US bishops launch religious freedom website

November 06, 2012: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has created a new website dedicated to encouraging education, prayer and public action to protect religious freedom at home and abroad. Religious liberty is “a founding principle of our country, protected by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights,” said the U.S. bishops on their new website. “It's a fundamental human right, rooted in the dignity of every human person – people of any faith or no faith at all,” they added.
Launched just days before the November 6 election, the new website, firstamericanfreedom.com, includes sections promoting education, prayer and action regarding the right to freedom of religion. Religious liberty includes not only freedom of belief, speech and worship, but also freedom of action, “the freedom to serve the common good in accordance with your faith,” the bishops said.
This means that religious communities define their faith, not the government, they explained. It also means that believers should be able to live out the principles of their faith as they help the needy, work in business and participate fully in public life. “In short, it means that nobody should be forced to act in a manner contrary to their own religious beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, unless it is necessary to keep public order,” they said.
“As Catholics, we’re called to live out our faith every day – not just Sunday,” explained a brochure posted on the website. It noted that Catholics “serve the poor and needy, protect life at all stages, welcome immigrants and fight for social justice.”