American Christian Liberty Society News

Stories of The Day
1.  Virginia Governor Dodges Religious Accommodation Request
2.  Texas Department of Agriculture Dodges Religious Accommodation Request
3.  Oregon Board of Architect Examiners Dodges Religious Accommodation Request
4.  Editorial by David Alan Carmichael

Virginia Governor Dodges Religious Accommodation Request

David Alan Carmichael submitted a religious accommodation request to Governor Tim Kaine on May 23, 2007.  He followed his formal request by sending 200 page record documenting his ten year battle to have a Virginia driver’s license despite his not being able to identify with a Social Security Number due to his religious prohibitions.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2007, the Virginia Secretary of Transportation wrote a letter to Carmichael stating that the DMV did not have the authority to issue a driver’s license without requiring him to identify with a SSN.

Instead of replying to the Secretary of Transportation, David wrote again to the Governor pointing out that his request was not merely to obtain a driver’s license without a SSN, he was formally requesting a religious accommodation on the basis of Virginia Constitution, Article I, Section 16 and Code of Virginia §57-1 & §57-2.  On the basis of those laws, he pointed out that the Governor had the authority to interpose and had a duty to do so on the basis of the Virginia Constitution Article V, Section 7.

Virginia is the thirteenth American state that has passed a Religious Freedom Preserved Act.  The law will be effective on July 1, 2007.  David says that he will not stop his efforts until he secures his liberty use an automobile, without violating his religious obligations, without going to jail.


Texas
Department of Agriculture Dodges Religious Accommodation Request.

Gene McArthur
submitted a religious accommodation request to the Texas Department of Agriculture on May 7, 2007.  His request was accompanied by a strong challenge from his lawyer.  Gene had tried to renew his pesticide applicator’s license since 2003 despite his not being able to identify with a Social Security Number due to his religious prohibitions.

On January 5, 2005, the Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott issued a formal opinion in Gene McArthur’s case, saying that McArthur’s religious accommodation request ought to be denied saying the Section 666 of the United States Code relating to welfare did not allow for a religious accommodation of the SSN identification requirement to obtain a professional, occupational, recreational, driver’s or marriage license.  Though Texas has a Religious Freedom Act, Gregg Abbott never addressed it when formulating his official opinion.  Neither did he bring the Federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act to bear on the issue even though he cited the Federal welfare code 42 USC §666 as the force behind the SSN requirement.

Now we send the returned application back with a query about the issue of the religious accommodation request that was not addressed by the Department of Agriculture.

Oregon Board of Architect Examiners Dodges Religious Accommodation Request

Zachary submitted an application to renew his Oregon Architect registration saying that he could not identify with a SSN on the basis of his religion.  He had been registering without a SSN since June of 2000.  From 2001 through 2003 they did not even request a SSN on the registration form.  The Board of Oregon Architect examiners accused him of misconduct since his name had been associated with a SSN at one time.  Zachary insists that he does not have, nor has he ever had, a “valid” SSN on the basis of how the SSN had been fraudulently associated with him at one time.  Even though the Board of Architect Examiners threatened Zachary with a $5,000 fine and the denial of his Architect registration, he refuses to relent on his denial that he does not now, nor has he ever had, a “valid” SSN.  Zachary candidly admitted that his name had at one time been associated with a SSN, but it had been done against his will.  The Board contacted the Social Security Administration and found that they had a record with information relating to Zachary.  The Board then filed new charges against Zachary for his 2005 application, and subsequently his 2006 application, saying that he was trying to deceive them by saying that he did not have a “valid” SSN.  Zachary has a difficult up-hill battle ahead of him.  His contention is that just because the Social Security Administration is slack concerning the correction of their records does not mean that their records are valid.  He believes that their record is voidable because of the way it was established, in spite of their hiding any definitive procedure to ensure their record is voided.  Zachary has until
August 14, 2007 to appeal the Board’s decision.


Editorial by David Alan Carmichael
 

I am increasingly getting calls from people who are coming to the conclusion that the SSN is related to the number of the beast and the mark of the beast referred to in the book of Revelation.  As the Principal Minister of the American Christian Liberty Society Fellowship, I get the pleasure of encouraging these folks in their faith.  I tell them about some of our minor victories.  I tell them more about our great obstacles.  I like great obstacles.  They encourage my faith.  The bigger they are, the more that I am sure that we are going to get aid from our Heavenly Father who will no doubt show Himself strong on behalf of those who’s hearts are loyal to Him.  


I am doing what I can to help people in the work they are doing to recover their liberty.  In some instances, we hire lawyers to do the work using the money that folks donate to the Trust was set up for that purpose.  In every instance where we ask for religious accommodations, the government agents who process our requests come back with cookie-cutter bureaucratic side-steps that completely dodge the religious accommodation question.  That paid off in our
Carmichael v. United States case because there were money obligations of the government that could be claimed as damages.  We won specifically because they dodged the religious accommodation question.  In all of these other cases, we are being denied certifications that are somewhat discretionary.  They secondarily cause damage if we exercise what should be ‘our rights’ and then get put in jail for doing it without a license.  It is much harder in these instances to prepare for an action that will win in a court of law.  We expect to lose and the lower levels but are preparing things so that they will win at the higher levels so that liberty can be secured for many people.

Some stand back and wait to see if I will give up.  I can’t give up.  The parable of the persistent widow before the unjust judge in Luke chapter 18 gives me great encouragement.  Come join me in my plea for intervention against our adversary.  My hope is that when the Savior comes, He will find faith on the earth. 


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