Religious Freedom

In arguing the First Amendment right of employers to choose what coverage they should be exempt from providing based on conscience, the Republicans who supported the Blunt amendment (and the three Democrats who sided with them) are guilty of short-sightedness and an absence of humility. The essence of the First Amendment is the right of all to their own interpretation of religion, not just the right to their own convictions. To maintain that order of tolerance, the First Amendment mandates that the government must not establish religion, but rather allow the practices of all people.

Former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. presents a 20-point platform for Republicans to "be proud of" ("A platform for the next Republican nominee," Nov. 18). Let's examine each of these points in detail, and the reader can decide if any of them are things to be proud of. Mr. Ehrlich says that the Republican conservative movement: •"Chooses to respect the American tradition of religious liberty as applied to faith-based institutions. " Poppycock! This has nothing to do with religious liberty - it is just an excuse for religious employer (the Catholic Church in this case)

Wasn't this country founded out of the pursuit of religious freedom? If so, why is that basic right under constant attack, especially from the radical left? The birth of our country and the pursuit of religious freedom are indelibly entwined in the very fabric of this great nation. While the U.S. was and maybe still is predominantly Christian, we have first and foremost been the sanctuary for all religions and belief systems. The Founding Fathers were extremely tolerant and protective of the rights of others.

More than a few Catholic bishops spent this election feverishly warning their flock that voting for Barack Obama put their souls at risk and posed a grave threat to religious liberty. Now that the president has been re-elected with a majority of Catholic voters, leaders of our nation's most influential church have some self-reflection to do at their national meeting in Baltimore this week. Bishops should take pause at recent national headlines ("Catholic bishops make last-minute pitch for Romney")

The United States was formed largely when Protestant Christians migrated from Britain in search of religious freedom. The country was founded on the ideal of universal freedom of religion, and it has championed it ever since. I immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in search of that same freedom. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community, of which I am a member, has categorically rejected violence from the time of its inception, yet today it finds itself the victim of religious extremists.

Regarding Susan Reimer 's column on contraceptives and politics ("Women will remember in November," March 12), I'm sad to say but yes, women will remember. Even more sad is that the women have reacted to a disguised cause. Women's health is not the real issue here. Why did President Barack Obama choose to proclaim 100 percent coverage for just women's contraceptive? Why did he insist that the Catholic Church cover women's contraceptives in their affiliated institutions? Why not cover all women's medications at a rate of 100 percent?

As a woman and a life long Roman Catholic, I would like to comment on the recent debate between U.S. bishops and the federal government on requiring birth control insurance coverage for employees of Catholic institutions. Despite what Republican politicians insist, Catholic bishops' refusal to provide such coverage relates to their stand on birth control, not to concern about denial of religious freedom. I believe the bishops' statements are based on strict adherence to religious tradition rather than to any reasonable interpretation of Christ's teachings as applied to family life.

There has been a lot of discussion in these pages about a recent statement on religious liberty issued by Maryland's Catholic bishops. Unfortunately, the discussion has ignored most of what the bishops had to say. It has focused almost exclusively on the Catholic Church's opposition to same-sex marriage — an issue the state legislature may revisit in its next session. Let us leave that controversy aside for the moment and consider what the bishops actually said. The bishops' statement, "The Most Sacred of All Property," takes its title from an essay by James Madison.

The argument that religious groups have the right to dictate social mores in order to protect their religious freedom is hollow and in fact turns the whole concept of religious liberty on its head. To say that any particular religion's duty to its own higher power takes precedence over the claims of society as a whole negates the freedom of all religions. No one denies that churches and other charitable institutions provide many worthwhile services. That is why they are tax exempt.

I am a 71 year old grandmother who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, learning from the Baltimore Catechism, and who graduated from a Catholic college. I am, however, growing ever more concerned that some clerics ("Outspoken bishop to lead Baltimore Archdiocese," March 21) and politicians alike seem to be misusing the concept of religious freedom and minimizing or ignoring the concept of separation of church and state. These concepts are two of the most important principles on which our country was founded - and for good reasons, I might add. Putting aside all of the rhetoric, I think these principles are not so complicated.

