Contact: Peter Wolfgang, Executive Director, Family Institute of Connecticut, 860-548-0066

HARTFORD, Conn., March 21, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Family Institute of Connecticut will co-host the Hartford Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally on Friday, March 23rd at 12:00 p.m. in front the of the Ribicoff Court House, 450 Main Street. Hundreds of state residents will join together to urge our federal government to cease its attempt to coerce religious institutions, in violation of their conscience, to provide contraceptives, abortifacients and sterilizations through their health insurance.

FIC executive director Peter Wolfgang stated, "This is about religious liberty, not contraception. Never before in our history has the federal government sought to force believers to violate their conscience as they are now doing with the HHS mandate. If the government can do this to Catholics, it can do it to anyone of us regardless of our beliefs. Hundreds of people will protest in Hartford on Friday the 23rd because they know that if we lose this battle, we lose the First Amendment."
 
Peter Wolfgang will be the master of ceremonies for the Hartford Rally, which is co-hosted by Connecticut Right to Life and will be keynoted by Joseph Scheidler, president of the Pro-Life Action League. The League has organized a nationwide series of rallies that will be occurring at the same time as the Hartford Rally. Other public figures and clergy will also be speaking at the Hartford Rally.

The Family Institute of Connecticut is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to creating a family-friendly environment in our state. We are working to encourage and strengthen the family as the foundation of society and to promote sound ethical and moral values in our culture and government. You can learn more about the Family Institute of Connecticut at our web site, www.ctfamily.org, or by calling our Hartford office at (860) 548-0066 or toll-free (877) 33-FAMILY.