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Washington D.C., Dec 15, 2015 / 03:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The future of a diverse and pluralistic public square is at stake in the debate over marriage and sexuality, said one legal scholar at an event in D.C. sponsored by the Atlantic.

“Part of freedom is going to have to be the right to disagree about the truth,” Ryan Anderson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, proposed at “Unfinished Business: The Atlantic LGBT Summit” on Dec.10.

Anderson was addressing the topic of civil rights and civil liberties, with regard to the proposed anti-discrimination Equality Act.

Although the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide, there are still “disparate views” on marriage and sexuality, he noted. The “big question” is whether these views will co-exist or beliefs in traditional marriage will be silenced by federal anti-discrimination legislation.

“Do we want to impose an orthodoxy for the entire nation, enforceable by law, or do we want to let this solve itself out by saying that diversity and pluralism and tolerance is really the best of the American tradition?” he asked.

“And so you can agree to disagree, and peaceful coexistence is acknowledging that there are going to be people who disagree with you, and they still have the right to think what they think and live their lives in accordance with those beliefs.”

The Equality Act, introduced in July, would create a protected class of sexual orientation and gender identity – just as race is protected against unlawful discrimination in the Civil Rights Act – and it would extend anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity to areas of employment, housing, credit, jury duty, and education.

It would apply to public accommodations, which were originally defined as places like hospitals, gas stations, restaurants, and theaters in the Civil Rights Act, but would now mean most any private business that serves the public, Anderson explained in a Nov. 30 report.

Supporters like the Human Rights Campaign claim that although same-sex couples can legally marry in all 50 states, they can be refused goods like housing because of their marriage status, and can supposedly be “fired simply for getting married and wearing their wedding ring to the office the next day.” Broad anti-discrimination protections are needed to ensure this doesn’t happen, they argue.

The bill was introduced in the House this past summer. It currently sits in the House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice and has 170 co-sponsors in the House and 39 in the Senate, all Democrats or Independents.

Publications like the New York Times and Minneapolis Star-Tribune have endorsed the bill, and corporations like PayPal, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft have supported “LGBT non-discrimination protections,” according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley have endorsed it, as well as the White House.

“That bill is historic legislation that would advance the cause of equality for millions of Americans,” stated White House press secretary John Earnest on Nov. 10. He added that it would enhance civil liberty protections while maintaining religious freedom.

Legal experts have warned that while the bill contains many “good” anti-discrimination protections of civil liberties, it is so broad and vague that it could easily be used to silence the religious beliefs of anyone who believes that marriage is between a man and a woman.

For instance, its prohibitions on “exclusion,” “harassment,” and “unfair treatment” could be interpreted as a ban on voicing moral opposition to same-sex marriage because such statements could discomfort someone else.

There are already lawsuits against small businesses that refuse to cater same-sex weddings, Anderson noted at the Atlantic summit. He gave the example of Washington state florist Barronelle Stutzman, who has employed gay people before and served same-sex couples but not same-sex weddings. She faces a discrimination lawsuit from the ACLU and the State of Washington for not serving a same-sex wedding.

This clash of beliefs is ultimately a test of a free and pluralistic society, Anderson said. Instead of free and public debate about the nature of marriage and sexuality, and the freedom of business owners to operate according to their religious beliefs, federal legislation could force everybody to respect one set of beliefs.

And this legislation is by nature “a very blunt instrument” and “not a finely-tuned, finely-crafted mechanism for fixing these problems,” Anderson said. People aren’t just going to change their deeply-held religious beliefs “overnight,” and “it would be a mistake if the government tried to do that under the penalty of law.”

The Equality Act doesn’t even contain “meager” religious liberty protections, he explained in his Nov. 30 report, and nullifies any protections under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act for a person who believes that marriage is between a man and a woman and is “charged with ‘discrimination’.”

Religious freedom is higher than civil law, Anderson maintained, citing James Madison that “there’s a duty that takes precedent to civil society, and that’s a duty that every individual owes to the Creator, in how he or she understands the nature of that Creator and the nature of that duty.”

Madison saw religious freedom as a “natural right,” he added, and recognized that “the government can’t coerce religious action, they can’t place undue burdens on religious practice.”

