One Nation Under Government -- Not Under God

When Barack Obama promised to "fundamentally transform the United States" we could not have anticipated the extreme transformations he would seek. The evidence is rolling in that he is determined to transform America into a totally secular land where religion is permitted only within the walls of a church and is banned in every public place, public gathering and public school.

Obama tipped us off to his animosity toward religious Americans when, campaigning in San Francisco in 2008, he insulted religious people in small towns. He said, they "get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

In April 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Georgetown University, only after his staff had pressured the Catholic college to conceal the monogram for the name of Jesus that was always displayed above the podium. In May 2009, he cancelled the traditional White House event honoring the National Day of Prayer, saying that he would pray only in private.

Obama began censoring religious words out of important American documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, from which he many times deleted the word "Creator." In a November 2010, speech, Obama pretended to quote the U.S. national motto, "In God We Trust," but he changed it to "e pluribus unum" (out of many, one).

When Obama gave the traditional Presidential Thanksgiving Day address in 2011, it's not clear whom he was thanking on this uniquely American holiday, but it was not God.

Barack Obama is trying to morph our traditional religious liberty to the lesser scope of freedom of worship. That means worship only inside a church, or maybe a synagogue, but not any public affirmation of belief in God.

In July 2011, Obama's Department of Veterans Affairs banned any mention of Jesus Christ during burials at Houston National Cemetery. The ban was lifted only after hundreds of demonstrators protested.

In September 2011, the U.S. Army revised guidelines for Walter Reed Hospital to read: "No religious items (i.e., Bibles, reading materials...) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit." The hospital rescinded this policy only after Congressman Steve King, R-Iowa, reported it to the House of Representatives.

In February 2012, the Air Force removed the Latin word for God, Dei, from the logo of the Rapid Capabilities Office, and it was also removed the Latin motto, which means "Doing God's Work With Other People's Money." The new logo says, "Doing Miracles with Other People's Money."

Also in February 2012, the U.S.

Army warned Catholic chaplains not to read from an archbishop's letter opposing the Obama administration's mandate that all employers, including religious hospitals, schools and colleges, must pay for abortifacients drugs, contraceptives and sterilizations for their employees. People were shocked by the military order telling chaplains what they cannot say to members of their own faith during a religious service.

A prime example of Obama's hostility to religion is the Supreme Court case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, in which the Obama administration challenged the longtime religious exemption that prevents politicians from controlling the hiring and firing of employees of religious institutions. The church had fired one of its minister/teachers, and she sued to get her job back.

With the help of Obama's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, this case got up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Obama's lawyer made the astonishing argument that the federal government could force the Lutheran church to rehire her, but the Obama administration's case was so ludicrous that in January 2012 it lost 9 to 0.

Obama's first judicial appointment, David Hamilton, had worked for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now as a fundraiser, as vice president for litigation for Indiana's American Civil Liberties Union branch and was known for blocking pro-life and pro-decency laws. Even the left-leaning American Bar Association called him "not qualified."

Hamilton was most noteworthy as a district court judge for striking down a prayer in 2005 used in the Indiana Legislature that mentioned Jesus Christ and ordering the Indiana Legislature to "refrain from using Christ's name or title or any other denominational appeal." At the same time, Hamilton stated that it is permissible for the Legislature to use the word "Allah."

After that, President Obama promoted David Hamilton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Another ACLU-type judicial appointment made by President Obama was federal Judge Michael Urbanski. He suggested in court that the Ten Commandments be censored down to six commandments in order to make the posting of the commandments legal under the First Amendment.

Barack Obama has a record of hostility to religion that we have never before seen in any American president.

Phyllis Schlafly is a lawyer, conservative political analyst and author of 20 books. She is the co-author, with George Neumayr, of a new book released this month titled "No Higher Power: Obama's War on Religious Freedom." She can be contacted by e-mail at phyllis@eagleforum.org. To find out more about Phyllis Schlafly and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Website at www.creators.com.

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