The Christian Voice is not being heard enough in the world and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is accusing the Obama administration of using its federal power to limit religious freedom in the country.
"The present administration is supporting the use of coercive federal power. What should be easy calls in favor of religious freedom have instead become an aggressive stance against it," Bush said as he addressed the Liberty University commencement ceremony attended by around 34,000 people.
"The mistake is to confuse points of theology with moral principles that are knowable to reason as well as by faith. And this confusion is all part of a false narrative that casts religious Americans as intolerant scolds, running around trying to impose their views on everyone," he said.
Bush is poised to throw his hat into the Republican primary contest along Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, reported ABC News.
As a converted Catholic, he will be facing tough competition in the primaries since most of those who are joining the race all have strong conservative pedigrees. All of those who are joining the primaries have spoken out against any health care programme requirements that force religious organisations to provide health insurance that covers birth control.
Bush established a reputation as a social conservative while he was still governor of Florida. He was among those who prevented Terri Schiavo's husband Michael from removing the feeding tube keeping her alive in the controversial case involving Schiavo's husband and parents over prolonged life support.
Democrats were predictably unimpressed by Bush's attempt to court the conservative vote. Morgan Finklestein, spokesman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said that Bush made a wrong move in supporting Indiana's discrimination law and going against women's reproductive health rights.
