Title: Condemning the growing hostility towards Christians and individuals of faith in the United States.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
This resolution condemns hostility by the U.S. government, public institutions, and the media towards Christians and individuals of faith. This resolution also calls on (1) the President to refrain from taking actions inconsistent with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the U.S. Constitution; and (2) state and local governments to overturn existing laws and oppose new laws that impact Americans' ability to exercise their religion, including laws on sexual orientation and gender identity.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1416 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.
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