Last week, Carrie Prejean Boller was removed from the White House’s Religious Liberty Commission for defending her beliefs as a Catholic. While affirming the natural right of Israel to exist, she correctly articulated that Zionism, the belief that we have a Biblical mandate to support the 1948 State of Israel is not a teaching of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, while all Catholics condemn anti-semitism, which is simply hatred of Jews, anti-zionism is NOT the same as anti-semitism. We published a full statement on how what she said during the hearing is in line with Catholic teaching on Zionism and the modern State of Israel.
Catholics for Catholics now is asking the Trump Administration for a complete reinstatement to and confirmation of Carrie’s role on the commission. We make this urgent appeal in the name of religious freedom. Religious freedom, while not a moral license to adhere to error, is a natural inalienable right of the human person to act in conscience and freedom immune from external coercion in religious matter by individuals, or civil authorities. We are asking now that the Religious Liberty Commission respect the Religious Liberty of what Catholics believe.
As Catholics we also make a special plea to the five Catholic bishops who are on this panel: Bishop Robert Barron, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. As the issue which caused the heated discussion resulting in Carrie’s removal was theological in nature albeit with severe political consequences, all the more reason we are urging our Bishops, whose role it is to guide in the Faith, to speak up in Carrie’s defense.
If we are wrong in our interpretation of the Catholic teaching on Zionism, then we’ll humbly accept their correction. We took the time to send each of these Bishops a private letter respectfully asking that they intercede. We continue to eagerly wait for their response and earnestly beg that they do not remain on the sidelines.
In our appeal for Carrie’s reinstatement, we make a plea to our fellow Americans of all faiths, to support us on our defense of Religious Freedom anchored in the First Amendment of the Constitution. We end thanking President Donald Trump for all he has done in the name of Religious Freedom. It was President Trump who created this very commission that has done so much good for the Country, and we sincerely hope it will continue fulfilling its mission of protecting individual beliefs and safeguarding the conscience of all Americans.
We have to remember that at the end of the day, Carrie was removed from a religious liberty panel for expressing her religious beliefs.
When the Religious Liberty Commission met last September, President Trump launched the “America Prays’ Campaign in an effort to bring prayer back to the heart of this Country as we prepare for the 250th anniversary of the America. As proud partners of this America Prays Campaign, we pray that the right of Religious Freedom will always be protected as our first most cherished freedom.
President Trump, thank you for everything you are doing to move the country forward. We are hoping that Carrie’s place on the commission will be affirmed.
America, the First Amendment is the line we must hold together, because when we protect religious freedom, we protect the very foundation of our republic, one nation under God.
God bless and Fight On!
John Yep
President, Catholics For Catholics
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