A Victory for Common Sense, the Common Good and Real Religious Freedom – Catholic Leader Hails Defeat of Measure 3 in North Dakota

Catholic Leader Hails Defeat of Measure 3 in North Dakota

“The electorate in North Dakota saw though the smokescreen of Orwellian newspeak that the USCCB’s public relations machine manufactured in the last few weeks to roundly defeat a measure that would have imposed the bishops’ failed ideology on the electorate with no regard for their freedom of conscience or religion. A large majority, 64 percent of those voting, overturned an attempt to redefine religious liberty in a manner that would allow conservatives to impose their religious beliefs on others,” said Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice. “The electorate judged that the move would have a detrimental impact on existing laws and allow some crimes to become protected under the redefined religious freedom arguments.

“The Catholic bishops’ conference in North Dakota put out daily statements in support of this amendment and utilized the Catholic hierarch’s lobbying machine in pushing this issue in an election year for their own political ends. It is gratifying, if not all that surprising, to see that North Dakotans, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, saw through this charade and rejected this attempt to adversely influence public policy.

“Arguments that existing protections on religious liberty are sufficient to ensure adequate separation between church and state while also protecting religious liberty were overwhelmingly accepted by the voters. Bishops nationwide should take note as they gear up for their ‘Fortnight for Freedom’ in 10 days. The American public is not interested in the Catholic hierarchy crying wolf about alleged attacks on religious freedom and in so doing, stamping all over existing religious freedoms protections.“

To read the truth about the bishops’ bogus religious freedom arguments, read The Truth about Religious Freedom.

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