Religious leaders urge Obama to renounce USCCR report on religious liberty

Religious leaders from different backgrounds sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, asking him to renounce the report on religious liberty by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) last September.

The signatories of the letter include Catholic, evangelical Christian, Hare Krishna, Jewish, Mormon, African Methodist Episcopal and Muslim leaders. It was sent to House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Obama, Baptist Press reported.

The report titled "Peaceful Coexistence: Reconciling Nondiscrimination Principles With Civil Liberties" claimed that the phrases "religious freedom" and "religious liberty" are mere code words for discrimination and intolerance. The signatories are asking Obama to publicly renounce the report's claim.

"We are one in demanding that no American citizen or institution be labeled by their government as bigoted because of their religious views, and dismissed from the political life of our nation for holding these views. And yet that is precisely what the Civil Rights Commission report does," the letter stated.

"There should be no place in our government for such a low view of our First Freedom – the first of our civil rights – least of all from a body dedicated to protecting them all," it continued.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), was one of the signatories. He had previously stated that the language used by the USCCR in the report was a "logical, moral and political disaster."

Critics of the USCCR have noted that its findings and recommendations could restrict the religious freedom of individuals and institutions if it is applied by the government.

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, another signatory, thought that the report does not accomplish what was being promoted in its title. In an interview with Catholic News Service, he expressed his concern about the rights of religious organizations when it comes to its hiring practices.

He said that employers should have the freedom to hire people whose views align with the mission of the organization. He believes that an organization would not succeed if the employees are not supportive of its mission.