Faith Under Fire 

News about religious persecution abroad and threats to religious liberty here at home increasingly are part of this daily report. That fact is a sad testament to the times in which we live. But it is important for men and women of faith to understand the danger.

During a recent interview with CNSNews.com, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia issued a stark warning about the growing danger to religious liberty in America. Here are some excerpts of that interview: 
 

CNSNews.com: Do you think that this "core national ideal" [religious freedom] is now at risk?

Archbishop Chaput: I think President Obama's recent prayer breakfast comments about religious freedom were interesting but also curious, because in practice, the people who staff his administration have been the most tone deaf to religious liberty issues in recent memory. There's a very odd disconnect in praising religious freedom while the Justice Department goes after the Little Sisters of the Poor. So yes, religious freedom is one of our core national ideals, and yes, it's at risk from two sources: an unfriendly political class, and our own distracted attention and indifference.

CNSNews.com: Are Christians being persecuted for their beliefs in the U.S.?

Archbishop Chaput: "Persecuted" is a big word. We're not in Pakistan or North Korea. But it would be very unwise to ignore the implications of government coercion like the HHS mandate, or the misuse of the IRS, or political and judicial attacks on the nature of marriage. Government pressure on religious communities has clearly increased in our country in recent years. …The Constitution, as great as it is, is still just a piece of paper unless people vigorously protect their rights. For religious believers, that means defending their faith in the courts and legislatures. ...

CNSNews.com: What should Catholics do in the face of government mandates that would force them to act against key tenets of the faith?

Archbishop Chaput: Catholics have a duty to respect legitimate authority and pray for our political leaders, whether we personally care for them or not. … But there are limits, and the more that government mandates evil actions, the more likely civil disobedience becomes.

Chaput's comments apply equally to evangelical Christians as well as Orthodox Jews. As the intolerance of the left and the brute force of big government are increasingly brought to bear against believers, if men and women of faith do not vigorously protect their rights, it may not be long before pastors, priests and rabbis go to jail. 

The Persecution Pecking Order 

The winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, have given western nations an opportunity to shine a light on human rights abuses in Russia and around the world. But in the left's pecking order, the promotion of homosexuality seems to trump all other concerns. Read more in my latest opinion piece at The Daily Caller. 

The Campaign To Promote Obamacare 

One of the more frustrating aspects of Obamacare was that millions of tax dollars were earmarked to promote it -- as much as $150 million according to one report. 

The money is going to so-called "Navigators" who are going door-to-door ostensibly to help people sign up for Obamacare. Some of these individuals collecting personal information have criminal records. 

Many left-wing organizations, including Planned Parenthood, and other community organizers immediately signed up to become Obamacare Navigators in order to get their hands on more of your hard-earned money. 

Some groups have very close connections to the Obama campaign. In fact, the New York Times reports that micro-targeting tactics developed and exploited by the Obama campaign are being used by some Navigators. Just like the Obamacare website, the Times report suggests this massive effort is proving to be another huge waste of taxpayer money. 

More than 40 canvassers recently went door-to-door through one South Florida community and signed up just 25 people out of 2,600 contacted.

Far worse, however, is evidence that your tax dollars are being used for more than promoting health insurance. Enroll America, created to promote Obamacare and largely staffed by former White House and Obama campaign employees, has been linked to Battleground Texas, a partisan effort to "turn Texas blue." There is a growing suspicion that other Navigator groups may be involved in similar data sharing efforts with left-wing political outfits. 

By the way, the latest undercover video from James O'Keefe finds that Battleground Texas has been illegally copying personal data retrieved from its voter registration efforts. 

Big Brother Getting Even Bigger 

Do you want the federal government tracking you as you drive to work, the grocery store, your doctor's office and to church? That's what may happen unless the latest proposal to expand Big Brother is stopped. 

The Department of Homeland Security is seeking bids for a "national license-plate recognition database." The technology is already widely used by local jurisdictions in and around Washington, D.C., and evidently the administration wants to nationalize it.

The justification for creating a system that could literally track and monitor the movement of millions of Americans seems dubious. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the database would be used to "assist in the location and arrest of absconders and criminal aliens." Given the administration's lack of interest in enforcing existing immigration laws, consider me skeptical. 

I am all for homeland security. But the public is still reeling from revelations of abuse at the IRS and the sheer size and scope of the government's domestic spying efforts. The impulse to constantly expand the surveillance state is deeply disconcerting.