“Don’t Deny Our Religious Liberties”

By Guest Column Kristina Hernandez —— Bio and Archives March 14, 2012

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NEW YORK, NY – The federal government and a few “women’s health” and abortion lobby groups claim to speak for the majority of women in the United States, but more than a thousand women say otherwise. These women -- many in the medical, legal and education professions, some Catholic and others not - have signed onto an open letter calling on President Obama, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Congress “to allow religious institutions and individuals to continue to witness to their faiths in all their fullness.” The full letter with signatories can be found here.

Professor Helen Alvaré, JD, who teaches law at George Mason University School of Law, and Kim Daniels, former counsel to the Thomas More Law Center, made an initial outreach only to their friends this past Friday afternoon, asking for support. The response was immediate and overwhelming. “Almost every email contained a letter expressing the woman’s enormous relief at the chance to speak for herself,” said Professor Alvaré. “It is moving to read more than 1,000 emails – particularly from doctors, nurses and teachers -- expressing their gratitude for the Catholic Church’s willingness to stand down the government’s claim to speak for all women and women’s health.”

The women who gave their names and credentials to this letter work in every conceivable profession and occupation, populate every spot on the political continuum, attend all kinds of religious services or none at all, and have attended or taught at every level of higher education. “Woman after woman told us they were proud to stand with the Catholic Church in support of its important message on issues of marriage and family, and to stand against threats to religious liberty,” said Daniels. Emails are still pouring into Professor Alvaré’s inbox, showing the enormous grassroots support to rescind the mandate. It affirms the importance not only of religious freedom, but of allowing the Catholic institutions’ competing voice, which challenges the alliance between the federal government and the powerful contraception and abortion lobby. The full letter can be found at womenspeakforthemselves.com, where women can also sign the letter.