Chairman’s Report for June 1st 2012

THE PRESIDENCY
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AD CAMPAIGN

The Religious Freedom Coalition’s advertising campaign warning of the Obama Administration’s threats to religious freedom began running on May 13th. The first newspaper to accept the ad was the Panama City News Herald. This newspaper is in the Panhandle of Florida, in an area that has a large military presence. Many of those living in the area fought for religious freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, only to see Christians persecuted by the predominantly Muslim governments there.

The ad schedule moves south in Florida, around the Keys and then up the Atlantic Coast into North and South Carolina and then Virginia. We hope to be in Pennsylvania by July!

The ads will NOT appear in liberal big city newspapers. The purpose of the ads is not to fight with liberal editors, but to activate social conservatives to action to protect our precious religious liberty which is the foundation of all liberty. For that purpose the first national ad ran in the national edition of the Washington Times the week of May 21^st. (Ad is larger than shown here.)

One of our main goals is to encourage social conservatives to contact their congressmen and Senators to demand that Congress block President Barack Obama’s continued attacks on religious liberty with legislation such as that recently offered by Congressman Todd Akin (see below for details on Akin’s proposed legislation).

Another part of our agenda is to stop the flow of private U.S. dollars aiding Islamic terrorists who are killing Nigerian Christians.

The Religious Freedom Coalition wants activists to encourage Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to add the murderous Islamic Boko Haram to the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations. Christians are killed daily in Nigeria by the Boko Haram, while the Obama Administration allows this group to raise funds in the United States.

NOT AN ELECTION AD – Let me make it clear that our purpose is not to affect the outcome of the election. However, during an election year politicians listen. Now is the time that we can influence not only President Barack Obama but Governor Mitt Romney as well. Both of the presidential candidates have operatives who read everything in every newspaper to determine the “temperature” of the people. From the analysis of their advisers the candidates move from side to side changing policy to get elected.

If Barack Obama feels the heat, his Administration may back off its attacks on the Judeo-Christian heritage of our nation.

Although these ads mention Barack Obama and his attacks on religious freedom they send a message to Mitt Romney as well that social conservatives are not going to shut up, sit down and allow their beliefs to be sacrificed at the altar of the great god of secular government.

WHY THE ADS ARE WHERE THEY ARE

As you can see from the list at right, during May we ran eleven ads in eleven different Florida markets as our campaign began. The combined circulation of the newspapers we advertised in reached over 100,000 people for half the cost of one ad in the Tampa Tribune which has a circulation of 125,000. This does not count those reached by radio talk shows which featured segments about our ads.

Then there is the importance of the market, that is, the interests of those who live in these areas. We chose these newspapers because their readers are more socially conservative than those of the big city newspapers. We want to reach people who will pick up their phone and call congressmen. We want to reach concerned Americans who are fearful of the direction this nation is taking in policies toward the church, the traditional family and the core of religious liberty.

Florida is not our only goal! Our next targets are South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and then Pennsylvania. If opportunities and funding become available the ads may appear elsewhere, as was the case in May when we were given an astonishingly low price to run a half page ad in the national edition of the Washington Times.

In addition to changing minds and hearts, we are recruiting more people to support the Religious Freedom Coalition’s efforts to protect religious liberty not only in the United States but for Christians in the Middle East as well.

CHAPLAINS MUST RECOGNIZE SAME- SEX MARRIAGE – President Obama has informed the Congress that he will veto the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act because of an amendment added by Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) that would allow military chaplains to refuse to participate in same-sex marriages. Obama said he would veto all funding for the military unless chaplains can be forced to violate their faith.

Rep. Todd Akin’s amendment to the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 536 of H.R. 4310, states in part that no member of the armed forces may “direct, order, or require a chaplain to perform any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service, or function that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the chaplain, or contrary to the moral principles and religious beliefs of the endorsing faith group of the chaplain.” Barack Obama’s commitment to the homosexual activists who donate to his campaign is so great that he would endanger the entire nation in order to maintain the ability to order chaplains to participate in homosexual weddings — which, by the way, are illegal under federal law.

DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, is the law of the land. DOMA defines marriage as between one man and one woman and specifically states that the federal government will not recognize any other type of union. President Barack Obama, has ordered military personnel to arrange, permit and/or participate in same-sex marriages, even in states where same-sex marriage is constitutionally forbidden. As president, it is Barack Obama’s duty to uphold the law, not to order others to violate it. Once again Obama has our religious liberties under attack.

TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR ABORTIONS – The Department of Homeland Security is paying all abortions performed on illegal aliens held in detention facilities. Congressmen Bill Huizenga and Dan Boren introduced H.R. 5646, the Homeland Security Respect for Life Act, which closes loopholes that allow taxpayer funds to be used for abortions for these illegal immigrants in detention. The bill mirrors language that is currently included in the annual Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill which prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions for federal detainees, but not those under DHS jurisdiction. Please call your congressman about the Homeland Security Respect for Life Act.

BOKO HARAM LETTER TO CLINTON – The Religious Freedom Coalition continues to work to convince the State Department to add the Boko Haram to their official list of terrorist organizations. As mentioned in previous issues, Congressman Steve King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, has made this request of Secretary Clinton. Congressman Trent Franks, who heads the International Religious Freedom Caucus, has lobbied the State Department as well. In addition, I have personally asked several Senators to write letters to Secretary Clinton to list the Boko Haram.

Why is this important? As of today, radical imams in the United States can actually raise money legally in their mosques for the Boko Haram and transfer those funds directly to these terrorists who literally kill Christians on a daily basis. If Clinton adds the Boko Haram to the State Department’s official list of terrorist groups, the Treasury Department must ban transfers of funds to them. Transfers of those funds then become a federal crime. Oddly Secretary Clinton has included on the terrorist list groups fighting for freedom and against the radical Islamic government of Iran – but she will not list Boko Haram, which has killed hundreds this year including in attacks on both Christmas Day and Easter against churches and church schools.

Is your congressman aware that the Boko Haram is not on the State Department list of terrorist organizations? Please call your congressman and ask.

INTERNATIONAL

            The International section of the Internet version has been redacted for security reasons. Printed versions are no longer available.

William J. Murray, Chairman

Religious Freedom Coalition, 601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW  #900 , Washington, DC 20004 * (202) 742-8990