ROCKFORD, Ill. – On behalf of the Diocese of Springfield and an Illinois pro-life pregnancy center, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging a state law that forces religious organizations to hire employees who violate their religious beliefs on reproductive issues like abortion.
“Illinois can’t force pro-life religious organizations to bend their knee to the state’s secular view of abortion,” said ADF Senior Counsel Mark Lippelmann. “The Constitution protects the right of religious organizations to choose workers who will advance—rather than contradict—their religious beliefs. We urge the court to uphold these organizations’ fundamental right to serve their communities consistent with their faith.”
The Diocese of Springfield affirms, proclaims, and strives to live out the teachings of the Catholic Church throughout the state of Illinois, including indispensable beliefs about reproduction, marriage, and the dignity of human life. The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford similarly seeks to live out the Christian faith regarding the dignity of human life and the nature of marriage by sharing the Gospel, advocating against abortion, advocating for Christian beliefs on reproduction, and providing pregnant women with much-needed counseling, services, and resources free of charge.
“The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois proclaims, teaches, and encourages Catholics to live out all the teachings of the Church, including the dignity and value of human life,” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki. “Our employees represent the Diocese and are expected to uphold our standards of conduct to ensure they align with the doctrine and moral teaching of the Catholic Church. However, under the state law, we cannot hire or retain employees based on our deeply held religious beliefs on pro-life teachings without being subject to disciplinary action. We must have the freedom to follow and express our convictions without government interference.”
Both religious organizations have numerous open employment positions they seek to fill immediately with individuals who affirm and abide by their mission-critical beliefs regarding marriage and reproduction.
The Illinois Human Rights Act, however, dictates how religious employers must speak and act regarding employees’ voluntary reproductive decisions like abortion and contraception. The law penalizes churches and religious organizations if they discipline or refuse to hire employees based on voluntary reproductive decisions like abortion, even when the religious entity considers the act murder of innocent life. ADF attorneys explain in the lawsuit that such action by government officials violates the organizations’ constitutional rights.
ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit, The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford v. Bennett, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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