Catholic Bishops Oppose Compromise on Birth-Control Insurance [Cite "Grave" Objections To Mandate]

Wall St. J ^ | February 11, 2012 | LOUISE RADNOFSKY

[Steelfish]

FEBRUARY 11, 2012 Catholic Bishops Oppose Compromise on Birth-Control Insurance

By LOUISE RADNOFSKY

Catholic bishops said Friday night that they would not support the Obama administration's proposed compromise on a controversial rule that requires most employers to fully cover contraception in their workers' health plans.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which had led opposition to the regulation, issued a statement saying that they didn't believe their concerns were addressed by a new policy offered by President Barack Obama on Friday morning to allow religious employers who object to the use of birth control to turn over responsibility for covering it to insurance companies.

Under the new policy, religious employers that don't want to offer contraception could exclude it from their policies. Insurance companies instead would be required to provide access to contraception for plan participants who wanted it, without explicitly charging either the religious employer or worker.

The shift is intended to ensure that women working at religious hospitals, schools and charities who want to use contraception can obtain it in the same way as women who work for secular employers. It also means the cost of providing the coverage for those women is likely to be spread across all policyholders by insurers.

The bishops had earlier expressed cautious optimism about the announcement, saying that it was "a first step in the right direction" but that they would have to study it.

[FormerACLUmember]

The Catholics aren’t buying Obama’s doubletalk totalitarianism.

Actually the Orwellian proper term for Obama’s pronouncement is doublethink.

[SumProVita]

And EVERYONE should be blasting the White House email with their promise to fight this anti-Constitutional atrocity!!!!

[dreamerintexas]

the regime's compromise is rather ridiculous since most catholic healthcare systems self insure. therefore, they aren't shifting responsibility. they would still be paying for contraception benefits.

[SumProVita]

Even Obama avoided the word *compromise*...and with reasons:

1. He didn’t want to appear as if he was capitulating to the bishops and risk losing any vote support from his radical base.
2. There was NO compromise.

Despite what President Obama said at his White House press conference, the actual regulations make permanent the “interim final regulations” issued August 3, 2011 — the ones that sparked the furor in the first place.
...The bottom line is this: “Accordingly, the amendment to the interim final rule with comment period amending 45 CFR 147.130(a)(1)(iv) which was published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 46621-46626 on August 3, 2011, is adopted as a final rule without change.” [Emphasis added.]
Translation: The Obama administration Friday afternoon put into federal law the very regulation that drew objections from almost 200 Catholic bishops, some 50 religiously affiliated colleges and universities, 65 North American bishops of Orthodox churches, numerous other Jewish, Evangelical and Lutheran leaders, and even some liberals — and without changing so much as a comma.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2845298/posts

[loveliberty2]

"Although all men are born free, slavery has been the general lot of the human race. Ignorant—they have been cheated; asleep—they have been surprised; divided—the yoke has been forced upon them. But what is the lesson? ... the people ought to be enlightened, to be awakened, to be united, that after establishing a government, they should watch over it ... It is universally admitted that a well-instructed people alone can be permanently free."

Let the "instructions" about religious freedom, as well as the other freedoms set outside the purview of the government's authority by the First Amendment begin in every congregation and community in America!

For too long, the ideas of liberty were censored and erased from the "American mind" (Jefferson's description in 1776) by so-called "progressives" who now assume unconstitutional coercive power over the citizenry.

Their overreach has triggered a renewed interest in and devotion to Creator-endowed life, liberty, rights, and laws to protect them. Although censored from the textbooks, Divine Providence may have outwitted the petty oppressors by allowing new technologies that make the writings and speeches of the Revolutionary period, and their ancient sources, available to every citizen with a computer.

Call our people to throw off the mindset of dependency on a self-appointed beneficent tyrant and "Proclaim Liberty throughout the Land." (Liberty Bell and Bible)

[The Great RJ]

Remember when Nancy Pelosi said you had to pass the Obamacare bill to know what was in it? While surprise look what was in the bill...a direct attack on religious freedom. What other surprises are in Obamacare ...I shudder to think.

[loveliberty2]

Note the quotation at the start of my previous post is, of course, from James Madison, also known as the “father” of the Constitution.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The Catholics aren’t buying Obama’s doubletalk totalitarianism.

Actually the Orwellian proper term for Obama’s pronouncement is doublethink. -FormerACLUmember.

the regime's "compromise" is rather ridiculous since most catholic healthcare systems self insure. therefore, they aren't shifting responsibility. they would still be paying for contraception benefits. dreamerintexas. 

Wow! What an impressive "accommodation"! </sarcasm>

[chris_bdba]

Does he really think we are that dumb not to realize that we are still paying for the insurance which in turn provides what we object to? What idiot thought this sounded lie a good idea?

[RedMDer]

All contributions are for the Current Quarter Expenses.

[heye2monn]

I hope you’re right. Unfortunately a lot of Catholics and their leaders (along with Protestants) were dumb enough to support the Obamacare legislation in the first place.

Obama’s hoping the Catholics will lie down again, at least until after the election. Then he’ll really hammer them (with socialized medicine). There’s no retreat after that. It’s curtains.