Ted Cruz released the first 15 recommendations from his Religious Liberty Advisory Council on Thursday. ( Reuters photo )

On the eve of Good Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) revealed the first set of recommendations from his Religious Liberty Advisory Council.

The council was formed last month to advise his campaign and future administration on policies to defend religious liberty domestically and internationally. In revealing those recommendations during Holy Week, Cruz reminded his supporters that religious liberty is "the first American freedom."

"I thank this learned and committed group of leaders for their wise recommendations, and as president, I will be proud to work with them to protect our religious liberty," he said. "Defending religious liberty has been a lifelong passion, and I've been blessed to help win national victories, preserving the Texas Ten Commandments monument, the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial."

The recommendations comprise 15 initial actions, both legislative and executive, to emphasize and bolster the freedom of religion in the United States. Included are the following proposals:

Issue an executive order preventing the federal government from discriminating against Americans who believe that marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman.

Reinstate thorough and protective conscience rights protections in federal health care programs.

Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to exempt all employers who object for moral and religious reasons from any contraception mandate.

Update and revise military regulations to reflect a robust constitutional understanding of the first amendment rights of military personnel, particularly chaplains.

Pass the First Amendment Defense Act "to prevent discriminatory treatment of any person on the basis of views held with respect to marriage."

Direct the IRS to publicly clarify the generous rights of nonprofits and religious leaders to engage in political speech without compromising their tax-exempt status.

Rescind executive orders which limit the government from partnering with faith-based nonprofit organizations.

Order the Department of Education to issue guidelines which accurately address the rights of students, teachers and other school personnel to live out their faith in a school setting.

"Our constitutional liberties should not be subject to the whims of the current administration," Cruz said. "Whether Hobby Lobby or the Little Sisters of the Poor, people of faith should not be made to bow down at the altar of political correctness. As president, I have pledged on my first day in office to rescind every single one of President Obama's unconstitutional executive actions, and to direct every federal agency to respect and protect the religious liberty of every American."

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