{"id":261,"date":"2012-06-08T22:49:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-08T22:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/second-nationwide-rally-shows-religious-freedom-movement-has-momentum\/"},"modified":"2012-06-08T22:49:00","modified_gmt":"2012-06-08T22:49:00","slug":"second-nationwide-rally-shows-religious-freedom-movement-has-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/second-nationwide-rally-shows-religious-freedom-movement-has-momentum\/","title":{"rendered":"Second nationwide rally shows religious freedom movement has momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Jun 8, 2012 \/ 04:49 pm (CNA<\/a>).- Speakers and attendees at religious freedom rallies across the United States stressed that Americans are committed to defending their liberties from threats like the contraception mandate and that opposition to them is building.<\/p>\n

\tCongressman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) told CNA that the issue \u201cis not going to go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThere are enough people in this country that are committed to the cause of religious freedom,\u201d he said. \u201cThey understand that it\u2019s the basis of all other freedoms, and they will not abandon this cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe described the mandate as an attack on religious liberty that forces people to choose between their violating their faith and facing \u201cgovernment fines or federal condemnation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThat is simply not going to be something the American people will swallow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tRep. Franks was one of several speakers at the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally in the nation\u2019s capital on June 8.<\/p>\n

\tThe event was held as part of the second round of national protests against the federal contraception mandate issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n

\tThe first round of protests was held on March 23, attracting more than 63,000 participants. The June 8 event was expected to top this number, with rallies being held in 164 cities, an increase of nearly 20 locations.<\/p>\n

\tEric Scheidler, national co-director of the effort, said that the first rally \u201cwas a tremendous success,\u201d offering encouragement to both those who attended and those who saw the event in the media.<\/p>\n

\tContinuing the rallies helps \u201cadvance the coming judicial, legislative and electoral battles\u201d against the mandate by \u201ckeeping the injustice before the public,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tThe Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally united tens of thousands of Americans concerned about a federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans that cover contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.<\/p>\n

\tThe mandate has drawn widespread criticism for the threat that it poses to the religious freedom of those who object to it.<\/p>\n

\tSpeakers at the Washington, D.C. event emphasized that religious freedom is worth fighting for, and its advocates will not become discouraged.<\/p>\n

\tParticipants agreed, saying that they were seeing growing opposition at the grassroots level to the mandate.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt\u2019s just going to keep building up,\u201d said Mary Castellano, a 16-year-old who attended the rally.
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tShe explained that she was not able to attend the first rally in March, but was eager to attend the second one and would attend future rallies if given the chance.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI\u2019m here because the government has no right to take away what our country was founded on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\tReligious freedom is \u201cone of most basic\u201d elements of American liberty, and it must be respected for all people, she stressed.<\/p>\n

\tAmy Martinez echoed these sentiments, saying that it was \u201cscary\u201d to think about religious liberty being eroded in America.<\/p>\n

\tAs a 30-year-old woman, Martinez said she does not believe the Obama administration\u2019s contraception rule serves her best interests.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI don\u2019t need the mandate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\tMartinez thinks that Americans will continue speaking up to defend their right to live according to their faith.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cA lot of people are starting to wake up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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