Religious Freedom Rally - Keep the Momentum

Friday March 23 at noon, thousands of people gathered at over 140 locations across the country for the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies in opposition to the HHS mandate. I took in the beautiful ocean view as we were about to start our rally in San Diego. Once the rally began, I delivered the invocation prayer and then shared how this threat on religious liberty will affect the future generations if we do not take action. A number of energetic and inspirational speakers, including our new coadjutor Bishop Flores, rallied over 2,000 attendees.

The Stand Up for Religious Liberty Rallies on March 23 was a day to gather the troops to educate and activate in the beginning of the fight to defend religious liberties and stop the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate of free birth control, sterilization, and abortifacients. However, this is not all we can do. A rally builds morale, inspires, organizes, strengthens, and more. This is just the beginning of taking action against the attack on religious liberties. If we adapt to this mandate it will be a slippery slope for it will affect how we practice religion in the future. Which is why we will not adapt to this injustice. We will oppose it!.

Here is a brief sound bite of Dr. Jim Garlow of Skyline Church Rancho San Diego speaking at the San Diego rally:

This is the beginning of a time when WE will stand together, for the church is the conscience of the government, and the people of the Church make up the Church. We are the living body of Christ. Remember the words of Saint Ignatius, "Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.” We will do this together!

Action Items:

• Know the talking points and get talking!
• Email congress
• Pray
• Sign the Petition
• Share this blog

For the Dignity of the Born and Unborn, 

Timmerie

The Luck of the Irish

In light of Saint Patrick’s day, I would like to bring attention to a wonderful group of young people from Ireland that I met last year . . .

In 1992 a group of 7 college age students stood up against Ireland’s version of Roe v Wade, and they were successful. This group is called Youth Defence. They were made the leaders of the pro-life movement in Ireland by organizing events and creating awareness to fight to keep Ireland abortion free. 20 years later, Ireland is still abortion free! Because those 7 college students saw the truth of abortion and rejected apathy and rallied their country to stand for life people live today and families are not broken because of the destruction abortion brings emotionally and physically.

Commitment to the cause, strength in conviction, trust and motivation in God, and having courage to take necessary risks is what has kept abortion illegal in Ireland. This movement does not need a bunch of people; it needs a group of people to take a bunch of risks. All these risks are nothing when we consider what we are fighting for!

Abortion needs to not be illegal; it needs to be unthinkable and this week the Irish government once again rejected the legalization of abortion. Constant activism, outreach, and education are the keys that have helped keep Ireland abortion free to this day, and graphic images have been a huge part of conveying what abortion truly is to the people of Ireland.

When these courageous Irish advocates came to America last year for the International ProLife Youth Conference, one speaker broke my heart. Bernadette Smyth shared that she was terrified being in America because we kill babies here. She literally felt unsafe in the United States because the government and the people allow for the murdering of babies. I found this unbelievably profound.

While we currently face the biggest civil rights issue of our time in the United States (HHS Mandate), I see how millions of Americans are standing up and saying enough is enough! We will be educated and we will educate others, just like the Irish who reject abortion because they are taught the truth and see the truth.

Saint Patrick, we ask you to pray for our country, for the courageous people who speak truth, and for the apathetic to step out and do something.

“I cannot stand before God when I die, look Him in the eye, and say to Him that I was too busy to do this or it just wasn't my thing."

~ Ide Nic Mahthuna, Youth Defence ~

Happy Saint Patrick’s day!

For the Dignity of the Born and Unborn,

Timmerie

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Religious Freedom Rallies

On March 23 at noon, in over 110 cities across America, ‘Stand Up for Religious Freedom’ rallies will be held to stop the Health and Human Services (HHS) Mandate which requires employers to provide free contraception, sterilization, and abortion inducing drugs. This mandate violates the conscience’s of millions of Americans and is a blatant attack on our constitutional right to religious liberty.

President Obama’s administration is confining the practice of faith to within the four walls of churches. You should not stand by idle while this is done. Too many people are silent and believe that people of faith are the minority, but this is not the truth. Apathy will do nothing and good men must say something!

Media and abortion advocates are attacking the Catholic church at its core. They have split us before on the abortion issue and we must not allow them to do it again. Our opponents are scared of the Catholic church. They should be because truth and love are on our side!

We must and will be united as one nation under God!

Please join your local religious freedom rally or host one of you own. More details can be found at StandUpForReligiousRreedom.com.

