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Drew Clark: Religious freedom is more than a right to speak and assemble

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Kristin Hughs, right, announces to supporters the Supreme Court's decision on the Hobby Lobby case in Washington, Monday, June 30, 2014.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press

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SALT LAKE CITY The Obama administration has issued a new regulation (on Aug. 22) offering some relief to family businesses and nonprofit organizations that have objected, on the grounds of religious conscience, to the requirement that they offer abortion-inducing contraceptives.

It is the eighth time in three years the government has retreated from its original, hard-line stance that only houses of worship that hire and serve fellow believers deserve religious freedom, said Lori Windham, senior counsel to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which successfully fought the contraceptive mandate both on behalf of businesses, like the retail craft chain Hobby Lobby, as well as nonprofit religious orders like the Little Sisters of the Poor.

The Supreme Courts 5-4 decision in favor of Hobby Lobby, decided on June 30, was an important step in affirming religious freedom laws in this country.

But consider the task faced by defenders of religious freedom: They must confront the attitude, pervasive within the Obama administration, that religion takes place only within the walls of a church or synagogue.

Archbishop Williams Lori of Baltimore put his finger on the problem when he told the Catholic News Agency earlier this month: "It's easy to see that the threats to religious liberty in the West are starting to constrict religion more and more. [Religion is seen] as reducible simply and solely to freedom of worship, the sentiment that as long as you're in church, do what you want, but don't think about bringing religious values into public, into your place of work, into the political discussion.

Consider the difference between the freedom of worship, which is not seriously contested in the Western world, versus the free exercise of religion.

Its commonly said that the First Amendment itemizes five freedoms: religion, speech, a free press, peaceably assembly and the right to petition. The advocates of the minimalist freedom of worship think of the Obama administration view religious rights as if they were akin to tweeting against Boko Haram, or assembling for an awards ceremony.

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Drew Clark: Religious freedom is more than a right to speak and assemble

Freedom Split Double Header with Otters

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August 31, 2014 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom (Evansville, IN) - The Florence Freedom (41-52) pounded out 11 hits in a 6-4 victory in game one of Sunday's double header with the Evansville Otters (55-35) but got shutout for the fifth time this season in a 3-0 loss in game two.

The offense provided plenty of run support for Chuck Weaver (7-6) in game one as they grabbed the lead in the second inning against Evansville starter Connor Little (2-1). Buddy Sosnoskie drew a lead-off walk and stole second. Adam Taylor singled him home for the first run of the game.

In the third, newly minted Frontier League Post-Season All-Star Sam Eberle singled with one out. Sosnoskie doubled him home to extend the lead to 2-0. Eberle finished 6-8 in the double header.

Bryan Soloman got things started in the fourth with a single. Chance Ross bunted him over and Zak Blair doubled him home. Eberle singled home Blair and just like that it was 4-0 Freedom.

The Otters got one back in the bottom of the fourth as J.R. Higley tripled and scored on a fielder's choice. But the Freedom tallied two more runs in the fifth. With one out Taylor singled. He stole second and stole third as well. Then Gaby Juarbe drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Although it would have been an extra base hit if not for a spectacular diving catch by Chris Sweeney.

Soloman followed with a double and Ross singled him home to make it 6-1 in favor of Florence.

They would need the insurance as Evansville got to Weaver for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Higley smacked a RBI single and Chris Elder doubled home two runs to cut the Freedom lead to 6-4.

Weaver went five innings, giving up four runs on six hits, walking two and striking out five to get the win. Daniel DeSimone pitched a perfect sixth and Ed Kohout picked up his seventh save of the season with a scoreless seventh.

Game two didn't go the Freedom's way. Dave Middendorf (5-8) pitched well but allowed a solo home run to Kolin Conner in the third. Evansville added a couple of insurance runs in the sixth thanks to a bases loaded walk and a RBI fielder's choice.

The Freedom tallied five hits and drew five walks in game two but left all 10 men on base as the Otters pitching staff shut them out.

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Freedom Split Double Header with Otters

Freedom looks for Asian partner

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FREEDOM Foods is looking for Asian partners to launch its allergy-free cereal business to bolster exports in the region.

Managing director Rory Macleod said the company hoped its cereals arm can replicate its Pactum Dairy operation which produces long-life milk for one of China's biggest dairy companies, Bright Foods.

Freedom posted an 11.6 per cent slide in net profit to $12.1 million in the 12 months to June 30. Mr Macleod attributed the decline to booking a pre-tax profit of $11.8 million the year before from reducing its stake in a2 Milk from 25 to 17.9 per cent.

While Freedom's profit eased, its net sales grew 5.97 per cent to $104.6 million. Investors warmed to the result, the company's shares jumping 2.8 per cent to close at $3.25.

Mr Macleod expected more sales growth in the next two years as it increases exports in the US and Asia.

But he said he didn't want to rush the expansion.

"We want to be quite thoughtful about what we'll do," Mr Macleod said. "It's not a case of taking the whole range over there and see who will bite.

"You have to be very careful about what products you are going to take up there and sell."

Mr Macleod said working with a Chinese company was therefore more preferable than relying on distributors.

"In China it's about partnerships collaboration, which we prefer to do and we enjoy because it's about value-adding on the products and ideas' side, and your partner taking it to market and dealing with consumers.

