Conservative policy leader: Religious freedom, First Amendment, pro-life cause at stake on November 5

Washington, DC Newsroom, November 1, 2024 / 7:00 PM

With just a few days to go until November 5, the chairman of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank, is calling on people of faith to vote.

In an interview with EWTN News Nightly host Tracy Sabol, Kevin Roberts spoke Friday about the expected crisis of non-voters among people of faith in America. The discussion emerged in light of a recent study from Arizona Christian University, which found that only 51% of people of faith planned to vote in the presidential election.

Nearly 70% of survey participants said they had lost “interest” in politics or elections, while nearly 60% said they disliked all major candidates. Additionally, about half of participants said neither candidate represented their views and that they believed their vote would make no difference either way. Nearly 50% also said they believed the election results would be manipulated.

“I am not surprised by the results, although I want to say that a year ago I would have been,” he told Sabol, explaining that it is common among people of faith not to vote despite having “a have a moral obligation to do so.” So.”

Roberts addressed the trend among Catholic and other Christian voters who are abstaining from voting out of distaste for both candidates and emphasized the importance of “studying the issues.”

“As people of faith, we have to weigh that policy outcome and take it into the future and understand that if (Vice President Kamala Harris) were to win, we will see threats to religious freedom,” he said. “We will see threats to our ability to worship. Naturally, we will continue to pray for her as President of the United States.”

“But we really need to keep that in mind in the coming days,” Roberts added, “especially if there are Catholics and other Christians who think they might just stay home.”

The filibuster, religious freedom and freedom of speech

Roberts also discussed the issue during a roundtable discussion Friday morning, highlighting numerous policy issues that directly affect people of faith — including religious freedom, the pro-life movement and freedom of speech.

“I don’t believe it’s an exaggeration to say that Vice President Harris is the most anti-religious, anti-faith presidential candidate in our history,” the conservative policy leader said, adding: “What’s at stake is that we We will lose our ability to worship. We will lose our religious freedom if the Harris-Walz campaign prevails.”

When asked what would happen if Harris were to win the election and successfully eliminate the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade, Roberts warned that the move would lead to “a real curtailment of religious liberty” and the freedom of speech, in addition to the expansion of abortion.

Roberts referenced notable incidents of religious intolerance in recent weeks alone, including Harris’ refusal to support religious exemptions regarding abortion, as well as an incident in which she told two Christians they were “at the wrong meeting” after they shouted that Jesus was Lord. Video shows other protesters also yelling “Lies!” shouted. and “Liar!” at Harris before she responded.

“It’s clear,” he said, “that this is a real problem even for people without faith. Because if you eliminate our first freedom, which is to believe and worship as we choose, then all others will be in danger.”

If Democrats regain their slim majority in the Senate, he said, “there is a 100% chance they will try to eliminate the filibuster” and have a reasonable chance of success.

“I do believe, because there is evidence of the rhetoric over the last four or six weeks,” Roberts said, “that they are going to curtail freedom of speech. They are going to curtail freedom of speech for religious people. They are going to curtail freedom of expression for organizations and media outlets.”

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If Democrats fail to win a majority but Harris is elected, the current vice president will likely implement policies against religious freedom through executive orders that expand access to abortion and target people of faith.

“I think she will focus on religious freedom,” he said.

Working with Trump’s policies

Despite concerns about former President Donald Trump’s stance on life issues like abortion and IVF, Roberts stated that he is “cautiously optimistic” that a Trump-Vance administration “would still be resolutely pro-life.”

“I think people of faith should remember the former president’s record on this issue,” he said, “and remember that if President Trump and Senator Vance are elected next Tuesday, there is a much greater opportunity, a much greater chance of working with them and the people they appoint on issues that matter to us, including abortion and religious freedom.”

“I think, on the other hand,” he said, “there’s a zero percent chance that we’ll get that opportunity in our Harris-Walz administration, I think, on abortion and (and) on religious freedom. People of faith should be aware of that.”

Madalaine Elhabbal is a staff reporter for the Catholic News Agency, based in EWTN’s Washington, DC bureau. She has been published by CatholicVote and has also worked as a foreign language assistant in France. She graduated from Benedictine College.