I will be giving the invocation speech at the San Diego ‘Stand Up for Religious Freedom’ rally. Details at San Diego for Religious Freedom.

For the Dignity of the Born and Unborn,

Timmerie

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Religious Liberty - A Time to Stand

Nearly four years ago Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. I was 16 years old and on that day I wept because I knew President Obama was going to do things that would drastically challenge and change our society because he had neither regard for the children in the womb nor for religious liberties. I had just gotten out of a dance class and I was sitting in front of Target weeping because our country was about to hurt and I knew that I was one of many who would not be silent against the civil injustices of my lifetime. I wondered what we were about to face. . .

I’m nearly 20 years old now and over the last three years my fears have come true. The citizens of the United States have fought FOCA, abortion coverage in health-care, same sex marriage, and much more. Then, a few weeks ago President Obama’s administration mandated contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization under his new health care law. Not only does the mandate give these services on demand with no co-pay or out of pocket fee, but it requires employers to provide this insurance or be fined. It also requires employers to educate employees on the services.

Oh and have I mentioned the worse part yet?

Every employer, with only churches as the exception, must provide this morally unacceptable insurance or be fined. President Obama’s administration is allowing us to only practice our faith within the four walls of our church because otherwise this insurance policy is required for institutions such as Catholic Hospitals, schools, Catholic Charities... This is first and foremost a First Amendment religious liberty issue. Your rights have been violated, and this is just the beginning.

Yes, this is about abortion, contraception, and sterilization, but more so about President Obama’s administration’s power to overrule rights and religious freedoms. If they are able to put this mandate into action, they will be able to next add abortion to the list of available preventative services. This is an extremely slippery slope!

Yes, four years later, and we are facing the biggest civil rights issue since Roe vs Wade! I’m 20 years old and I just saw Jayne, my 20 year old best friend, and more than five other close friends be arrested for praying in front of the White House yesterday. They stood for what they believe in, they prayed to God for mercy on our country, they prayed for our religious liberties, and they were arrested on a public sidewalk.

In all honesty how much worse could it possibly get?

Mandated funding of contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization.

Religious liberties violated and ignored.

Men and woman arrested for praying on a public sidewalk.

I’m writing to you with tears and in shock. Jayne and I aren’t just little girls anymore praying hand and hand in front of an abortion clinic and sidewalk counseling women before their child’s life is taken. We are now praying and taking action against mandated funding of morally unacceptable services. We are fighting for our rights, while trying to fight for the rights of the precious children in the womb.

So I ask you. Will you stand together America?

A few nights ago, on a national conference call Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life said, “You do not adapt to an injustice. You oppose it!”. Father Pavone also talked about how this battle is not one that will be won over night, but will be an ongoing long term struggle. It will take months and it could take us into next year, but WE CAN NOT GIVE UP. They want us to be utterly overwhelmed; they want our tears to turn into apathy.

Cameron, Katie, Jayne, & I After a ProLife Event in 2007

We will not be silent! So here are some immediate steps of action:

1. Review talking points and talk about this! Educate others!
2. Contact Congress
3. Pray Novena
4. March 23 -- Stand Up for Religious Freedom Public Witness

Read more about yesterday’s arrests.

For the Dignity of the Born and Unborn,

Timmerie

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Arrest at White House

With a heavy heart I share that this morning a number of my close friends were arrested infront of the White House for peacefully standing and praying on a public sidewalk in defense of religious liberties and against the HHS mandate violating every American's conscience. This could be the greatest civil rights issue of our time. May God have mercy on our country!

My best friend Jayne White was unconstitutionally arrested for kneeling and praying in behalf of religious liberties. They were silenced by the arrest and released a little later after having payed a $100 fine per person.



Father Wilder of Priest for Life was also arrested yesterday and said, “Occupy Wall Street protesters have been occupying federal property for months, but when we kneel in prayer, the police are called in and we are arrested,” Father Wilder continued, “We knew that was the risk when we gathered today, and we will do it again regardless of the risk. What people of faith — of every faith — need to do now is stand with us.”

“These were the first arrests in opposition to the immoral Obama Mandate, but they won’t be the last. Our freedom to exercise our religious beliefs without government coercion is one of our most precious liberties. We cannot bow to tyranny or be forced to participate in the taking of innocent human life against our consciences. Peaceful protects and civil disobedience can be expected to continue until Obama rescinds the mandate,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who is also head of Pro-Life Nation.

What has our country come to?

For the Dignity of the Born and Unborn,

Timmerie