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Posted on 02/07/2012 5:27:02 AM PST by shortstop
The bishops are right.
It’s not about birth control, it’s about freedom.
Religious freedom.
The right to live your religion without being forced to violate it by the federal government.
I’m talking about the letters read over Roman Catholic pulpits the last two Sundays. Written by the many Catholic bishops across the country, the letters have called on parishioners to stand up to the government.
At issue is a recent dictate by the Obama Administration that says all employers must offer sterilization and birth-control services, to include the morning-after pill, as part of their health-insurance package. Further, the products and procedures must be offered without a co-pay.
Pills to save your life, co-pay.
Pills to keep you from creating life, no co-pay.
And that’s against the Catholic teaching that human intimacy has as one of its primary purposes procreation, that the commandment to be fruitful and multiply has not been withdrawn.
Granted, many Catholics – maybe most – don’t follow the church’s birth-control teachings. But certainly many do, many feel the teaching is an important article of faith and must be embraced by believers as an act of humility and obedience to God.
The government is telling those people to go to hell.
Maybe literally.
The government is telling those people to sin. To pay for procedures and products which their God has told them are evil.
Yes, churches would be exempt. But church-owned institutions – like human-service non-profits, schools and hospitals – would not. And neither would individuals. So a faithful Catholic who employed people and offered health insurance would have to pay for birth control and sterilization.
And that’s not right.
It’s one thing for the government to tax people and use that money as the people’s representatives decide. In that instance, a republican form of government means some people’s priorities and values will occasionally get walked on. The government pays for abortions with taxes Catholics pay.
But this is different.
In this instance, the government is forcing people, without a vote of their representatives, to pay directly for something they morally object to. It steps into a new realm.
A realm in which the First Amendment gets gutted.
All by dictate of the Obama Administration.
And that’s not right.
And the bishops are right to call us to action against it.
Some bishops have gone so far as to categorically declare that they cannot and will not obey the dictate. They have also called on faithful Catholics to rally against the Obama rule.
Freedom-loving people of all faiths should echo that call and answer it. Regardless of what one’s religion says about birth control, one’s disgust at this power grab should be enough to motivate powerful opposition.
I am not Catholic, and my church’s opposition to birth control has disappeared with time, but this issue is important to me personally. I support the Catholic teaching on the particular issue and I support the bishops’ call to stand for freedom.
And I think we all should.
I think that this is one of those issues where calling and writing your congressperson is prudent and wise. I believe that asking members of Congress where they stand on this issue is also worthwhile.
I believe that this should not go unchallenged. I believe it should be an issue in looming congressional and presidential elections. I believe it is a litmus test on the role and power of government.
And it is a gut check on the Constitution.
Either you uphold and defend it, or you don’t.
This isn’t about birth control. This is about freedom. It is about the most fundamental freedom, the freedom of conscience the Founders called religion.
Religious freedom.
The right to live your religion without being forced to violate it by the federal government.
In a Marxist society such as that envisioned by Commissar Obama and his Democrat stooges in congress, freedom is reserved to the Ruling Elite.
For the rest, it’s, “Off to the gulag with you, Comrade!”
How many of the clergy and church hierarchy found gun control measures they could get behind enthusiastically and now want to know why the government feels emboldened to ignore the constitution?
Stop right there. Where have the bishops stood and cried to heaven over the right to life, these past 40 years? Most were far too busy advocating "social justice" and conveying the Host to pro-abort politicians, but suddenly they are up in arms over a program they often endorsed in principle, brought to us by a president they often applauded and welcomed.
They are p3wned and Lord Obama has graciously granted them one year to figure out how to suck it up. Don't make him have to extend it. and conveying the Host to pro-abort politicians, but suddenly they are up in arms over a program they often endorsed in principle, brought to us by a president they often applauded and welcomed.
