800 Attend Indianapolis Rally

Posted by Marc Tuttle (June 12, 2012 at 1:20 am)

Dr. Hans Geisler relates how his parents fled Nazi Germany to be able to practice medicine according to their consciences.

The Nationwide “Stand Up for Religious Freedom” rallies were already hedged in a certain amount of historical perspective. The date June 8 was selected in part because it coincided with the anniversary of the introduction of our Bill of Rights in 1789. The Rallies occurred just one week after the movie “For Greater Glory” brought the story of Mexico’s fight for religious freedom to theaters across the country.

But few were able to capture the historic significance of the HHS Mandate like Dr. Hans Geisler, one of 7 speakers to address Indianapolis’ Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally.

In front of a sun-baked crowd of approximately 800, Dr. Geisler told the story of his parents, both physicians — his father was Jewish, his mother was Catholic — who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930’s in order to practice medicine in accord with their consciences. Dr. Geisler explained that the mandate from the HHS was “eerily similar” to how the Nazis initially took over the practice of medicine in Germany.

Dr. Geisler was one of two physicians from the Catholic Medical Association in Indianapolis who told the audience how the new HHS Mandate would affect Catholic and Christian physicians and how they practice medicine. Dr. Geisler, a retired OB/GYN and Dr. Jim Scheidler, a retired endocrinologist, both lamented that doctors who wish to stay faithful to their church’s teachings will be forced to choose between their jobs and their consciences.

The physicians provided just one perspective on religious freedom at Indianapolis’ rally. In addition, Msgr. Joseph Schaedel of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, State Senator Scott Schneider and representatives from Indiana Family Institute, the Indiana chapter of Americans for Prosperity and the Knights of Columbus each gave a different view of how the HHS mandate’s attack on conscience rights would have disastrous consequences.

Joseph Lehner introduces his wife and 3-day-old son at the Indianapolis' Rally for Religious Freedom

Joseph Lehner, who will head up a recently launched educational initiative in Indianapolis churches called The League for Religious Freedom, encouraged the crowd to be public in their opposition to the HHS mandate. He urged them to be evangelists, not just enthusiasts, and to talk to their fellow church members about on-going threats to religious freedom.

Joseph told how he was inspired by the public stand his parents took as pro-life rescuers arrested for sitting peacefully in front of abortion facilities, and then he introduced the crowd to the next generation of his family, his three-day-old son.   Joseph told the crowd, “so far, he’s eaten, he’s pooped, he’s cried and he’s taken a stand for religious freedom!”

The 800 people who attended the rally not only listened to speeches, but they were given opportunities to get involved. Petitions were circulated from the Beckett Fund and womenspeakforthemselves.com. In addition, participants were urged to take their rally signs to church and use it begin a discussion with their pastors. Based on the fact that rally organizers took home only about 20 of the original 500 signs and gathered over 400 petition signatures, it’s obvious that Indianapolis is equipped and ready to take a stand.

Click here for the Indianapolis’ Star coverage of the Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally, including a photo montage.

Click here to see more photos at Right to Life of Indianapolis’ facebook page. If you want to follow what’s going on in Indianapolis, “like” us!

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