[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1416 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1416
Condemning the growing hostility towards Christians and individuals of
faith in the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 30, 2022
Mr. Grothman (for himself and Mrs. Miller of Illinois) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the growing hostility towards Christians and individuals of
faith in the United States.
Whereas our Founding Fathers recognized the right to practice one's faith,
including--
(1) George Washington who stated that ``the liberty enjoyed by the
people of these States, of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their
consciences, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of
their rights''; and
(2) James Madison who stated that the free exercise of religion ``is in
its nature an unalienable right'';
Whereas religion and its moral basis is fundamental to the success of our
republic, which was recognized by our Founding Fathers, including John
Adams who stated that ``our constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people'';
Whereas religious liberty for all Americans is guaranteed in the First Amendment
to the Constitution, which states, ``Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof'';
Whereas Article VI of the Constitution prohibits religious tests for individuals
seeking any office or public trust under the United States;
Whereas the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibits the Federal
Government from substantially burdening the exercise of religion, unless
the Federal Government can demonstrate that such a burden is the least
restrictive means of achieving a compelling government interest;
Whereas hostility towards Christians and individuals of faith in the United
States is prevalent in modern American culture and governmental
institutions;
Whereas prominent Christian leaders have expressed concern about growing
hostility towards Christians in the United States, including--
(1) Pastor Andrew Brunson who stated that ``persecution is still coming
and it's coming quickly and it's coming soon'' and recognized ``the
hostility that's rising in our society toward followers of Jesus''; and
(2) Franklin Graham has stated that ``hostility toward Christians in
the United States is on the rise and will grow unless we stand up for our
freedoms of religion and conscience'';
Whereas sitting Senators and then-Senator Kamala Harris have questioned the
sincerely held religious beliefs of presidential appointees in their
Senate confirmation hearings, in violation of Article VI of the
Constitution;
Whereas sexual orientation and gender identity laws suppress individuals of
faith and their ability to freely exercise their religion;
Whereas bakers, photographers, florists, and other artists have been subject to
legal action because of their sincerely-held religious beliefs on
marriage, sexuality, and gender;
Whereas social media platforms have censored Christians and individuals of faith
for expressing their sincerely-held religious beliefs on marriage,
sexuality, and gender;
Whereas Christians have been suspended from school, suspended from their jobs,
and fired from their jobs because of their sincerely-held religious
beliefs on marriage;
Whereas Christians have been targeted for prayer in the public square, including
at public schools and public meetings;
Whereas Christian students have been told by public school teachers that they
may not read the Bible during class reading time;
Whereas the age at which sex education is taught in public schools and the
content of such programs, including redefined views of abstinence,
contraceptives, sexual orientation, and gender identity display a hatred
towards Christian and other faith-based beliefs on sex, sexuality,
gender, and marriage;
Whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Christian pastors were arrested for
holding worship services, churches were fined for holding worship
services, and local governments shut down in-person and drive-in worship
services while many secular establishments could continue operations;
Whereas several Federal agencies under the Biden administration have attempted
to track Federal employees that have requested religious exemptions from
vaccine mandates;
Whereas the Biden administration's Department of Health and Human Services
rescinded the Office of Civil Rights' authority to enforce conscience
and religious freedom protections under the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act and the First Amendment;
Whereas the Biden administration has pushed a radical LGBTQ+ agenda abroad and
sought to expand abortion worldwide, including in countries with strong
religious and moral values;
Whereas through attempts to dismantle the Hyde Amendment, the Biden
administration and Democratic Members of Congress are seeking to force
all Americans to pay for abortions despite their sincerely held
religious beliefs on life;
Whereas 219 Democratic Members of Congress voted in favor of H.R. 8296, the
Women's Health Protection Act, which would impose abortion on-demand
until birth nationwide and override State and Federal conscience
protection laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act;
Whereas Democratic efforts to pass a Federal law imposing abortion on-demand
until birth and fund abortions at Federal taxpayer expense are an attack
on Christians and other religious Americans that hold religious beliefs
on life;
Whereas mainstream media outlets have vilified certain Christian Americans,
including those that recognize the role Christianity has played in the
founding and success of our republic, as threats to democracy; and
Whereas dozens of churches have been attacked since the May 2, 2022, leak of the
Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health
Organization: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the growing hostility towards Christians and
individuals of faith in the United States perpetrated by
government agencies, public officials, educational
institutions, social media platforms, and the media;
(2) opposes the advancement of sexual orientation and
gender identity laws, regulations, and policies that suppress
Americans' ability to freely exercise their religion;
(3) affirms its commitment to upholding religious liberty
for all Americans, as guaranteed by the Constitution;
(4) calls on the President of the United States to affirm
his commitment to upholding religious liberty and conscience
rights for all Americans, as guaranteed by the Constitution and
the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and refrain from taking
actions inconsistent with the Constitution and Religious
Freedom Restoration Act; and
(5) calls on State and local governments to uphold
religious liberty and overturn laws, including sexual
orientation and gender identity laws, that impact Americans'
ability to freely exercise their religion.
<all>