Religiously Scrupulous

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, …

So begins the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. Having read about the formation of that amendment, as well as some of the Federalist Papers, I know that the militia was an important priority for the Founders and their generation. It was so important that Congress was given the authority to regulate the militias of the various states, and citizens were obligated by law to report for an annual muster. In the course of setting out these requirements, there was a debate about conscientious objectors. A frequently-used term was “the religiously scrupulous,” designating who were exempted from both the muster and a financial levy toward the common defense. After some discussion, the Founders wisely recognized that protecting the free exercise of religion preempts the need for a well-regulated militia.

Now it is reported that the Senate version of the nationalized health care bill requires everyone with public health insurance to pay monthly into a fund that will pay the cost of abortions. Apparently, the drafters and supporters of this bill consider the free exercise of religion to be less important than the “right” to health insurance coverage, even for abortions. (Though I don’t find that right in the Bill of Rights.) There seems to have been a shift. Whereas the Founders prioritized religious scruples before other important things, our current leadership has chosen new priorities that are not found in the Constitution, and promoted them above the First Amendment.

If you are a Christian in more than name, now is a good time to pray and to exercise your responsibility as a Christian in the kingdom of the Left. That is certainly easier than being prosecuted later under unjust laws for abiding by your religious scruples.