Another splendid example of how you prefer to proselytize
and ignore the First Amendment rather than be responsive toward your
contituents' voices. "LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION"??? (Just as an
aside: How many times now have the voters in
Colorado already voted down the "life begins at
conception/personhood" initiatives?)
First, I grew up in the
Catholic church, and have questioned its doctrine my whole life because I see
the pain it inflicts on others. I, therefore, honor everyone for their beliefs,
and subscribe only to the Constitution for governing authority over the general
citizenry.
Amendment 1 of the Bill of
Rights:
“Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.”
This also includes freedom from religion. In other words,
you do not get to force your beliefs, which work for you, on others. You words
in your letter state that you are “dedicated to protecting the sanctity of
human life from the unborn to the elderly, the terminally ill, and all whose
lives are threatened by euthanasia. Life begins at fertilization.” But what you think, your definition, based on
your RELIGIOUS beliefs, you do not get to force on others.
I've been told that this
country is not truly a melting pot, since we are in many ways, separated by economic
status, culture, religion, and race. Never the less, All peoples of all
cultures, religions and races and belief systems make up this country, and no
one religion or religious belief system can dominate everyone else. Live and
let live.
The issues of contraception and abortion are a political
football, and strong moral issues, but issues hotly steeped in RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS. Neither you, nor anyone else, get to define these things for others.
You get to define those things only for yourself.
Regarding contraception and your “conscience” rights, the
government does not get to define these things for me, nor will an employer. If you choose to live by your religious law,
that works for you, but neither you, nor your church, get to force those
beliefs on others in a country that not only is a melting pot of different
cultures, races, religions, belief systems, and even varying degrees of belief
and observance within the established religions.
Women’s reproductive freedom is not a war against
religion; it is a war against religion imposing its will on the tribe of women.
To say that the battle for women’s rights and women’s reproductive freedom
isn’t about religion, though would be a lie. It is about a religion; an
extremely loud and rich group of men and women are using their God and the holy
texts from which He sprang as sacred and moral reason for their actions and
that is persecution. The witch burnings of the middle-ages come to mind.
In the words of our President, “No, you can’t deny women
their basic rights and pretend it’s about your religious freedom.” If you don’t like birth control, don’t use
it. Religious freedom doesn’t mean you can force others to live by your
beliefs.
This last letter from you, in addition to other
correspondence I’ve received from you state what YOU STAND FOR, completely
forgetting that you are MY EMPLOYEE-I AM ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. Hence, I am
your employer and you are supposed to be representing ME, as well as every
other constituent/employer member. And
let it be known that many of your employer/constituents are unhappy with your
job performance. As far as I am
concerned, you are fired. I hope that
your other employer/constituents step up and let their voices be heard as well.
The bottom line is that your beliefs, to which you hold
yourself accountable, do not govern others. No one religion’s laws govern this
country, as it should be.
Reverend
Renee L. Ten Eyck
Fountain
citizens hired a politician, not a preacher.
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