Catholic Institutions Sue To Restore Religious Freedom

IBD Edirorials ^ | May 22, 2012

[raptor22]

Freedom Of Religion: Deciding not to go quietly into the secular night of ObamaCare, 43 Catholic institutions have sued for the right to practice what they preach and they thought the Constitution already guaranteed them.

The 43 institutions are situated in 16 jurisdictions from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., to the University of Notre Dame.

Yes, that Notre Dame, where President Obama in 2009 gave a commencement address in which he called for "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words" in the pursuit of "common ground."

Seeing that common ground shifting under their feet, the Catholic institutions have decided to pick up their cross and haul it into court to challenge the ObamaCare mandate that employers provide insurance coverage that includes abortion-inducing drugs, as well as contraceptives and sterilization procedures.

On Monday, Father John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, was singing from a different hymn book. "This filing," he said, "is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives."

Indeed, it's about the free exercise of religion that the Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to protect.

In its brief, the Archdiocese of New York said the lawsuit and debate are not about "whether people have a right to abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraception," but rather "an oppressive federal government that seeks to require plaintiffs — all Catholic entities — to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs by providing, paying for, and/or facilitating access to those products and services."

The lawsuits are a ringing statement that these 43 institutions will not comply.

[livius]

In its brief, the Archdiocese of New York said the lawsuit and debate are not about "whether people have a right to abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraception," but rather "an oppressive federal government that seeks to require plaintiffs — all Catholic entities — to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs by providing, paying for, and/or facilitating access to those products and services."

That sums it up...an oppressive federal government. Hey, didn't we rebel against one of those (not federal, but still oppressive)?

[Sun]

I just wrote a letter to the editor about the leftist politicians attack on religious liberty, which was published in a couple of newspapers.

Hope others will join me. We can’t let up on this.