STAND UP FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Nationwide Rallies
For immediate release October 17, 2012
from Citizens for a Pro-Life Society 248 444-9096
Nationwide Rallies Will Draw Attention to Attack on Religious Freedom
For November 6th Election
October 20th--Thousands are set to Protest in 140 cities the Unconstitutional Religious Rights
Violations in HHS Mandate
See sample Stand Up Rally Flyers at end of press release
Saturday, October 20th in anticipation of the November General Election, nationwide public demonstrations will occur in 140 cities where 10s of thousands of Americans are expected to take to the streets in protest against the Obama administration’s controversial Department of Health and Human Services Mandate which forces religious institutions to facilitate contraception, sterilization and abortion inducing drugs in their employee health plans, even should such facilitation be contrary be those institutions’ faith and moral doctrines. These demonstrations, organized by Stand Up for Religious Freedom Nationwide Rallies (www.standuprally.com), are intended to send a clear message to the federal government that the Obama mandate violates the rights of conscience of religious institutions and private employers. Moreover, the rallies seek to inform the general public that the current attack on religious liberty is a serious election issue that must be considered when voting for candidates Nov. 6th.
The Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies represent a coalition of 65 religious and civil rights organizations that includes the Alliance Defense Fund, Association of Mature American Citizens, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Freedom for Americans, National Black Pro-Life Coalition and the Thomas More Society.
The October 20th event is the third in a series of demonstrations that began March 23rd of this year. This next national rally will take place 12 noon in all times zones. 
140 cities across America will participate in this nationwide demonstration, cities from Maine to Hawaii, Alaska to Florida and they include Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Boston, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, St. Paul, St. Louis, and San Francisco where newly appointed Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is scheduled to speak. Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit will address that city’s rally—among other Catholic bishops, dozens of leaders from Protestant and Jewish congregations as well as prominent local community leaders. Find more information at: www.standuprally.com
Over 125,000 citizens, from all walks of faith, attended the first two Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rallies that occurred on March 23rd and June 8th. The October 20th rally is expected to similarly attracted thousands of participants who will gather at local federal buildings, court houses, and offices of senators and congressmen.
Nationwide Stand Up Rally organizers Monica Migliorino Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society (www.prolifesociety.com) and Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League (www.prolifeaction.org) have released the following statement regarding the goal of the national rally:
“The rally is intended as a clear message to the federal government, that it has no business defining the scope of religious ministry and that faith based institutions and even private businesses affected by the mandate will simply not comply with the government’s unjust intrusion into the affairs of religion and freedom of conscience. As voters prepare for the election everyone should be taking into consideration the current government assault on religious freedom when they choose candidates on Nov. 6th. Religious freedom simply cannot be taken for granted any more—it’s something for which we must now fight.”
Monica Migliorino Miller, director of CPLS states:
“As citizens prepare to go to the polls, the current attack on religious practice in America is one of the most important social and political issues that voters must consider in choosing candidates for office. That voters even need to take this into consideration in this election season is nearly unprecedented in American history. These rallies are necessary to ensure that freedom of religion will be protected in any possible subsequent health care legislation. This is not about access to contraception. This is a religious liberty issue plain and simple and we remain committed to work for the reversal of this Mandate.”
Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League states:
“The HHS mandate actually seeks to define what constitutes religious ministry in its narrowly crafted so-called exemption. This sort of government intrusion must be opposed. This is not about the issue of contraception—this is about protecting religious liberty as it is enshrined in the United States Constitution. The so-called Obama accommodation has done nothing to settle the controversy.”
Anticipating an on-going conflict regarding religious liberty, even the United States Catholic bishops, in a strongly worded letter (April 13, 2012) stated that the Church will not cooperate with the Mandate. Several faith-based institutions and private businesses have initiated lawsuits that challenge the constitutionality of the Mandate.
Stand Up for Religious Freedom Nationwide Rallies calls upon all Americans to oppose the mandate for the following reasons:
1. We protest the federal government's definition of what constitutes a religious institution and the mission of religious institutions through the narrowly constructed “exemption” to the HHS Mandate. Not only is this definition false, but the federal government has no authority to make it.
2. We protest that religious institutions (even under the Obama’s so-called “accommodation”) are still forced to facilitate contraception, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs through insurance companies that are mandated to provide them.
3. We protest the Mandate for forcing all businesses -- not just religious institutions -- to provide coverage of contraception, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, if even doing so violates to their own moral position on these matters.
4. We protest the HHS Mandate -- requiring contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs to be given free of charge by all health plans -- in general because it treats pregnancy and childbirth as if it were a disease and overlooks other health-care issues more important to the lives of women.
For more information please contact Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally National Directors:
Monica Migliorino Miller, Citizens for a Pro-Life Society - 248 444-9096 mmmillerlife@gmail.com
Eric Scheidler. Pro-Life Action League - 773 251-8792, ejs@prolifeaction.org
Media Contact: Tom Ciesielka 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net
