Words of Wisdom
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
(First Amendment to the Constitution.)
“Without God, there is a coarsening of society, and without God, democracy will not and cannot endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” (Ronald Reagan, 1984)
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the Duties of Men and Citizens.”
(George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796)
(Warning, contrary opinion)
“There can be a conflict between religious liberty and sexual liberty, but in almost all cases the sexual liberty should win. … I’m having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.”
(Chai Feldblum, 2006: Former Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
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A Review of Ch. 1-5: Restoring America’s Soul
This weekend on Crossroads we are beginning Chapter VI of Rita Dunaway’s book entitled Restoring America’s Soul. However, once again, we’ll begin with a quick review of the ground we’ve covered so far and then tackle the big challenge of defending our religious freedoms from attacks by LGBT activists, various secular groups like the ACLU, and Democratic Party partisans, policies, and practices.
— In Chapter One, Rita sets out to counter some of the negative perceptions about conservatives. She described a true conservative as one who works to “conserve” from our rich heritage that which is good, and also one who speaks out about what we are FOR as much as what we are AGAINST.
— In Chapter Two, she emphasizes the importance of tone in our conversations and debates, particularly when we get into hot button issues of politics, religion, and morality. That includes the need to listen carefully to others if we want them to listen to us.
— In Chapter Three, she talks about the importance of promoting virtue in our culture and of making decisions based on what is true and good rather than just on our “feelings”. Therefore, we must avoid falling under the spell of catchy phrases like “Just listen to your heart”, and “If it feels good, do it.”
— In Chapter Four, we took a step back to examine how political conservatism is directly connected to the strong influence the Bible had on our early settlers and Founding Fathers, and which helped shape a limited federal government in keeping with the enduring principles embodied in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
— Finally, in Chapter Five last week, we explored the popular notion that liberals care more for the poor than do conservatives because of their support for big government handouts. However, according to a study by Arthur Brooks entitled “Who Really Cares for the Poor”, conservatives are much more generous than liberals in their private giving. Therefore, he says, “Liberals who accuse conservatives of being greedy or lacking compassion are just dead wrong, and the cold, hard data prove it.”
(Note: In case you missed any of these programs, or would like to hear them again, they are all available on the Home Page of our web site at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.)
Ch. 6: The Roots of Religious Freedom
For this weekend, Rita takes on another one of the huge Redwood trees within the forest of great challenges that have been placed in the way of our Judeo-Christian values and Constitutional principles. This one is about the growing challenge to and attacks on our religious freedom.
The roots of that freedom go back to our earliest settlers who fled from England 400 years ago in search of a religious and political freedom in which they could worship and raise their children in accordance with their religious beliefs. And it was that same hunger for freedom that drove them just over 150 years later to declare their independence from a tyrannical monarchy and to fight for their freedoms.
Unfortunately, that passion for religious liberty has been waning. According to a recent Pew Research survey, nearly a quarter of Americans now claim to have no religious beliefs at all. Hence, this effort to “Restore America’s Soul” must include a renewed commitment to our Christian faith and to the religious liberty that was such a central component of America’s soul from the beginning.
“Establishment of Religion” and “Free Exercise” Clauses
That renewed commitment must include a proper understanding of the “Establishment of Religion” and the “Free Exercise” clauses that are contained in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The clear intent of those clauses was to 1) prevent Congress from establishing a national religion, and 2) protect all Americans in the exercise of their deeply held religious beliefs.
Regrettably, however, the “Establishment Clause” has been turned upside down into what is erroneously referred to as a Constitutional “Separation of Church and State” doctrine. As a result, it has become a weapon against expressions of religious faith in the public square rather than the protecting shield from attacks by an over-reaching federal government – as it was originally intended.
As a result of this misguided interpretation, federal, state, and even local governments are too often forced to bend over backward from doing anything that might suggest official support for churches and religious organizations in any of their activities. Similarly, the “Free Exercise Clause” has also become less effective in protecting expressions of religious faith.
As an example, LGBT bullies, pro-abortion activists, ACLU intimidators, and Democratic Party hard-liners often attempt to force churches, religious organizations, and even private businesses to participate in activities that violate their deeply held religious beliefs. That includes florists, bakers, photographers, print shop owners, educators, as well as military personnel and civil servants.
Rita’s “Elevator Speech” on Defending Our Religious Liberty
To put all of this into perspective, Rita offers an “elevator speech” that summarizes the importance of defending our Constitutional right to exercise our freedoms of religion and of speech, as follows:
“Religious liberty is the cornerstone of our Bill of Rights. The First Amendment protects every person of faith in his or her effort to worship according to the dictates of his or her conscience whether that person adheres to a majority or minority religion. This means that no one should ever be coerced to act in violation of his or her sincerely held religious beliefs, unless there is some highest order government-interest at stake that cannot be achieved through any other means.
“Commitment to a very robust interpretation of the First Amendment is good for every American because the First Amendment protects all of us from having our beliefs or ideas suppressed by the government. Freedom does require us to be exposed to the expression of beliefs that offend us or hurt our feelings, but this is a price worth paying for liberty.”
What Qualifies Her for This Challenge?
That brings us to the question of “What qualifies Rita – or anyone else for that matter — to tackle this monumental challenge of Restoring America’s Soul? “
In case you missed our earlier snapshots, Rita is first of all a constitutional attorney with honors degrees from West Virginia University and the Washington and Lee University School of Law.
She has worked as staff counsel for the Rutherford Institute, as an allied attorney for the nationally respected Alliance Defending Freedom, and now serves as the National Legislative Strategist for the Convention of States Project.
In addition, she has contributed to various academic journals and media outlets, has personally testified and written briefs for various courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and serves as host of our weekly Crossroads radio programs.
How to Order Her Book
We will continue to discuss other hot-button issues for several more weeks. Therefore, we would encourage you to get your own copy of her book and follow along with us. You can order it online from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Americas-Soul-Rita-Dunaway/dp/1643074172
Crossroads: Where Faith and Culture Meet
To hear more about all of this directly from Rita, please join us this weekend on the following Valley radio stations: WBTX (1470 AM and 102.1 FM), today (Saturday) at 4:00 p.m. and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by WSVA (550 AM and 92.1 FM) at 8:30, ESPN (1360 AM and 106.9 FM) at 9:00, and WNLR (1150) at 11:30. You can also listen online by clicking on the menu of Crossroads programs available on our home page at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Crossroads is almost entirely listener supported, and we are so grateful for your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support. If you would like to help, please send your check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803. All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank you, from Dean, on behalf of the Crossroads Radio Team
Working together we can make a difference, for God and Country!