Please excuse the botched post, second time that’s happened, and I do preview. Maybe time to dump Opera. Let’s try this again:
Stop right there. Where have the bishops stood and cried to heaven over the right to life, these past 40 years? Most were far too busy advocating “social justice” and conveying the Host to pro-abort politicians, but suddenly they are up in arms over a program they often endorsed in principle, brought to us by a president they often applauded and welcomed.
They are p3wned and Lord Obama has graciously granted them one year to figure out how to suck it up. Don’t make him have to extend it.
And many other left-wing programs.
With no disrespect, I don’t understand how Catholics can be so angry now when most of the Catholics I know voted for him. When they say anything to me now I just roll my eyes and say, well, what did you expect??? Isn’t this your own fault? Weren’t you paying attention?
And it’s not just Catholics. I live in Texas and I also know a lot of Baptists who also voted for Obama. Isn’t it hypocritical for anyone who believes in God to vote for a pro-life Democrat? Do they have a right to complain now?
“Religious freedom.
The right to live your religion without being forced to violate it by the federal government.”
_________________________________________________________
...which is exactly why WE WILL NOT COMPLY!
Of Course the Bishops are right, but they cooked their own goose when they backed the Healthcare (Obamacare) bill in the beginning.
Now that they see what this Communist a-hole has done with it they whine about it.
They should have taken their stand years ago when Pelosi, Biden and others in the Democrat Party regime started going against their faith and worshipping the Democrat party as their god.
“With no disrespect, I don’t understand how Catholics can be so angry now when most of the Catholics I know voted for him. When they say anything to me now I just roll my eyes and say, well, what did you expect??? Isn’t this your own fault? Weren’t you paying attention?...”
To you and all the other people of FR who keep bringing up the Catholic issue as “they asked for it”... blah, blah. blah...
You did not read or comprehend this article. IT’S NOT ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL AND IT’S NOT ABOUT CATHOLICS!!!
I’m a Catholic, and I have never voted for any Democrat for POTUS, or for that matter for any Democrat fo congress or the senate. The bishops do advocate for the poor, and often their statements sound like they are advocating for larger government. Unfortunately many of our clergy are still in a frame of mind about the two parties like it was mid 20th century.
I can assure you that the younger priests now being trained and are now in many parishes are not so liberal as in the past. In fact, the last three priests at my parish are Republicans, although they never say so in public, but they come and speak to me about their frustrations about the political climate in the USA. Happily the seminaries have been reformed and cleaned out of the liberal nonsense that permeated them in the past half century. Regarding the bishops, the younger the bishops are, the more conservative they are on social issues. They are adamant in reminding us that we need to help the poor - and personally, not through the government.
If US conservatives do not get behind the church in this battle, they will pick off every religious hospital, school and charity and force them to fund health care that is against their consciences. Folks, this is WAR! IF THEY CAN BRING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO ITS HEELS, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY WILL STOP THERE? Have we learned nothing from the fiasco that befell Germany when Hitler came to power?
Wake up America! The First Amendment is under assault by our very own federal government. We must stop it!!!
Ironically - and I say this with all due respect, as a faithful Catholic - ironically, it seems the Bishops have had their “come to Jesus” moment.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
Thank you! It’s unfortunate that they needed such a jolt to see the reality of Obama and his entire Democratic machine which is pushing anti-American, anti-Christian laws.
Actually, we need to embrace folks who have had their eyes opened. Remember the old saying, that a "conservative is just a liberal who was mugged".
Obama showed his true agenda to these folks and they are rebelling.
Let's welcome them to our movement and get this moron and all of his synchophants out of office (and into jail, such as Eric Holder).
If the Bishops want to fill the streets, let's join them.
It’s time for the Catholics to march on Washington. We will not comply.
These are valid points - and I guarantee there is a plethora of soul-searching going on among American bishops who’ve not had the spine to defend life and put forth the difficult messages from the pulpit. That said, I would like to make three points:
1) We need to recognize the bishops who HAVE been ringing the alarm bells for years and years (Chaput, Burke, and Jenky immediately come to mind, but there are more).
