Liberty Institute: Historic Faith-Based Pennsylvania College Rejects Federal Government's Abortion Pill Mandate

PHOENIXVILLE, Pa., Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, attorneys from the Liberty Institute and Maza, David and Hoeffel on behalf of Valley Forge Christian College filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Department of Health and Human Services in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleging that the HHS Abortion Pill Mandate unlawfully burdens their religious beliefs.

According to the complaint, the Mandate grants exemption for a narrowly defined group of religious employers, but not the College.  Even though Valley Forge Christian College was founded on teachings of the Assemblies of God denomination, without judicial relief, this historic Christian college will be forced to provide its employees insurance plans that include drugs and devices that threaten developing human life or face significant fines for abiding by the teachings of its church. To view a copy of the complaint online, follow this link: https://libertyinstitute.org/valleyforge

"It is unlawful for our government to determine when a ministry is religious enough to qualify for an exemption," said Jeff Mateer, Liberty Institute general counsel. "In its recent Hobby Lobby decision, the Supreme Court of the United States made clear that citizens cannot be forced to choose between violating their faith and being punished by the government for following their faith"

Valley Forge Christian College President Dr. Don G. Meyer stated, "Since 1939, Valley Forge Christian College has been endorsed by the Assemblies of God. We have always maintained our strong connection with the Assemblies of God and our commitment to serve the denomination with graduates who have a solid foundation in the Bible and in their respective discipline.  We are hopeful that the federal court will let us continue to engage in the ministry according to the faith that has defined the Christian Church for over two millennia – the same faith that established this college more than 75 years ago." 

Founded by the Assemblies of God church denomination in 1939, VFCC teaches that, since humans are made in the image of God, it is immoral to participate in, provide access to, pay for, designate others to pay for, train others to engage in, or otherwise support methods that may destroy a developing human life.

Liberty Institute is a national nonprofit legal group dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our churches, inside our military and throughout the public arena. Liberty's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our Founding Fathers. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.

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SOURCE Liberty Institute