A leader in the religious community dubbed Thursday's signing of an executive order on religious freedom as an historic moment.
Dr. James Dobson reacted to President Donald Trump's directive by saying he and Vice President Mike Pence have left their mark in history by taking such action.
"Today's action must be the first among others because the efforts by previous administrations to marginalize conservative communities of faith were real, thorough, and complex," Dobson said in an emailed statement. "Yet, the combined effect of today's executive order, legislative actions, and prayer service on the White House lawn are unprecedented. This president and vice president will go down in history as defenders of religious liberty, and I commend them for it."
To mark the National Day of Prayer, Trump signed the Executive Order on Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty during a Rose Garden ceremony that asks the IRS to pull back the throttle on enforcing a rule that prohibits churches and other religious organizations from getting political.
The directive also helps employers deny contraceptive coverage in their healthcare plans.
Dobson, a Christian leader who has written more than 30 books, said he's relieved Trump is rolling back some of what former President Barack Obama instituted.
"I've witnessed the ebb and flow of politics in this country for a half century, and I prayed with great anxiety about the future as I watched President Obama move this nation in a direction that defied the Constitution, especially as it relates to religious liberty," Dobson said. "In all these years, I've never found myself more optimistic about the preservation of our Judeo Christian values as I am today."
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