2) At our respective parishes, we need to pray for and recommend for protection all priests, but especially those who have preached the Gospel of Life untiringly. The same goes for Protestant and Jewish congregations who are in sympathy. Clergy are the vanguard here - whether it’s a Catholic priest, a rabbi, or a minister/pastor.
3) We can’t turn this into a circular firing squad. There will be plenty of fingers to point when this is resolved (or not resolved), but right now we need to marshal all our forces and work towards the task at hand - the full retreat of the fascist government in Washington from its attack on the First Amendment.
Good Friday would make for a powerful witness. It would need to be millions, though, to get covered by the press. I personally agree with Michael Sean Winters (a liberal, believe it or not), who thinks the Bishops should chain themselves to the doors of the Capital.
So true what the Bible says about the children of darkness being much more committed than the children of light.
Lets hope so.
I agree completely, that this is a 1st Amendment issue!! However, the liberal U.S. Bishops are largely responsible for this mess. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops actually fully supported universal healthcare. Therefore, when it was being debated, their only position was that they didn’t want it to provide for abortions and contraception. Well, guess what, you lay down with dogs, you get fleas!! Now, in response to their folly, instead of seeking the repeal of Obamacare, they just want this conscience protection clause. I call bs. How about The Bishops unite in OVERTURNING Obamacare? I already know the answer, because a significant number of the Bishops want to keep it. See here: http://www.redstate.com/csbadeaux/2012/02/04/excommunicate-the-bishops/
Did you mean to write "pro-abortion"?
This insurance issue is just the camel’s nose under the tent. If Obama is re-elected I could see the federal government forcing Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. Let’s pray the Bishops stick to their guns...I would love to see the public’s reaction when federal SWAT Teams are dispatched to arrest Catholic leaders for non compliance with this unholy mandate. There could be no greater proof of Obama’s tyranny.
The best way to enforce fairness is tyranny.
We just had a march of hundreds of thousands for Life on January 23,2012.Change the government in November to solve the problems.With Obama out and a Republican Senate we can undo the damage.Let us pray that most of the Catholic clergy has seen the light also.
If what I’ve read is correct this is only a HHS mandate NOT a law. If it’s not a LAW then it doesn’t have to followed correct? The head of HHS can’t just arbitrarily announce something must be done without it passing Congress. Obama and his minions can go to hell.
Unfortunately in this case, when Congress was controlled by Pelosi and Reed and their minions, Congress granted all sorts of dictatorial powers to the Secretary of HHS. The Obamacare bill is littered with the phrase "as the Secretary [of HHS] shall direct". Pelosi's "we have to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it" was actually true in a way, since "what's in it" is only determined when HHS exercises the dictatorial regulatory powers with which the bill vested it.
I did mean pro-abortion, thank you. I’m not in that frame of mind, so it doesn’t roll off the keyboard naturally :-)
Well yes, it is. It may also be a state's rights issue.
By law, health insurance cannot be purchased across state lines. State insurance commissions regulate what has to be included in the policies. The commerce clause thus cannot be used to justify this particular federal mandate.
What's more, this overreach by Obama gives the plaintiff's lawyers in the case involving the Obamacare individual mandate, a clear argument that upholding the mandate will provide a "slippery slope" toward other mandates.
"a conservative is just a liberal who was mugged by reality"
fixed it...
I agree with what you said, but I believe in holding people accountable for their actions. I am not beneath pointing my finger at them first and saying, I TOLD YOU SO.
Maybe if they all would have paid attention in the first place, we wouldn’t even BE in this mess right now. It’s not MY fault Obama is where he is doing what he is doing... it’s THEIR fault. No person who goes to church every Sunday who believes in God and life at conception should have EVER voted for Obama (or any democrat for that matter.) Yes, I’m angry at every one of them for being naive.
Now we can move on. I welcome all of them to our fight (finally).
The bishops have been forceful, and made it clear they won’t back down the tiniest bit on this.
In fact, this is so bad for Obama that I have a prediction to make (sticking my neck out) - I predict Kathleen Sebilius will be forced to resign.
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