Jawed Anwar

 I fully support Donald Trump’s executive order boosting religious freedom by erasing IRS restrictions against political activities by tax-exempt religious organizations.

He announced "no one should be censoring sermons” The order fulfilled a campaign pledge, during a Rose Garden National Prayer ceremony on May 4, attended by religious leaders, activists, and other leaders.

“We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied, or silenced again and we will never stand for religious discrimination,” Trump said before signing the order, which states it is now administration policy “to protect and vigorously promote religious liberty”.

The ban on political speech from the pulpit is rooted in an amendment introduced in 1954 by then-Democratic Senator Lyndon Johnson. It gave the IRS authority to punish tax-exempt charitable organizations, including churches, for making political endorsements or getting involved in political campaigns. Trump’s order directs the IRS to exercise maximum enforcement discretion to alleviate the burden of the so-called Johnson Amendment. Trump campaigned against the ban and pledged in his address to the Republican National Convention that he would “work very hard to repeal that language and to protect free speech for all Americans”.

Trump called up several of the Little Sisters of the Poor members and congratulated them on their landmark victory in the Supreme Court over the issue of the contraceptive mandate included in ObamaCare. According to Trump, more than 50 religious groups filed lawsuits against the Obama administration for violating their religious liberty. Before the final order was released, several religious liberty groups expressed support for the administration’s actions.

Muslim Religious Groups should also come forward and strongly support Donald Trump’s endeavor in freeing religious groups that were silenced by Democrats and LGBT Groups.

The fierce opposition of the order is coming from LGBT Groups who believe it is an “anti-LGBT” law. The fact is that the LGBT minority is dictating the straight religious majority how our society should look. In the last few decades, they changed the culture of American society by promoting and educating abnormal/perverted sexual practices.

Those who believe in traditional family system and who educate their children according to their religious and traditional values were politically subjugated by this minority that got continuous support from the government. In Canada, Ontario Liberal Government completely changed the pattern of society by enforcing LGBT culture through changing curriculum in the public schools (from as early as kindergarten). In America, Obama administration proved worst in this area.

We should never forget that "In God We Trust" is the official motto of the United States. The first freedom in the Bill of Rights is religious freedom. America was born on the foundation of religious freedom, and it is one of our most cherished liberties.

What the Old Testament, New Testament, other old divine books, and the newest testament the Qur’an say about homosexuality should be pronounced from pulpits to politics and all public platforms. Religion is worthless if it doesn’t provide guidance for the public, political, social, cultural, and educational life. 

In a nation who announces “TRUST in GOD”, the politics can’t be and should not be separated from religion/church. Donald Trump’s advancement to protect the religious freedom should be praised, appreciated and supported.

Jawed Anwar can be reached at jawed@seerahwest.com