Posted on 02/07/2012 9:40:26 AM PST by Notwithstanding
A national controversy over contraception is hitting home in Southwest Florida.
"You talk about religious intolerance, this is about as bad as it gets," Ave Maria University President Jim Towey said.
A new provision under President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act will require most church-affiliated employers to blanket free birth control under their health insurance plans.
Ave Maria University is just one of the institutions forced to change their coverage.
"We certainly understand universities that was to provide contraceptive services. People can disagree on that issue. But nobody should be obliged to violate it's moral principles and conscience," Towey said Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at winknews.com ...
"I just think it's wrong and we're going to fight it. And if it means that we may have to drop our health insurance, we may have to do that," Towey said.
Senator Marco Rubio of has already drafted a bill calling on an Amendment to the Affordable Healthcare Act to protect religious organizations.
Representatives from Ave Maria University also say they'll pursue litigation against the federal government, if necessary.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2843487/posts
Transcript:
The primary responsibility of a president of a Catholic University is to defend and protect its Catholic mission and identity. Ave Maria University is going to fight the Federal Government's mandate that we provide contraceptive services as part of our healthcare plan. We're doing this because we feel morally compelled to follow the Catholic Church's teachings and also to express our own rights of religious liberty. It is not the right of the Federal Government under Obamacare to require us to provide services that are morally unacceptable to us. We respect the rights of other colleges and universities to look at this question differently and to provide contraceptive services in their healthcare plans. Ave Maria University chooses not to provide those services because of our faithfulness to Catholic teaching, and it is not the right of the federal government to come and coerce us and, in effect, force us to violate our rights of conscience in order to comply with an unjust mandate. Ave Maria University will take its fight to Washington, we will be meeting with our elected officials in Congress and in the United States' Senate, and we will be exploring what legal remedies are in front of us at our March Board of Trustees meeting. But one thing is certain: Ave Maria University will fight this mandate of the Federal Government and will not comply with it. Thank you.
“You talk about religious intolerance, this is about as bad as it gets,” Ave Maria University President Jim Towey said.
Hmmm.
Every day — at least one, usually more than one — example of government at war with its people.....
I believe the time has come to say you are going to fight it. It’s is time to flat out draw a line in the sand and say you are NOT going to do it under ANY circumstance. It doesn’t matter if its the law of the land. It doesn’t matter if a government bureaucrat orders it. It does matter if a judge orders it. It doesn’t even matter if they come in and arrest you for contempt of court. You are flat out NOT going to do it. Say it loud, say it proud, and MEAN it.
The admin moderator has relegated this hard news story as “blogger”.
It is from a local CBS News affiliate (WINK) in Fort Myers, Florida.
I hope you will fix that error.
Thank you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.