OPINION:
As the greatest holy day on the Christian calendar nears, the White House is reasserting America’s long-held stance on religious freedom. President Trump joined first lady Melania in a prayerful contemplation on the meaning of Holy Week.
“This week is a time of reflection for Christians to memorialize Jesus’ crucifixion — and to prepare their hearts, minds, and souls for His miraculous Resurrection from the dead,” they wrote.
The great minds who conceived this nation and our system of government were unabashedly men of faith who came to the New World to express those beliefs, free from persecution. Pennsylvania’s Charter of Liberties from 1701 says: “Because no people can be truly happy, though under the greatest enjoyment of civil liberties, if abridged of the freedom of their consciences as to their religious profession and worship.”
Drawn by the promise of religious liberty, the Colonies of the New World were deeply Christian. Even today, more than 2 out of 3 Americans identify as such, according to Gallup. Despite this, a faction of liberalism is desperate to antagonize and even eradicate Christianity.
Last year, President Biden mocked people of faith when he recognized on Easter Sunday the “International Transgender Day of Visibility.” His presidential proclamation threatened action against the states that stepped up to protect confused, minor children from the exploitative industry that preaches men and women are points of view, not biological facts.
Mr. Biden wrote: “The Department of Justice has taken action to push back against extreme and un-American State laws targeting transgender youth and their families and the Department of Justice is partnering with law enforcement and community groups to combat hate and violence.”
He then set up a phone hotline for “any LGBTQI+ young person” to call and speak to a trained propagandist who would promote these highly destructive surgical procedures. Mr. Trump’s Easter proclamation returns to the policies that wouldn’t seem out of place to George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson or James Madison.
“This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government,” Mr. Trump wrote. “We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square.”
Presidential action is needed to reverse the left’s criminalization of expressions of faith. Victims of this include Peter Vlaming, a high school teacher in Virginia who was fired for not using the “preferred pronouns” of a student.
The state Supreme Court concluded that his termination was unlawful because the government could not compel him to speak in a way that violated his fundamental religious beliefs. The justices reached this conclusion after a 73-page review of Madison’s and George Mason’s opinions, as expressed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights.
In September, Mr. Vlaming received a generous settlement, a sign that America’s most cherished values were coming back.
Mr. and Mrs. Trump conclude: “As we focus on Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, we look to His love, humility, and obedience — even in life’s most difficult and uncertain moments. This week, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved Nation. We pray that America will remain a beacon of faith, hope, and freedom for the entire world, and we pray to achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in Heaven.”
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