El Dorado Stands Firm Against Atheist Group

Religious Freedom, , , ,

Recently we wrote how the City of El Dorado wasn’t yielding to atheist groups who oppose the city’s 40 Days of Prayer campaigns.

This week Americans United for Separation of Church and State took to the Internet, complaining El Dorado “went ahead with a planned ’40 Days of Prayer’ event in October despite a warning from Americans United.”

Hats off to everyone in El Dorado for exercising their religious liberties and refusing to yield to these groups from out of state! Public prayer is a longstanding tradition in this country, as are calls to prayer from public officials.

Meanwhile, a Nativity scene in Michigan has been relocated from a public park to a church’s property following complaints from the atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation. FFRF has worked since 2007 to get the Nativity scene removed from public property in Menominee, MI–even though the Nativity scene is a longstanding tradition in that town.

As we have written numerous times, public officials and local governments can celebrate Christmas, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled those celebrations can include Nativity displays and similar decorations. Nativity scenes do not have to be placed on private property to be constitutional. They can appear on public property without violating the First Amendment.

READ MORE

Here’s What the Founders of Our Nation Said About Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Before it was a federal holiday, Thanksgiving was a day appointed by Congress, the President, or the state legislature.

Early on in our nation’s history, Congress sometimes appointed more than one “Thanksgiving” in a given year. These were days of prayer. Virtually every early thanksgiving proclamation includes calls to prayer along with fasting, corporate worship, confession of sin, or some similar act.

We have posted several of these proclamations as part of our Words From Our Founders series. Below are excerpts from a few Thanksgiving proclamations issued from 1775 to 1813. I hope they give you an idea of what Thanksgiving was meant to be in this country, and I hope you and your family have a truly happy Thanksgiving!

 

George Washington

“Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be;”

–George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1789

 

“In consideration of the many undeserved Blessings conferred upon us by GOD, the Father of all Mercies; it becomes us not only in our private and usual devotion, to express our obligations to Him, as well as our dependence upon Him; but also specially to set a part a Day to be employed for this great and important Purpose:”

–John Hancock’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 5, 1791

 

“Resolved, That it be recommended to the United States of America to set apart Wednesday, the 22d day of April next, to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer; that at one time, and with one voice, the inhabitants may acknowledge the righteous dispensations of Divine Providence, and confess their iniquities and transgressions, for which the land mourneth;”

–Proclamation by the Continental Congress, March 7, 1778

 

“I do hereby recommend accordingly, that Thursday, the Twenty-fifth day of April next, be observed throughout the United States of America as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer. – That the citizens on that day abstain as far as may be from their secular occupations, devote the time to the sacred duties of religion in public and in private:”

–John Adams, March 19, 1799

 

“Resolved, that it be recommended to the several states to appoint THURSDAY the 9th of December next, to be a day of publick and solemn THANKSGIVING to Almighty God, for his mercies, and of PRAYER, for the continuance of his favour and protection to these United States; to beseech him that he would be graciously pleased to influence our publick Councils, and bless them with wisdom from on high, with unanimity, firmness and success;”

–Proclamation by the Continental Congress, October 20, 1779

 

“I do therefore issue this my proclamation, recommending to all who shall be piously disposed to unite their hearts and voices in addressing at one and the same time their vows and adorations to the Great Parent and Sovereign of the Universe that they assemble on the second Thursday of September next in their respective religious congregations to render Him thanks for the many blessings He has bestowed on the people of the United States;”

–James Madison, July 23, 1813

 

“Therefore the CONGRESS hereby RESOLVE,

“That it be recommended to all the States, as soon as possible to appoint a Day of solemn Fasting and Humiliation, to implore of Almighty GOD the Forgiveness of the many Sins prevailing among all Ranks, and to beg the Countenance and Assistance of his Providence in the Prosecution of this just and necessary War.”

–Proclamation by the Continental Congress, December 11, 1776

 

“And finally I recommend, that on the said day; the duties of humiliation and prayer be accompanied by fervent Thanksgiving to the bestower of every good gift, not only for having hitherto protected and preserved the people of these United States in the independent enjoyment of their religious and civil freedom, but also for having prospered them in a wonderful progress of population, and for conferring on them many and great favours conducive to the happiness and prosperity of a nation.”

–John Adams, March 23, 1798

 

“I do therefore by authority from the General Assembly issue this my proclamation, hereby appointing Thursday the 9th day of December next, a day of publick and solemn thanksgiving and prayer to Almighty God, earnestly recommending to all the good people of this commonwealth, to set apart the said day for those purposes, and to the several Ministers of religion to meet their respective societies thereon, to assist them in their prayers, edify them with their discourses, and generally to perform the sacred duties of their function, proper for the occasion.”

–Thomas Jefferson, November 11, 1779

 

“And it is recommended to Christians, of all denominations, to assemble for public worship, and to abstain from servile labour and recreations on said day.”

–Proclamation by the Continental Congress, June 12, 1775

READ MORE

H.B. 1021 Could Undermine Churches’ Religious Liberties

Religious Freedom,

I want to tell you about a bill that has been filed at the Arkansas Legislature dealing with churches and the issues of gender and gender-identity. The bill does not immediately force churches to employ transgender individuals or ordain female ministers, but I am concerned that is what it could lead to in the long run, depending on how our courts interpret the law.

Currently, the Arkansas Civil Rights Act of 1993 prevents employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of gender, and Arkansas’ wage discrimination laws prevent employers from paying employees different salaries based on each employee’s biological sex. This means an employer cannot refuse to hire women and cannot pay male employees different salaries from female employees for the same work. However, both laws contain exemptions for religious organizations; this generally prevents churches from being sued for refusing to ordain female ministers or for assigning men and women different responsibilities within the ministry.

House Bill 1021 by Rep. Fred Love (D – Little Rock) removes the religious exemption from Arkansas’ wage discrimination law, and it changes the word “sex” in the law to “gender.”

In this day and age “sex” and “gender” are no longer viewed as the same thing. Many people now consider a person’s biological sex and a person’s gender completely unrelated. Transgender activists claim a man’s biological sex can be male, but his gender—or gender-identity—can be female. This means H.B. 1021 arguably writes gender-identity into Arkansas’ wage discrimination laws.

Here’s the bottom line: If this law passes, in the short run, the courts might penalize churches that, for example, do not ordain female ministers or that assign men and women different responsibilities within the ministry. In the long run, they may even penalize churches for firing or refusing to hire transgender individuals. A lot of it depends on how judges interpret—or reinterpret—state laws.

Bills like H.B. 1021 may not seem all that bad to some people, but they chip away at churches’ religious liberties. We need to consider the long term effects laws like this could have on churches and other religious organizations. We also need to do as much as possible to make sure churches can operate in a manner consistent with their religious convictions.

READ MORE