Maryland was established on the principles of equality, religious freedom, separation of church and state, and creating opportunities for all to achieve economic self-sufficiency. No place is this more clear than at Historic St. Mary's City. St. Mary's City was the first city and capital of Maryland, the first successful proprietary colony in English North America, the first place freedom of religion was established in America, and also the first place to seek the separation of church and state in America.

Marriage equality has never been approved at the ballot box anywhere in the country. But all that could change profoundly in less than two weeks in Maryland. Marylanders will be heading to the polls to uphold Question 6, the Civil Marriage Protection Act, which protects religious freedom and equal rights under the law. Recent polls show a majority of voters support the measure, but we know from other states that it will be close. As public servants, we do not believe that government has any business telling one class of couples that they cannot marry.

I object to your giving so much space to Del. Neil Parrot and his "mission" to make "traditional Christian values" the law of the land ("GOP freshman challenges Maryland power structure," July 24). A system that leaves the rights of a minority up to a vote by the majority is inherently unjust. This applies to the basic human rights of same-sex couples to marry the partner of their choice without interference from any religious establishment, and particularly for a majority that doesn't belong to their church.

A couple of years ago, a reader complained about The Sun 's use of illegal immigrant , preferring the term undocumented worker . I wrote at the time: " Undocumented worker is objectionable, in part, because not all illegal immigrants are workers. Besides, it's a euphemism. Illegal alien I think we would want to restrict to beings from Betelgeuse who can't produce proper papers. Illegal immigrant is as neutral a term as we have available. " Now a reader has written to me to complain about the word illegals in a headline.

I feel compelled to write in response to Archbishop William Lori's commentary on religious freedom ("A fight for freedom," June 12). He claims an assault on religious freedom is under way in this country because the federal government refuses to finance his efforts and those of his fellow bishops to impose the religious beliefs of the Catholic Church on non-Catholics. That is what it has always been about over the many decades the Catholic Church has resisted recognizing American women's right to abortion and contraception.

I want to thank Archbishop William E. Lori for reminding me once again why I'm an ex-Catholic ("Fight for freedom," June 27). With the so-called "Fortnight for Freedom," the church leadership is deliberately and cynically using a mixture of patriotism and religion in a blatant and manipulative attempt to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections. I can't seem to recall any recent news about Catholic churches being bombed in the United States or attempts to bar American Catholics from attending mass.

From coast to coast, religious expression in public places, especially in schools, is under assault. Court decisions have relegated religious freedom to the back of the bus. Currently, President Clinton is attempting to block the religious equality constitutional amendment now being considered by Congress.The president last month directed officials to distribute guidelines to the nation's public schools on what religious activities are allowed on campuses. This was an attempt to portray the president as being in favor of full religious equality in the U.S. political landscape.

With tweets and text messages, prayers and preaching, Catholics and other Americans are spending two weeks (June 21-July 4) launching a religious freedom awareness campaign called the "Fortnight for Freedom. " Concern for the freedom of Christians to practice their religion, both here and abroad, has been growing for years, and now there are calls for immediate action. Stories of people literally dying for the faith in Iraq and Nigeria can be found in daily newspapers. There, churches are bombed and the blood of martyrs runs freely.

With tweets and text messages, prayers and preaching, Catholics and other Americans are spending two weeks (June 21-July 4) launching a religious freedom awareness campaign called the "Fortnight for Freedom. " Concern for the freedom of Christians to practice their religion, both here and abroad, has been growing for years, and now there are calls for immediate action. Stories of people literally dying for the faith in Iraq and Nigeria can be found in daily newspapers. There, churches are bombed and the blood of martyrs runs freely.

Sunday at mass the pastor of our church explained that the bishop of Baltimore was calling for a prayer vigil for "freedom of religion. " The Catholic bishops claim they are making a stand against the Obama administration's policy requiring large institutions to provide health insurance that includes contraception for women. Contraception is a significant health issue for women in this country and around the world - a world whose population has just exceeded 7 billion and is set to hit 9 billion in less than a decade.