
James Madison stood before 58 men and introduced 20 amendments to the newly ratified United States Constitution, ten of which became the Bill of Rights. In his statement to the representatives of our country's first states, Madison said, "It will be a desirable thing to extinguish from the bosom of every member of the community any apprehensions, that there are those among his countrymen who wish to deprive them of the liberty for which they valiantly fought and honorably bled."
January 20, 2012, Washington, D.C. The United States Department of Health and Human Services, under Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, unveils a new policy requiring nearly all private health insurance plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptive drugs and devices, surgical sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs. All health plans will have to cover these "preventive services" without co-pays or other cost-sharing -- regardless of whether the insurer, the employee or other plan sponsor or even the woman herself objects to such coverage.
February 10, 2012, Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama announces an "accommodation" for religious institutions opposed to facilitating practices contrary to their moral teachings through their employee health plans. Insurance companies would be forced to pay for the abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception instead of the religious employers. The fact that any funds the insurance companies would use to make such payments would be coming from insurance premiums, including those made by religious employers, does not release religious employers from the position of paying for these morally-objectionable services. The "accommodation" does not offer any relief to self-insured religious institutions since the mandate still requires them to provide these services.
June 8, 2012, John W. Bricker Building, Columbus, Ohio. On the 223rd anniversary of James Madison's introduction of the amendments which became our Bill of Rights, hundreds of men and women will gather to echo the words he spoke before Congress and to remind ourselves and those who will hear us of the liberties for which our founding fathers labored, fought, bled, and died. Among them are the rights granted to us in the first amendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Come down to the John W. Bricker Federal Building and exercise your rights granted in the second half of that amendment: free speech, peaceable assembly, and petition of the government for a redress of grievances, in order to protect the first half of that same amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
Friday, June 8, 2012
12:00 noon
John W. Bricker Federal Building
200 North High St., Columbus
Stand Up for Religious Freedom Resources
- Know and share the facts. This downloadable fact sheet can be freely distributed
- Invite everyone you know to the rally! Download and share the black and white or color rally flers.
- June 8 Rally Flyer - Black and White
- June 8 Rally Flyer - Color
- Stay up-to-date with the Stand Up for Religiuos Freedom campaign and the HHS mandate.
- Stand Up for Religious Freedom Website