This is already the case with pacifists who refuse the military draft and pro-life doctors who refuse to perform an abortion, he explained. Although the Supreme Court recognized a woman’s legal right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade, he said, that decision did not recognize the duty that all doctors must perform abortions.

“What the Equality Act would do is more or less render a belief that’s common to all of the Abrahamic faith traditions – so Orthodox Jews, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Latter-Day Saints, and many other people, who share that belief system wouldn’t be able to live it out at their workplace, at their school, at their charity,” Anderson said.

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Vatican City, Dec 15, 2015 / 04:17 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ message for 2016’s World Day of Peace is packed with bold pastoral and practical advice for both the Church as well as international leaders.

In it, he focused on the need to work for peace by overcoming the attitude of indifference and fostering a greater sense of solidarity, mercy and compassion.

He advocated for concrete acts of mercy on the part of families, individuals and political leaders, such as the abolition of the death penalty and amnesty for prisoners convicted of political offenses.

Also encouraged by the Pope was a review of legislation in terms of migrants, a greater attention toward women, particularly in terms of equality in the workplace, and debt forgiveness.

“God is not indifferent! God cares about mankind! God does not abandon us!” was the opening line of Francis’ message for the 2016 World Day of Peace, published Dec. 15.

Instituted by Bl. Pope Paul VI in 1968, the World Day of Peace is celebrated each year on the first day of January.

The Pope gives a special message for the occasion, which is sent to all foreign ministers around the world, and which also indicates the Holy See’s diplomatic tone during the coming year.

Titled “Overcome Indifference and win Peace,” the Pope’s message for 2016 is a reiteration of what he has frequently advocated for since the beginning of his pontificate: taking one’s eyes off oneself, and focusing on the needs of others.

In a world afflicted by “a real third world war fought piecemeal,” the Pope expressed his desire to encourage people “not to lose hope in our human ability to conquer evil and to combat resignation and indifference.”

He pointed to several initiatives over the past year which have brought world leaders together in an effort to overcome self-interest and apathy, such as the recently concluded COP21 summit on climate change in Paris, the Addis Ababa Summit on funding global sustainable development and the adoption of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Also highlighted by the Pope were landmark anniversaries for the Church, such as the 50th anniversary of Second Vatican Council documents “Nostra Aetate” on dialogue with non-Christian religions, and the constitution “Gaudium et Spes” on the Church in the modern world.

Francis also pointed to the Jubilee of Mercy, which runs from Dec. 8, 2015-Nov. 20, 2016, expressing his hope that it will encourage people to “refuse to fall into a humiliating indifference or a monotonous routine which prevents us from discovering what is new!”

He spoke of the importance of fostering fraternity, saying we are responsible for those around us. Without solidarity, he said, “we would be less human.”

Calling indifference “a menace to the human family,” Francis noted that the attitude takes three forms: indifference to God, to our neighbor and to creation.

Indifference toward God, he noted, “transcends the purely private sphere and affects the public and social sphere.”

“Disregard and the denial of God, which lead man to acknowledge no norm above himself and himself along, have produced untold cruelty and violence,” he said, while indifference toward one’s neighbor is expressed in a general disinterest and a lack of engagement.

On an institutional level, indifference to the dignity, rights and freedom of others is part of a culture formed by “the pursuit of profit and hedonism,” and can foster and even justify actions and policies which threaten peace, Pope Francis said.

Rather than ensuring that the basic rights and needs of others are preserved, economic and political projects frequently pursue power instead, he observed.

When people see their basic rights, such as food, water, health care and employment denied, “they are tempted to obtain them by force.”

Francis stressed that indifference is ultimately overcome by personal conversion, and pointed to the example of Jesus, who took on flesh and showed solidarity with humanity.

Jesus shows us how to be invested in others, no matter how busy we may be, he said, cautioning that the attitude of indifference often seeks to excuse itself with tasks to complete or by “hiding behind hostilities and prejudices which keep us apart.”

“Mercy is the heart of God,” he said, explaining that how we love and care for others is “the yardstick” by which God will judge our lives.

He emphasized the importance of the Church in being a witness to God’s mercy in both her language and her gestures, so that people would be inspired to return to God.

