South Dakota Columnist on Jenky Critics: They Chose the Wrong Career

Olar: A cheerful, civil columnist

Columnist Jared Olar, writing April 30 for the Sturgis Journal, cheerfully and in a quite civil tone, suggests that the 50 Notre Dame faculty members who are complaining about Bishop Daniel Jenky’s recent defense of Catholic institutions against the HHS abortion mandate have chosen the wrong profession.

Why? Because these academics neither know their history, nor do they act reasonably. When separation of Church and State means a policy they agree with—well, OK. When it means a policy they disagree with—well, not OK. 

Read the full column here.

South Dakota Columnist on Jenky Critics: They Chose the Wrong Career

Olar: A cheerful, civil columnist

Columnist Jared Olar, writing April 30 for the Sturgis Journal, cheerfully and in a quite civil tone, suggests that the 50 Notre Dame faculty members who are complaining about Bishop Daniel Jenky’s recent defense of Catholic institutions against the HHS abortion mandate have chosen the wrong profession.

Why? Because these academics neither know their history, nor do they act reasonably. When separation of Church and State means a policy they agree with—well, OK. When it means a policy they disagree with—well, not OK. 

Read the full column here.

U.S. Found 'Moderately' Hostile to Practice of Religion

Nations with high levels of hostility to religion, as measured by the Pew Foundation. By the same measures, the U.S. was found to be moderately hostile to practice of religious beliefs.

A study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that hostility toward religion is growing across the globe, and that practicing a religious belief has become increasingly difficult in more than 23 countries. Religious liberty language is in the constitutions of all 198 countries and in the basic laws of 143 countries. Yet, 111 countries -- or 56 percent -- have statements in their constitutions or basic laws that contradict religious freedom. The study placed the United States in the group of nations with “moderate” hostility to the practice of religious beliefs.

For the complete study, see http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Rising-Restrictions-on-Religion-SHI.aspx

U.S. Found 'Moderately' Hostile to Practice of Religion

Nations with high levels of hostility to religion, as measured by the Pew Foundation. By the same measures, the U.S. was found to be moderately hostile to practice of religious beliefs.

A study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that hostility toward religion is growing across the globe, and that practicing a religious belief has become increasingly difficult in more than 23 countries. Religious liberty language is in the constitutions of all 198 countries and in the basic laws of 143 countries. Yet, 111 countries -- or 56 percent -- have statements in their constitutions or basic laws that contradict religious freedom. The study placed the United States in the group of nations with “moderate” hostility to the practice of religious beliefs.

For the complete study, see http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Rising-Restrictions-on-Religion-SHI.aspx

Where There Is No Religious Liberty: Pakistan

Sandal Bibi: View her story at the link below

Pakistan is a dangerous place for Christians. Twenty year old Sandal Bibi and her father have been imprisoned for four years on charges of desecrating the Koran. Pakistan's blasphemy laws are often used against the Christian community.

http://persecution.tv/video?task=videodirectlink&id=185

Where There Is No Religious Liberty: Pakistan

Sandal Bibi: View her story at the link below

Pakistan is a dangerous place for Christians. Twenty year old Sandal Bibi and her father have been imprisoned for four years on charges of desecrating the Koran. Pakistan's blasphemy laws are often used against the Christian community.

http://persecution.tv/video?task=videodirectlink&id=185

Where There Is No Religious Liberty: Nigeria

The site of the April 26 bombing in eastern Nigeria

April 30 (Voice of America)--Authorities in eastern Nigeria say a suicide bombing targeting a police official killed 11 people April 26.

Officials say a bomber on motorbike rammed into a police convoy in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state. Another 20 people were injured in the blast, but the police official was not harmed.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurred near the state ministry of finance and police headquarters.

The attack comes a day after gunmen in northern Nigeria killed at least 15 people in an assault on a university theater used for church services.

Security officials said the gunmen threw small explosives into the site at Bayero University in Kano, then fired on worshippers as they ran outside.

One of the more than 20 people wounded in Sunday's attack said the assault happened just before the service began.

"We were about to start the mass, then we start hearing gunshots, pah pah pah, and I ducked down because I am a retired soldier, and I said I will not run away to anywhere," he said.

A faculty member, Nasir Fagge, told VOA Hausa Service that security had been increased at the school in the days before the attack in light of other deadly incidents in Kano.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which resembled others carried out by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

The group claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on Thursday at the offices of This Day newspaper in the northern city of Kaduna and the capital, Abuja.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language, is trying to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. Human Rights Watch says the group has killed more than 1,000 people since 2009.

Where There Is No Religious Liberty: Nigeria

The site of the April 26 bombing in eastern Nigeria

April 30 (Voice of America)--Authorities in eastern Nigeria say a suicide bombing targeting a police official killed 11 people April 26.

Officials say a bomber on motorbike rammed into a police convoy in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state. Another 20 people were injured in the blast, but the police official was not harmed.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurred near the state ministry of finance and police headquarters.

