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Religious liberty is our first freedom. It must be guarded vigilantly against economic expediency, misguided calls to sacrifice liberty for security, and the aggressive attempts of activists to impose their agendas at the expense of our most sacred right. NARLA is dedicated to advancing the cause of religious liberty, not as a second class right, but front and center as our first freedom. Religious liberty is called our “first freedom” and for good reason:
Religious liberty exists within a context of the rights of all those in society. Because religious liberty is our first right, it must take precedence except in exceptional circumstances:
NARLA vigorously opposes any efforts to impose religious tests for public office, either by the government, the media or the general public. Those running for public office must be judged on their individual records, values and issues, not on their particular religious affiliation. Specifically, Muslims, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Evangelicals, Sikhs, Seventh-day Adventists, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, atheists, and all others must not be barred from office for their faith. NARLA Oppose Censorship of Moral Views It is increasingly common for public officials to be targeted by gay rights groups in retaliation for expressing their view that homosexual behavior is immoral. Efforts to engage in the censorship of deeply held moral views are unacceptable in a free society. Public officials, like all Americans, have every right to speak openly of their moral, ethical and religious views, whatever their views on human sexuality and other moral questions. NARLA Supports the Religious Expression & Practices of Students While public schools must remain neutral in matters of religion, public school students have every right to express their views on equal terms with all other views. They also have a right to wear religious mandated clothing to school, to have time off for holy day observances/Sabbaths, to pray, and to engage in all other religious practices that do not threaten other students. Similarly, religious clubs and after-school activities must be permitted on the same terms as other clubs and after-school activities. NARLA Opposes Efforts to Discriminate Against and Marginalize Religious Organizations In some cases, local governments have used their power to exclude religious organizations from activities based on the moral views of the faith in question. This is unacceptable. Some particularly heinous cases include the Sea Scouts being excluded from using public docking facilities because they believe homosexuality is immoral, and the Catholic Church being banned from participating in an adoption service for the same reason. These discriminatory practices have no place in a nation in which religious liberty remains our first freedom. NARLA Opposes Religious Discrimination in the Media The mass media serves the function of the nation’s town square today, and the way it portrays people of faith determines in large part how they are treated. Media companies must, therefore, be held accountable when they present lopsided, inaccurate or inflammatory views of particular religious traditions, and religion writ large. NARLA Supports Efforts to Stamp Out Abuse by Clergy and Religious Institutions Religious liberty is not a license to abuse of children or any other human being. Efforts to hold those responsible for abuse and individuals and institutions accountable for failing to intervene to stop abuse are wholly appropriate. NARLA Supports the Autonomy & Authenticity of Religious Institutions Many religious traditions express their faith through hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, care facilities for the aged, summer camps for children, and a variety of other institutions. The right to own and operate these institutions in accordance with the values of the faith is a basic component of religious liberty. These institutions are not religious just by the virtue of having a church referenced in their name. If they are to be truly faith-based, the people who work in them must share common religious values. Today there are efforts at the state and federal level to use government funding as a tool to undermine the autonomy of faith organizations. Specifically, activists are attempting to use Medicare, Medicaid, student loads, payments to charities and every other penny of local, state and federal funding to force faith-based entities to hire those who don’t share the religious commitment of the religious groups that run the institutions. Worse still, they are working tirelessly to force religious organizations to financially subsidize behavior the faiths explicitly oppose – specifically, cohabitation and homosexual relationships. Generations of people of faith sacrificed to build the hospitals, schools, and homeless shelters that serve as the backbones of our communities. Attempting to undermine the spiritual mission of these wonderful service providers is wrong. NARLA Opposes Governmental Limits on Speech While speech may be offensive and even hateful, it must not be outlawed. Having to endure offensive speech on occasion is a small price to pay for freedom of expression. Private individuals, however, have every right to vigorously express their offense and make their views known. This includes the right to request that media outlets stop broadcasting offensive messages, the right to boycott the businesses which financially support the broadcasting of offensive speech, and the right to expect that media outlets which use public airwaves provide alternate views to expressions that are offensive to a significant portion of society. There are exceptions to this principle, the most relevant being when an individual makes a threat of violence or incites others to imminent violence. In these rare cases, the speaker may be held liable. NARLA Supports Religion in the Prisons God can reach into even the most miserable prison and change the heart of the most hardened criminals. All effort must be made to ensure prisoners can respond to God’s love and practice their faith, within the context of the necessities of prison life. NARLA supported the passage of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act, which protects prisoner religious practice, and continues to support its broad interpretation. There are faiths groups in prison that engage in anti-social behavior and cling to violent ideologies. All the more reason to ensure that the love, purity and peace of true religion can shine brightly even behind bars. Only the power of faith can truly change the heart, and only a changed heart can reform actions. Thus the greatest crime reduction program on earth is the life changing power of God. Conclusion Religious liberty is our first freedom. It must be guarded vigilantly against economic expediency, misguided calls to sacrifice liberty for security, and the aggressive attempts of activists to impose their agendas at the expense of our most sacred right. NARLA is dedicated to advancing the cause of religious liberty, not as a second class right, but front and center as our first freedom.
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