There was a fair turnout at the Stand Up For Religious Freedom rally held at the Utah State Capitol Building. We heard from local church leaders, politicians, and a representative from the Becket Fund for Religious Rights. It was inspiring to hear how one person can make a difference! Now, on to spread the word. [Continue reading …]
Words can hardly describe how blessed we felt looking out from the top steps of our U.S. Customs House and seeing hundreds & hundreds of local citizens taking a STAND!
Many carry signs that expressed their hopes for the future, some expressed a desired to see improvement in how our government spends our taxes, but all came together in one accord when this chant started: “hey, hey what do you say, let’s go VOTE on election day!”
And that is why we had one more RALLY, so all 750 people who gathered could see they were not alone, we will see each other again on election day!!
When October 20 was set as the National Rally date, the first thing we did was check the LSU Tiger Football Schedule. We were in luck, it was an away game. However, as luck would have it, ESPN picked up the LSU vs A&M game and scheduled it for 11:00 a.m. Baton Rouge is Tiger Football country, so we knew this would create a challenge. [Continue reading …]
After three consecutive days of rain, the skies cleared today to allow for a gorgeous autumn day in Chicago for the Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally’s flagship event.
In the shadow of the building that formerly housed the transition team offices of President Barack Obama, enthusiastic crowds packed downtown Chicago’s Federal Plaza and received signs reading “Stand Up for Religious Freedom”, “Stop Obama’s HHS Mandate”, and “Vote for Life and Liberty” along with handheld American flags.
Shortly after noon, the assembled crowd of 1,700 made their way to Dearborn Street and marched four blocks north to Daley Plaza. At the front of the march were dozens of teens and young adults from the Crusaders for Life pro-life club based out of Chicago’s St. John Cantius Parish, who held aloft several 15-foot high yellow balloon trees and led the crowd in a series of exuberant cheers. [Continue reading …]
Lots of prayers and support for all the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rallies taking place on Saturday are coming from Zanesville, OH. What began as 80 concerned Catholics here in Ohio’s Y-City has become hundreds of concerned Christians from many denominations working together for the Stand Up Rally in our portion of Southeastern Ohio taking place on Sunday Oct. 21st at 3pm on our courthouse steps. We are looking forward to following your rallies on-line and via twitter. We are new at this, but hope to make all of you as proud of us as we are of you!
Stand Up Rally co-director Eric Scheidler had an op-ed piece published in the Washington Times today, calling on liberals and moderates to take seriously our concerns over the erosion of religious freedom in our country.
The article was published under the title “Religious freedom attacks threatens every American: HHS mandate is only the beginning.” Here’s an excerpt:
Despite 10 months of controversy — including a public clash between the White House and the U.S. Catholic bishops, countless rallies and protests across the country and the filing of dozens of federal lawsuits — many liberals and independents remain puzzled by the fight over the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. They don’t understand how conservatives can insist that the HHS mandate constitutes an unprecedented attack on religious freedom.
The mandate, announced by the Obama administration in January and finalized in February, requires nearly all employers to provide contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs through their health plans, regardless of any moral objections. This includes religious employers such as Catholic hospitals and universities, despite the fact that paying for such “services” contradicts settled Catholic doctrine.
Indeed, few Americans, whatever their political persuasion, understand or have much sympathy for the Catholic teaching that it is a sin to use contraception. In fact, it has come as news to many that the Catholic Church still teaches this. Sadly, few bother to ask why — or why it matters so much to the Catholic bishops that they insist they would rather shut down all those universities, charities and not-for-profit hospitals than comply with the HHS mandate.
This is exactly the question all Americans should be asking right now . . .
Read the whole thing here.
800 people attended the October Stand up For Religious Freedom Rally held at Antelope Park in central Lincoln. The Life Chain followed the event along O Street. A strong lineup of speakers from various Christian Churches outlined the threat, the consequences of inactivity, and what we need to do to fight for our religious freedom.
The National Rally for Religious Freedom is TOMORROW!
Prayer for the Rally effort and the defense of our religious freedom has never been more essential.
Please join in this final day of the Novena to Reverse the HHS Mandate—even if you haven’t joined in so far.
We’ve never seen the American people as fired up as they are about this Mandate.
Join us in praying the final day of this Novena. [Continue reading …]
World renowned evangelist Billy Graham has added his voice to the chorus of religious leaders calling on Americans to vote in accordance with their values on Election Day.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will publish ads in key locations around the country over the coming weeks featuring Graham’s familiar image and his strong statement for Christian voters:
On November 6, the day before my 94th birthday, our nation will hold one of the most critical elections in my lifetime. We are at a crossroads and there are profound moral issues at stake. I strongly urge you to vote for candidates who support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and woman, protect the sanctity of life, and defend our religious freedoms. The Bible speaks clearly on these crucial issues. Please join me in praying for America, that we will turn our hearts back toward God.
Let us pray that voters will heed the words of this great evangelical leader, one of the most respected religious leaders in the world, whose ministry over the past seven decades has exemplified the value of religious faith playing a special role in the public square.
Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally Co-Chairman Eric Scheidler has an article posted today on the Manhattan Declaration blog, highlighting the nationwide rallies this Saturday and the ongoing fight against the HHS Mandate.
Here’s an excerpt:
Earlier this year, the prestigious magazine Crain’s Chicago Business published their list of the top ten workplaces for women in the entire Chicago area. At the very top of that list was a company called Triune Health Group, which is owned and managed by Chris and Mary Anne Yep.
One of the main reasons that the Yeps’ company received this special honor is their generous benefits package, including an outstanding health plan. They have also implemented policies to accommodate the special needs of women, from single moms who may need time off to care for a sick child, to flexible work hours for women dealing with breast cancer or other health problems.
But Chris and Mary Anne Yep haven’t only made news this year by being named the “Best Workplace for Women” in Chicagoland. They have also been in the headlines because they are suing the federal government over the HHS Mandate. [Continue reading …]