living out their deeply held religious beliefs.
Whether it's a baker in Oregon, a photographer in New Mexico, a wedding chapel owner in Iowa or a florist in Washington, Americans should not be forced by government to give up their livelihoods in order to exercise their sincerely held religious beliefs. By the same token, neither Catholic nuns nor private evangelical universities should be forced by government to pay for abortions when their religious teachings clearly forbid it. Yet today, radical activists are employing the strong arm of the government to attempt to force people of faith to not just accept, but celebrate and elevate, beliefs that many find morally and spiritually repugnant.
By a very narrow 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Obergefell opinion last summer overturned numerous state laws, including the Kansas traditional marriage amendment passed in 2005 by 70% of the voters. In doing so, five unelected liberal judges put the religious liberty of every American in the cross hairs.
Justice Clarence Thomas, writing in his dissent, said, "The majority's decision threatens the religious liberty our Nation has long sought to protect." Likewise, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, "Had the majority allowed the definition of marriage to be left to the political process – as the Constitution requires – the People could have considered the religious liberty implications of deviating from the traditional definition as part of their deliberative process. Instead, the majority's decision short-circuits that process, with potentially ruinous consequences for religious liberty."
Just as Justices Thomas and Alito warned, religious liberty is coming under siege across America. We must stand together now to protect our First Amendment right to religious freedom.
Please sign the petition today asking the Kansas Legislature to pass an amendment to the Kansas Constitution protecting religious liberty. Once passed by the Legislature, the amendment will go to a vote of the people.
Let your legislator know that we, the people, deserve the right to vote on this critical issue!
