The growing controversies surrounding First Amendment religious and freedom of speech rights are reaching a fever pitch now in Atlanta involving the mayor and fire chief.
A reminder of that very important amendment: "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."
A current classic example of miscommunication of these truths recently occurred in Atlanta between two beloved and respected leaders: Mayor Kasim Reed and Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran over the seemingly never-ending debate over sexuality (1 Corinthians 16: 13-14 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love).
These conflicts over religious freedom are not limited to issues of sexuality. For instance, in an ongoing lawsuit against the HHS Mandate, Priests for Life is doing exactly as instructed in 1 Corinthians. Not only is it important to stand firm in the faith but we must stand up against the limiting of our 1st Amendment rights. This is especially important when it comes to the harmful effects of contraception, abortion, and reproductive rights.
In fact, contraception and abortion have done so much damage to our nation and world that Priests for Life just last week announced a year-long initiative: “Healing the Shockwaves of Abortion.” The initiative seeks to bring healing to everyone impacted by abortion by concentrating on a different segment of the population each month.
In all matters of conflict, love, dignity, clarity, and communication are key, even when viewpoints differ.
As my uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish as fools.”
My father, the Rev. Alfred Daniel King, speaking from Acts 17:26, said, “We are one blood, one human race. From one blood God created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall and he determined their boundaries.”
Dear Mayor Reed and Fire Chief Cochran: “It all started with an apple.”
For more on the subject, please review my developing commentary: "It All Started with an Apple" which is available at PriestsForLife.org.
Dr. Alveda C. King grew up in the civil rights movement led by her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is a pastoral associate and director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries. Her family home in Birmingham, Ala., was bombed, as was her father’s church office in Louisville, Ky. Alveda herself was jailed during the open housing movement. Read more reports from Dr. Alveda C. King — Click Here Now.