To build solidarity, the Pope said, is the responsibility of everyone, beginning with families and teachers. He also said those involved in the field of communication have a special role to play, adding that their role must “serve the truth, and not particular interests.”

Communicators, particularly the media, must also “be mindful that the way in which information is obtained and made public should always be legally and morally admissible,” he said.

The statement is a likely reference to the current trial underway for the “Vatileaks 2” scandal, in which two journalists have been accused of exerting “pressure” on former members of a Vatican commission to obtain confidential documents on Vatican finances, and then publish books on the information.

Francis concluded his message by acknowledging the many individuals and organizations, journalists and photographers included, who are committed caring for the poor, injured and sick, despite often dangerous conditions.

In particular, he offered thanks to all individuals, families, parishes, religious communities and monasteries who responded to his Sept. 6 appeal to welcome a family of refugees.

In the spirit of the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis called on civil society to make “courageous gestures of concern” for the most vulnerable, particularly prisoners, migrants, the sick and the unemployed.

He specifically ask that the living conditions for prisoners be improved, and urged leaders to keep in mind that “penal sanctions have the aim of rehabilitation,” whereas national laws “should consider the possibility of other establishing penalties than incarceration.”

On this point, he urged government authorities to abolish the death penalty where it is still practiced, and “to consider the possibility of an amnesty.”

The Pope asked that legislation for migrants “be reviewed” in order to reflect “a readiness to welcome migrants and to facilitate their integration” into society.

He also said special emphasis should be given to the conditions for the legal residency of migrants, “since having to live clandestinely can lead to criminal behavior.”

Francis then asked that greater efforts be made in order to end unemployment, and to special attention be given to women, “who unfortunately still encounter discrimination in the workplace.”

He closed his message with a threefold appeal to national leaders, beginning with a request for them “to refrain from drawing other peoples into conflicts or wars,” which only lead to destruction.

The Pope then asked that leaders either forgive or find a way to sustainable manage the debt of poorer nations, and to “adopt policies of cooperation which, instead of bowing before the dictatorship of certain ideologies, will respect the values of local populations and…not prove detrimental to the fundamental and inalienable right to life of the unborn.”

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Washington D.C., Dec 15, 2015 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A Sikh officer and a religious liberty group have welcomed the U.S. Army’s temporary religious exemption for the officer, who sees a conflict between military regulations against beards and his religious practice.

“My Sikh faith and military service are two core parts of who I am,” Captain Simratpal Singh said Dec. 14. "I am proud to serve my country as an officer and I look forward to being able to continue serving without having to give up my religious beliefs.”

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty was a co-counsel for Singh.

“Anyone who observed our unshaven special forces in Afghanistan knows a beard won’t stop an American soldier,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at the Becket Fund. He said the Pentagon should make the exemption permanent, contending that the ban discriminates “against any Sikh American.”

Singh has followed military guidelines for 10 years. He told the New York Times he felt like he was “living a double life.” The temporary exemption will last a month until the Army decides whether to make it permanent. The officer is currently posted to Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The Becket Fund said the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 created the legal path for the accommodation.

The public interest law firm said that maintaining uncut hair and wearing a turban are core practices of the Sikh religion. The U.S. Army has almost 50,000 permanent exemptions to its ban on beards on the grounds of medical reasons, but generally refuses to admit soldiers who are bearded for religious reasons.

Lt. Col. Jennifer R. Johnson, an Army spokeswoman, told the New York Times that the Army does not comment on individual personnel decisions. Requests for accommodations are evaluated “on a case-by-case basis, considering the impact on unit and individual readiness, unit cohesion, morale, discipline, and health and safety of the force.”

Other military officials with authority over religious exemptions have said beards under gas masks are a possible safety hazard.

Singh’s case is only the fourth religious exemption since the ban was implemented in the early 1980s. Singh is a West Point graduate who was awarded the Bronze Star for his work clearing IEDs in Afghanistan, and he has also completed both Ranger School and Special Forces training.

The Sikh Coalition also served as co-counsel for Singh. Its legal director, Harsimran Kaur, said that nothing in the Sikh articles of faith “prevents excellence in military service.” He said the officer’s example “illustrates how unnecessary the religious discrimination ban on Sikhs is.”

