OPINION

Passover, Easter Remind Us Why Religious Liberty is Worth Fighting For

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A recent poll found that a sizeable majority of Americans say the moral lessons of Easter are still “very important” to preserving a strong America for future generations. Unfortunately, some of the loudest voices in American politics disagree. The Democrat Party has drifted so far from the values Americans hold dear that they aren’t just apathetic; they’re actively working to undermine them.

Consider how Democrats treated people of faith during the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, they forced houses of worship to keep their doors closed, threatening them with fines and even jailtime if they dared to gather. When Democrat governors finally did allow churches to reopen, there were severe restrictions. In Las Vegas, more people were allowed to gamble in a casino than go to church. In California, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed harsh restrictions on religious institutions, only to later get caught breaking his own rules so he could schmooze with lobbyists at a ritzy Napa Valley restaurant. Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued orders that discriminated against Orthodox Jews until a conservative majority on the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. And former Virginia Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam openly mused why Americans felt the need to go to church in person in the first place.

Unfortunately, Democrats have only become bolder in their attacks on religious Americans. Joe Biden’s administration has done all they can to slow-walk religious exemptions for the vaccine mandate for U.S. servicemembers. Biden’s lawyers recently went to work weakening the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act and make sure a group of Navy SEALs don’t obtain a vaccine mandate religious exemption. Biden’s attacks on Americans’ conscience rights don’t come as a surprise – remember this is the same Joe Biden who was part of an administration that forced Catholic nuns to violate their religious beliefs through Obamacare’s “contraceptive mandate.” And as he tries to undermine religious liberty, Biden is undoubtedly cheered on by Democrat politicians in places like New York and Maine, who imposed vaccine mandates without any religious accommodations whatsoever.

Then there’s Democrats’ radical support for abortion. As president, Biden has led the most radically pro-abortion administration in history. His extremism is the reason he supports forcing taxpayers to fund abortions. It’s why he reversed Trump-era protections that prevent federal dollars from flowing to abortion industry giants like Planned Parenthood. And most recently, the Senate confirmed Biden Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has a record of targeting the free-speech rights of pro-life Americans. With the Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization this summer and the possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade on the horizon, the fight for the unborn is more important than ever.

Democrats’ record of hostility toward religion is fundamentally opposed to the majority of Americans’ convictions and the values that form the foundation of the American experiment. Worshipping freely and living out our beliefs in the public square is the reason our Founding Fathers enshrined religious liberty in the First Amendment. As Americans gather to celebrate Passover and Easter, we’re reminded of just how much our country needs the message of the hope, peace, and joy that can only come through faith. That’s something the Republican Party is committed to preserving for generations to come.