WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last week, Family Research Council and several other religious advocacy organizations filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Zubik v. Burwell. While this case is best known for the involvement of the Little Sisters of the Poor, a number of other religious organizations and schools are also parties in the consolidated case. The Obama administration is attempting to force these organizations to violate their sincerely held beliefs and facilitate provision of what they consider morally objectionable drugs and services to their employees.
In the brief, drafted by attorneys for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, FRC and others ask the Court to rule in favor of the religious nonprofits and against the government. A ruling for the Obama administration, which is attempting to make these organizations violate their convictions, would put the future of all religious nonprofits in jeopardy.
As FRC notes in the brief: “If one accepts the principle advanced by the government in these cases, it would mean that government has virtually unimpeded power to force faith-based organizations to violate their conscience as a condition for performing their charitable work.”
Travis Weber, FRC’s Director of the Center for Religious Liberty, commented on the amicus brief:
“It is incredibly important that Family Research Council and other faith-based organizations make their voices heard before the Supreme Court and to the Obama administration’s lawyers arguing against the nonprofits before the Court. If this type of government overreach and intrusive power-grab into the inner workings of organizations of private citizens goes unchecked, we will find that the freedom we take for granted today will diminish to the point of evaporation.
“Respecting the freedom of Americans to follow their deeply held beliefs is a long-held American tradition and grounded firmly in the Constitution. We are confident the Supreme Court will protect Little Sisters of the Poor and other charities from the threat of crushing fines by the federal government,” concluded Weber.
To review FRC’s amicus brief, please see: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF16A12.pdf
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