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Freedom looks for Asian partner

Freedom Platoon Battle because ‘MERICA @Sovietdeath playing @WoTXbox – Video

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Freedom Platoon Battle because #39;MERICA @Sovietdeath playing @WoTXbox
Clips taken from my Bi-weekly live streams every Wed. and Fri. http://www.twitch.tv/rtgnsovietdeath please also follow my twitter @Sovietdeath and my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/rtgnsovietdeath.

By: RTGNSovietdeath

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Freedom Platoon Battle because 'MERICA @Sovietdeath playing @WoTXbox - Video

Freedom Foods looks for Asian partner

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Freedom Foods is looking for Asian partners to launch its allergy-free cereal business to bolster exports in the region.

Managing director Rory Macleod said the company hoped its cereals arm can replicate its Pactum Dairy operation which produces long-life milk for one of China's biggest dairy companies, Bright Foods.

Freedom posted an 11.6 per cent slide in net profit to $12.1 million in the 12 months to June 30. Mr Macleod attributed the decline to booking a pre-tax profit of $11.8 million the year before from reducing its stake in a2 Milk from 25 to 17.9 per cent.

While Freedom's profit eased, its net sales grew 5.97 per cent to $104.6 million. Investors warmed to the result, the company's shares jumping 2.8 per cent to close at $3.25.

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Mr Macleod expected more sales growth in the next two years as it increases exports in the US and Asia.

But he said he didn't want to rush the expansion.

"We want to be quite thoughtful about what we'll do," Mr Macleod said. "It's not a case of taking the whole range over there and see who will bite.

"You have to be very careful about what products you are going to take up there and sell."

Mr Macleod said working with a Chinese company was therefore more preferable than relying on distributors.

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Freedom Foods looks for Asian partner

Freedom Foods looks for Asian partner to boost exports

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Freedom Foods is looking for Asian partners to launch its allergy-free cereal business to bolster exports in the region.

Managing director Rory Macleod said the company hoped its cereals arm can replicate its Pactum Dairy operation which produces long-life milk for one of China's biggest dairy companies, Bright Foods.

Freedom posted an 11.6 per cent slide in net profit to $12.1 million in the 12 months to June 30. Mr Macleod attributed the decline to booking a pre-tax profit of $11.8 million the year before from reducing its stake in a2 Milk from 25 to 17.9 per cent.

While Freedom's profit eased, its net sales grew 5.97 per cent to $104.6 million. Investors warmed to the result, the company's shares jumping 2.8 per cent to close at $3.25.

Advertisement

Mr Macleod expected more sales growth in the next two years as it increases exports in the US and Asia.

But he said he didn't want to rush the expansion.

"We want to be quite thoughtful about what we'll do," Mr Macleod said. "It's not a case of taking the whole range over there and see who will bite.

"You have to be very careful about what products you are going to take up there and sell."

Mr Macleod said working with a Chinese company was therefore more preferable than relying on distributors.

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Freedom Foods looks for Asian partner to boost exports

Freedom eyes DEP's voluntary cleanup program

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Freedom Industries is considering trying to enter West Virginias voluntary industrial site remediation program to help ease the cleanup of its Elk River facility, where a chemical leak in January contaminated the drinking-water supply for hundreds of thousands of people in Charleston and the surrounding region.

Representatives from Freedom met last week with state Department of Environmental Protection officials to discuss whether the companys Etowah Terminal is eligible for the DEPs Voluntary Remediation Program, a move that could result in Freedom having to meet less-stringent contamination standards than under existing DEP enforcement orders.

No decisions were made, and Freedom has not yet submitted a formal application for the program, officials from the company and the DEP said.

Freedoms eligibility for the program could be tricky, though, because of the companys ongoing bankruptcy proceedings and because there are no existing cleanup standards for Crude MCHM, the main chemical involved in the Jan. 9 leak into the Elk.

DEP officials emphasized that discussions about Freedom applying for voluntary remediation status were preliminary and that the program would not change agency Secretary Randy Huffmans promise that the Freedom site will be remediated until there is a 100-percent certainty that the risk of this stuff getting back in the water has been eliminated, not just minimized.

They will still have to show that they are not going to have chemicals going into the Elk River, said Patty Hickman, interim director of the DEPs Division of Land Restoration, which runs the voluntary industrial site cleanup program.

Mark Welch, Freedoms chief restructuring officer, said the company is still considering options but that the voluntary program could benefit Freedom because the company and the DEP would agree to enter into the plan and agree to the standards, rather than having cleanup details mandated by the state.

On Thursday, Freedom received approval from the Charleston Sanitary Board to send potentially contaminated stormwater gathered at the Elk River site in recent months to Charlestons sewage facility, where it would be treated and discharged into the Kanawha River. Freedom has said the boards operation can properly treat the runoff and save the company significant money over sending the stormwater to out-of-state treatment and disposal sites.

Last week, Freedom moved temporary chemical storage tanks onto the site for stormwater thats collected in the future, so that the remaining four tanks can be dismantled. Work tearing down those tanks is scheduled to begin around Sept. 22, Welch said.

So far, DEP officials havent seen any results of soil samples from the Freedom site and are still waiting for the company to submit an updated remediation plan for the facility.

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Freedom eyes DEP's voluntary cleanup program


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