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Posted by Matt Yonke (March 26, 2015 at 4:02 pm)
Indiana Governor Mike Pence just signed a new religious freedom bill into law, defending the right of people of faith to not be forced to act against their deeply held convictions.
The new measure, called the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act”, is a state version of the federal law of the same name signed into law under President Clinton. In fact, President Obama himself voted for a similar law as a state senator in Illinois.
Indiana joins over 19 states and the federal government in enacting legislation to protect their citizens’ rights of conscience. The Stand Up for Religious Freedom Coalition applauds Governor Pence for taking this bold step to protect the religious freedom of the Hoosier state!
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 18, 2015 at 4:20 pm)
On Monday, March 16, U.S. District Judge John Kane issued a permanent injunction from the HHS Mandate to Hercules Industries, declaring that the family-owned business is protected by the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
This declaration is a huge blow against the Obama administration’s contraception mandate, and the latest in a string of victories against the controversial policy.
William Newland, one of the co-owners of the Colorado-based manufacturer of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units, had this to say about the victory:
This final victory, a permanent injunction protecting us from the abortion-pill, contraception and sterilization mandate, has taught our family that we have been right to put God first, and be proactive to protect our right to live and work according to our faith. Spiritual treasures come before business tools.
This is a great sign for the hundreds of other lawsuits against the mandate currently being fought out in the courts.
Get more on this story here and stay tuned to the Stand Up for Religious Freedom blog for more news as it becomes available.
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 12, 2015 at 2:09 pm)
Just days ago, the US Supreme Court ordered a lower court to reconsider its ruling against the University of Notre Dame in their case against the Obama Administration’s HHS Mandate!
The Seventh Circuit Court’s decision against Notre Dame essentially made it the only religious non-profit organization in the country not protected from Obama’s unjust mandate that businesses cover contraception, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs in their healthcare plans.
Mark Rienzi, Senior Counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed an amicus brief in the case had this to say about the decision:
This is a major blow to the federal government’s contraception mandate. For the past year, the Notre Dame decision has been the centerpiece of the government’s effort to force religious ministries to violate their beliefs or pay fines to the IRS. As with the Supreme Court’s decisions in Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby, this is a strong signal that the Supreme Court will ultimately reject the government’s narrow view of religious liberty. The government fought hard to prevent this GVR, but the Supreme Court rejected their arguments.
Thank God for another win in the fight against this unjust mandate! Stay tuned to the Stand Up for Religious Freedom blog for more news as this and other cases unfold.
Find out more about the Notre Dame decision here.
Posted in Court Battles | Comments Off on University of Notre Dame Wins Another Huge Victory Against Obama’s HHS Mandate
Posted by Matt Yonke (January 8, 2015 at 4:33 pm)
A US District Court has ruled that the Federal Government cannot force a Catholic-owned Michigan company to provide insurance coverage for sterilization, contraceptives, and abortion-inducing drugs.
Michigan based Autocam Medical, LLC filed suit back in 2012 against the Obama Administration’s unjust HHS Mandate and, after failing to receive injunctive relief from it, took their case all the way to the US Supreme Court.
The High Court remanded the case back to the district court and this ruling in their favor is the result.
“Coercing citizens to violate their conscientious religious beliefs makes a mockery of the very notion of religious freedom,” Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society.
He said the ruling “sets another strong precedent for the free exercise of religious faith on the part of all American citizens.”
Read more about the case here and stay tuned to the Stand Up for Religious Freedom blog for more updates as news on the Mandate and the legal challenges to it roll in.
Posted in Court Battles | Comments Off on Michigan Company Wins Victory Over HHS Mandate
Posted by Matt Yonke (June 24, 2014 at 2:32 pm)
This week the United States Supreme Court will hand down its ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, which combines both the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood v. Sebelius cases challenging Obama’s HHS Mandate.
This will be the biggest ruling yet in a case challenging the HHS Mandate, and we need to come out in force to show our zeal to protect our religious freedoms.
A rally will be held on the steps of the Supreme Court this Thursday at 9 a.m., when the ruling could come down. If you’re in the Washington DC area, please join the rally and spread the word to your friends and family! Get all the details right here.
If you can’t join the rally in person, join in the Tweet Storm on Thursday morning using the hashtags #womenincontrol and #religiousfreedom.
Here are some sample tweets you can use Thursday morning:
[Continue reading …]
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 25, 2014 at 4:13 pm)
Today the Supreme Court heard the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood v. Sebelius cases, which challenge President Obama’s HHS Contraceptive Mandate. You can read the transcript of today’s hearing here [PDF].
These cases stand to overturn the Mandate with decisions in favor of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga.
Supporters of religious freedom rallied outside the Supreme Court, and Stand Up for Religious Freedom co-director Eric Scheidler spoke at the rally [pictured above] along with such notables as Senator Ted Cruz and Live Action’s Lila Rose.
Reports coming out in the wake of this morning’s hearing point to cautious optimism for a Hobby Lobby victory. LifeNews.com reports several sources predicting a Hobby Lobby victory, and an article by Ian Millhiser on the liberal news site ThinkProgress.org reported similar sentiments. [Continue reading …]
Posted in Court Battles | Comments Off on Cautious Optimism in the Wake of Today’s Hobby Lobby Hearing
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 25, 2014 at 5:00 am)
Today is the day. The Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, and the Hahn family, owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties, will represent all of us people of faith as they petition the Supreme Court to allow them to follow their consciences in how they run their businesses.
The need for prayer has never been greater.
Join us in praying the final day of this Novena, and if you’re in the area, join the rally and prayer vigil at the Supreme Court in support of these brave families starting at 9:30 a.m.! [Continue reading …]
Posted in Court Battles, Novena, Prayer Resources | Comments Off on Day 9: Interfaith Novena to Stop the HHS Mandate
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 24, 2014 at 1:26 pm)
Tomorrow is the big day. The Supreme Court will hear the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood v. Sebelius cases challenging Obama’s HHS Mandate.
Now more than ever, we need to make people aware of these historic cases and the threat the mandate poses.
You can help by joining in the Tweet Storm for Religious Freedom tomorrow, Tuesday, March 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon eastern time.
Help set the record straight on the Mandate by tweeting during that time and using the hashtag #ReligiousFreedomForAll to draw national attention to our side and the opposition’s hashtag #NotMyBossBusiness to join their conversation and accurately explain the facts of the case.
In addition to tweeting from 9 a.m. to noon eastern time tomorrow, you can also change your avatar to this great “I Stand with Hobby Lobby” graphic, blog about the cases explaining how the HHS mandate is forcing family businesses to violate their beliefs or face devastating government penalties, and share the news by linking to positive news coverage on your Facebook and Twitter so that our story spread far and wide. [Continue reading …]
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 24, 2014 at 11:02 am)
Tomorrow the highest court in the land will hear two of the most important cases on religious freedom in our nation’s history: Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood v. Sebelius, and it’s crucial that we surround this day in prayer.
Please join us in praying day 8 of the Novena to Reverse the HHS Mandate. [Continue reading …]
Posted in Court Battles, Novena, Prayer Resources | Comments Off on Day 8: Interfaith Novena to Stop the HHS Mandate
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 23, 2014 at 10:59 am)
There are only 3 days to go until the first HHS Mandate cases, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood, reach the Supreme Court! Help spiritually prepare the soil for this crucial day by joining the Novena to Stop the HHS Mandate.
This is Day 7 of the Novena to Reverse the HHS Mandate. Find the previous days’ prayers here. [Continue reading …]
Posted in Court Battles, Novena, Prayer Resources | Comments Off on Day 7: Interfaith Novena to Stop the HHS Mandate
