Critics say President Obama’s Religious Freedom Day proclamation doesn’t line up with the actions of his administration

Leigh Jones Posted: Jan. 17, 2013 World Magazine

Religious liberty advocates mocked the Religious Freedom Day proclamation President Barack Obama signed Wednesday, lambasting him as one of the strongest opponents to the First Amendment ever to lead the nation.

Critics pointed to the Obama administration’s attempt to force religious organizations and businesses to pay for contraceptive and abortifacient drugs under the national healthcare reforms adopted in 2010 and the president’s lack of support for Christians facing persecution in other countries.

Religious Freedom Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of one of America’s first laws protecting religious liberty, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786. Written by Thomas Jefferson, the law guaranteed the freedom to profess opinions in matters of religion and served as a model for the First Amendment.

“Today, we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe,” Obama’s proclamation said, in part. “This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.

“As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution.”

Amy Payne, writing for The Heritage Foundation, said the president made “one heck of a proclamation,” considering his administration’s attacks on religious liberty: “Words that don’t match deeds from this president simply add insult to the many injuries his administration has caused people of faith in the past four years.”

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