The New York Times announced on September 11 that Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich have committed to support HR1685, the so called Freedom From Religious Persecution Act. The Times then provided the official establishment line, that President William Jefferson Clinton opposes HR1685 (Now HR2431 by slight of hand) on some vague pretext having to do with foreign trade. A closer look reveals
In fact, The Clinton Administration can only be for HR1685/HR2431 and is acting out its coy role of temporarily opposes religious freedom. Christians and conservative forces are then expected to rally in mass to force the bill down Mr. Clinton’s reluctant throat–without even reading it.
Today Michael Horowitz of Hudson Institute, the principle promoter of the bill and probably its author, appeared on the Alan Keyes talk show lauding the bill and pleading for support among conservative Christians because Democrats were opposing it. Mr. Horowitz is also acting. He knows that the internationalist Democrats, of which Bill Clinton is one, could not be dragged away from voting for HR 2431 because it produces a massive new bureaucracy, with enormous powers, of which Bill Clinton becomes the immediate beneficiary.
HR2431’s formal named tells you much about it, A Bill to Provide for an Office of Religious Persecution Monitoring and to Provide for Imposing of Sanctions Against Countries Engaging in Patterns of Religious Persecution and for Other Purposes. The last thing its promoters want anyone to think about is, what is Religious Monitoring?
Herbert W. Titus, author of The Forecaster, a journal of legal review, recently stated, “HR1685 is draconian– it creates a Czar of Religious persecution.” A Rock Mountain News Editorial described the bill as “Orwellian.” Both are correct.
Mr. Clinton and Mr. Horowitz, like Brer Rabbit, are shouting in perfect harmony, “Oh Please, anything but the briar patch, doesn’t throw me in the briar patch.” But, Mr. Clinton gave the plan away only one month ago when he issued an Executive Order that federal jobs must guarantee workers religious freedom on the job. Where do you suppose the President plans to get the authority to monitor the workplace? Obviously, he can’t guarantee religious freedom unless he can monitor it. Answer: He will get the authority from the new Czar of religious Monitoring, who will be appointed by the same reluctant, blushing Mr. Clinton–Unless Americans, particularly Christian Americans, see through this brazen and treacherous scheme against all religious freedom.
Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Lott have again shown that they are Republican internationalist, not Constitutionalists.
HR2431, formerly HR1685, must be stopped because it is an obvious abuse of power. Every Congressman, Christian leader and layman owes it to future generations to read WILL AMERICA ACCEPT FEDERAL RELIGIOUS MONITORING.