“A true Sikh is supposed to stand out, so he can defend those who cannot defend themselves,” Singh told the New York Times. “I see that very much in line with the Army values.”

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 WASHINGTON- The United States has a moral obligation to protect unaccompanied children and families from persecution in Central America, said Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, October 21. Bishop Seitz is an advisor to the USCCB Committee on Migration and a member of the board of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC).

The humanitarian outflow, driven by organized crime in the northern triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, continues, with nearly 40,000 unaccompanied children and an equal number of mothers with children having arrived in the United States in Fiscal Year 2015.

"If we do not respond justly and humanely to this challenge in our own backyard, then we will relinquish our moral leadership and moral influence globally," Bishop Seitz said.

Bishop Seitz pointed to the human consequences of U.S. policies which are designed to deter migration from the region, including U.S. support for Mexican interdiction efforts which are intercepting children and families in Mexico and sending them back to danger, in violation of international law.

Bishop Seitz recommended an end to these interdictions and the introduction of a regional system which would screen children and families for asylum in Mexico and other parts of the region. He also called for Congress to approve and increase a $1 billion aid package proposed by the Administration.

"If we export enforcement," Bishop Seitz said, "we also must export protection."

Bishop Seitz recalled the words of Pope Francis before Congress in September, when he invoked the golden rule in guiding our nation's actions toward those seeking safety in our land.

Quoting the Holy Father, Bishop Seitz repeated to the committee, "'The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.'"

"Mr. Chairman, I pray that time, and history, will conclude that we honored this rule in meeting this humanitarian challenge," Bishop Seitz concluded.

Bishop Seitz' testimony can be found at http://www.usccb.org//about/migration-policy/congressional-testimony/upload/seitz-ongoing-migration.pdf

Keywords: Bishop Mark J. Seitz, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Congress, Senate, Committee on Migration, migration, unaccompanied children, violence, Pope Francis
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Louisville, Ky., Dec 15, 2015 / 12:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Meet violence with “resolve and courage” rather than fear and discrimination, the president of the United States bishops' conference said in an Advent message following multiple mass shootings in the country.

“Watching innocent lives taken and wondering whether the violence will reach our own families rightly stirs our deepest protective emotions,” Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville said in a Dec. 14 statement. However, he added, “we must resist the hatred and suspicion that leads to policies of discrimination.”

“Instead, we must channel our emotions of concern and protection, born in love, into a vibrant witness to the dignity of every person.”

The archbishop was responding to recent outbursts of violence – a Nov. 27 shooting at a Colorado Springs, Colo. Planned Parenthood clinic that killed three, and a Dec. 2 shooting at a San Bernardino, Calif. center for persons with disabilities that killed 14 and injured 22.

FBI officials are investigating the San Bernardino shooting as a possible act of terrorism. The perpetrators, Syed Farook and his wife Tashid Malik, reportedly have links to Islamist radicalism. Malik has made a number of social media postings promoting jihad while Farook is believed to have connections with a group of jihadis who were planning to join al-Qaeda.

Archbishop Kurtz offered consolation and prayers for the victims of the shootings and their families.

“We pray that family and friends facing the pain of loss and the journey of recovery find strength in the compassion of their community,” the archbishop said. “We draw especially close to the local Church, which has borne the burden of mourning the loss of those who died and of comforting their families, yet has the strength to reach out in love.


Reactions to the shooting should never discriminate against “people of good will,” he insisted. Rather, he added, as “policies of fear and inflammatory rhetoric will only offer extremists fertile soil and pave the way toward a divisive, fearful future.”

In an exhortation against discrimination, he cited Pope Francis’ Sept. 24 address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, where the Pope asked members to live by the “Golden Rule”, saying that “the yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.”

The U.S. bishops’ conference will continue their support for “strengthening social services for persons with mental illness” and “responsible firearms regulation” in the wake of the shootings, the archbishop said, while adding that “only a small number” of those suffering from mental illness are a risk to themselves or others.

The bishops will also stand strong against religious discrimination and for accepting refugees who are fleeing violence, he added.

“Let us confront the extremist threat with courage and compassion, recognizing that Christianity, Islam, Judaism and many other religions are united in opposition to violence carried out in their name,” he concluded.

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