The attack comes a day after gunmen in northern Nigeria killed at least 15 people in an assault on a university theater used for church services.

Security officials said the gunmen threw small explosives into the site at Bayero University in Kano, then fired on worshippers as they ran outside.

One of the more than 20 people wounded in Sunday's attack said the assault happened just before the service began.

"We were about to start the mass, then we start hearing gunshots, pah pah pah, and I ducked down because I am a retired soldier, and I said I will not run away to anywhere," he said.

A faculty member, Nasir Fagge, told VOA Hausa Service that security had been increased at the school in the days before the attack in light of other deadly incidents in Kano.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which resembled others carried out by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

The group claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on Thursday at the offices of This Day newspaper in the northern city of Kaduna and the capital, Abuja.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language, is trying to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. Human Rights Watch says the group has killed more than 1,000 people since 2009.

Bishops List Attacks on Religious Freedom in America

 On April 12, the nearly 200 members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released an urgent summons to all Americans in defense of religious freedom. The bishops proposed that the two weeks between June 22 through the 4th of July become a Fortnight for Freedom, with all men and women of good will participating in teaching, learning, praying, and action in defense of "our first, most cherished liberty."

The bishops listed the following threats to our First Amendment rights:

•   The Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that forces all employers, including religious organizations, to provide and pay for coverage of employees’ contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs even when they have moral objections to them. 
• Another concern is HHS’s defining which religious institutions are “religious enough” to merit protection of their religious liberty.
•  Driving Catholic foster care and adoption services out of business. Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Illinois have driven local Catholic Charities adoption or foster care services out of business by revoking their licenses, by ending their government contracts, or both—because those Charities refused to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples who cohabit.
• Discrimination against Catholic humanitarian services. Despite years of excellent performance by the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services in administering contract services for victims of human trafficking, the federal government changed its contract specifications to require USCCB to provide or refer for contraceptive and abortion services in violation of Catholic teaching. Religious institutions should not be disqualified from a government contract based on religious belief, and they do not lose their religious identity or liberty upon entering such contracts.
• Other examples listed in the document include laws punishing charity to undocumented immigrants; a proposal to restructure Catholic parish corporations to limit the bishop’s role; and a state university’s excluding a religious student group because it limits leadership positions to those who share the group’s religion.

Bishops List Attacks on Religious Freedom in America

 On April 12, the nearly 200 members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released an urgent summons to all Americans in defense of religious freedom. The bishops proposed that the two weeks between June 22 through the 4th of July become a Fortnight for Freedom, with all men and women of good will participating in teaching, learning, praying, and action in defense of "our first, most cherished liberty."

The bishops listed the following threats to our First Amendment rights:

•   The Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that forces all employers, including religious organizations, to provide and pay for coverage of employees’ contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs even when they have moral objections to them. 
• Another concern is HHS’s defining which religious institutions are “religious enough” to merit protection of their religious liberty.
•  Driving Catholic foster care and adoption services out of business. Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Illinois have driven local Catholic Charities adoption or foster care services out of business by revoking their licenses, by ending their government contracts, or both—because those Charities refused to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples who cohabit.
• Discrimination against Catholic humanitarian services. Despite years of excellent performance by the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services in administering contract services for victims of human trafficking, the federal government changed its contract specifications to require USCCB to provide or refer for contraceptive and abortion services in violation of Catholic teaching. Religious institutions should not be disqualified from a government contract based on religious belief, and they do not lose their religious identity or liberty upon entering such contracts.
• Other examples listed in the document include laws punishing charity to undocumented immigrants; a proposal to restructure Catholic parish corporations to limit the bishop’s role; and a state university’s excluding a religious student group because it limits leadership positions to those who share the group’s religion.

An Urgent Summons from the Bishops

WASHINGTON, D.C.--  On April 12, 2012, the nearly 200 bishops of the American Catholic Church  issued issued "an urgent summons to our fellow Catholics and fellow Americans" to defend religious liberty and  protect the First Freedom of the Bill of Rights.

“This is not a Catholic issue. This is not a Jewish issue. This is not an Orthodox, Mormon, or Muslim issue. It is an American issue,” they said.

The bishops also proposed that the fourteen days from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day, be dedicated to the theme of a "fortnight for freedom." This period will be a special time of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action that will emphasize the double heritage of Christian and American liberty. Dioceses and parishes around the country can choose a date in that period for special events that will form a national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty.

“As Catholic bishops and American citizens, we address an urgent summons to our fellow Catholics and fellow Americans to be on guard, for religious liberty is under attack, both at home and abroad,” they declared.

They outlined their position in “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.” The document was developed by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

“Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home,” the document declared. “It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans.”

“Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans,” they said. “Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith?”

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On the Net:

Full text of statement: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/our-first-most-cherished-liberty.cfm