Recently, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, President Barack Obama insisted freedom of religion “is important to national security and is a central tenet of U.S. diplomacy,” according to The Associated Press.

Really?

We suppose Americans should be pleased the White House considers freedom of religion to be important in other countries. But how about our own?

Forcing deeply religious people or faith-based organizations to pay for activities with which they disagree strongly certainly doesn’t sound like freedom of religion. Yet, through Affordable Care Act provisions requiring all employers to provide insurance that includes abortion coverage, the president is doing just that. Some of those employers are church groups, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor, who are waging a court fight against the federal edict.

Freedom of religion indeed is important – here, as well as abroad.