Joined by his Congressional Prayer Caucus Co-Chair, Senator James Lankford raised concerns about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case of Stormans v. Wiesman. It is the Washington State case dealing with a private pharmacy’s decision not to issue the morning after pill on religious grounds.
“This decision by the Supreme Court denies the free exercise of religion as a fundamental human right,” said Lankford. “In order to exercise this right, individuals must be able to live out their faith in the public square; otherwise, the right is relegated simply to the freedom of worship. With this case, the Court put the access to contraceptives above the constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. Conscience protection has always been honored in America, until now. This decision allows any government to compel a person to violate their faith or surrender their family business. That is un-American.”
Caucus Co-Chair Congressman J. Randy Forbes said the move is a bad sign for freedom of religion.
“The Supreme Court’s refusal to review Washington State’s extreme and unnecessary regulations is, in the words of Justice Alito, ‘an ominous sign’ for religious freedom in America,” said Forbes. “It is possible to both respect the religious beliefs of a pharmacist and also help customers secure the prescription they are seeking. As a nation founded on the fundamental right of religious freedom, the United States has a tradition of protecting the conscientious objector that has endured throughout our history, but the Court has done great damage to these protections by allowing Washington’s regulation to stand.”
A total for 43 Congressmen and Senators had asked the Supreme Court to take on the case.
