Leftist Groups Up in Arms Over Trump’s Religious Executive Order

Passionate debate on both sides of the issue continues in the wake of President Donald Trump’s new religious freedom executive order — and now even the Vatican is making a statement.

Catholic Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, dubbed the “religious point man of religious freedom” by Crux Now — said “the devil is in the details” of the executive order.

“No American should be forced to choose between the dictates of the federal government and the tenants of their faith.”

“While this is welcome, there are still a lot of other challenges, even at the federal level, that lay before us,” Lori told Cruxnow.com, adding, “I’m certainly glad the president is interested in religious freedom.”

Trump signed the executive order on May 4 — on the National Day of Prayer — at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.

“It shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce federal law’s robust protections for religious freedom,” the executive order states. “The founders envisioned a nation in which religious voices and views were integral to a vibrant public square, and in which religious people and institutions were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the federal government.”

“This executive order directs the [Internal Revenue Service] not to unfairly target churches and religious organizations for political speech,” Trump said in the Rose Garden. The order strives to protect the conscience rights of citizens.

Related: The Real Objectives of Trump’s Religious Liberty Order

“No American should be forced to choose between the dictates of the federal government and the tenants of their faith,” Trump said.

Groups such as the pro-family values Family Research Council have praised the executive order. “The freedom to live out faith in all areas of society without government punishment or intimidation is what has made America great,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, in a statement.

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Yet not everyone is pleased with the step in this direction. Some on the Left are already filing lawsuits.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (a group that advocates for the separation of church and state) sued Trump — along with the head of the Internal Revenue Service — over “church politicking.” The organization filed a complaint on May 4 in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin.

“Among its several abuses, Trump’s order and statements signal to the Internal Revenue Service that it should not enforce the electioneering restrictions of the tax code against churches and religious organizations, while permitting these restrictions to be enforced against secular nonprofits,” the Freedom From Religion Foundation asserted in a press release announcing the lawsuit.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) threatened to sue after a leaked draft of the executive order floated around in February. After the actual order came out, the ACLU backed down.

Related: On National Day of Prayer, Americans Fight for Religious Freedom 

“After careful review of the order’s text, we have determined that the order does not meaningfully alter the ability of religious institutions or individuals to intervene in the political process,” Anthony Romero, the ACLU director, said in a statement.

“What President Trump did today was merely provide a faux sop to religious conservatives and kick the can down the road on religious exemptions on reproductive health care services,” Romero stated.

The gay-rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign was not pleased with the order either. “Donald Trump just let the fox into the henhouse,” Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “Through this executive order, Trump has directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions — a man who has denied LGBTQ people equality under the law — to seek a license to discriminate across all areas of the government.”