Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally

We arrived early to the Rally

Yesterday, March 23, Dave and I packed up the grandsons and headed downtown to participate in the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally.  We arrived early to the Rally and were given a sign to hold and we stood and watched as people continued to gather, small groups, individuals, larger groups, I would say there were at least five hundred people present on a cool, rainy, Friday afternoon, however our local news channel stated that dozens showed up (a sort of implication that it was poorly attended??). At noon the rally officially started with prayer, followed by many speakers, all gave good, inspiring speeches about the protection of our religious freedom.  Some speakers were local elected officials, others were priests, a pastor from a baptist church, some came from Concordia Theological Seminary, and a Lutheran minister.  All speakers expressed concern that religious freedom is being attacked, that it will be limited to only inside the church on Sunday morning and that public expression of religion will be suppressed, maybe ultimately banned. 

 This not only affects Christians, but all faith traditions, and it is something that we should all be concerned about.  It was a peaceful gathering, starting and ending with prayer, I was glad to have had the opportunity to attend.  I am sure we have not heard the end of this and I look forward to participating in future events.  If you have not had an opportunity to sign an online petition against the HHS Mandate, you can do so here, https://www.stophhs.com/sign-the-petition/
Here is a link to read more about the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rallies that took place yesterday in over 140 cities! http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/

The following is quoted from a flyer promoting the rally:

On March 23, thousands of faithful citizens will gather in prayer and public witness in cities and towns all across the United States to oppose the HHS Mandate.



What is the HHS Mandate?
In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a mandate requiring all employer health plans to include free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections. Catholic universities and hospitals will be forced by the federal government to provide services that directly contradict Church teaching.
The HHS Mandate is an unprecedented assault on religious freedom and must be opposed!
The Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom is a joint project of the Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society.