Posted on 02/08/2012 1:00:58 PM PST by NYer
.- A letter from 154 bipartisan members of Congress is urging the Obama administration to reverse a contraception mandate that religious employers say would require them to violate their consciences.
The Feb. 6 letter to Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, condemned the recent mandate as an “unprecedented overreach by the federal government.”
Congressional leaders urged Sebelius to “reconsider the final rule” as it applies to employers and individuals who have moral or religious objections to the coverage required by the mandate.
They also asked her for “specific details on the process followed in the reading and evaluating of the public comments submitted” about the mandate.
The letter comes amid a storm of criticism over Sebelius’ recent announcement that virtually all employers will soon be required to purchase health insurance plans that cover contraceptives – including abortion-inducing drugs – and sterilization.
In their letter, the congressmen noted that Sebelius’ department had received more than 200,000 comments on the rule during its public comment period. Many of these comments objected to the “narrow scope of the religious exemption” included in the mandate.
The religious exemption applies only to those organizations that exist to instill religious values and limit their employment and services to primarily members of their own faith. While most churches are covered by the exemption, huge numbers of religious schools, hospitals and charitable organizations are not.
However, despite the massive wave of criticism, Sebelius refused to broaden the exemption in issuing the final rule on Jan. 20.
In response, Rep. Steve Scalise (R - LA) led a Congressional effort to compose a letter voicing “strong opposition” to the mandate, which he described as “radical” and an “attack on the religious freedoms guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights.”
In their joint letter, congressional leaders observed that the mandate infringes upon the conscience rights not only of those who object to contraception, but also “of those who, for moral or religious reasons, oppose abortion.”
They explained that the regulation requires coverage of certain “drugs and devices that can function as abortifacients,” such as Plan B and Ella.
They also said that the one-year extension granted to religiously-affiliated organizations that object to the mandate “only delays the inevitable violation of conscience.”
The members of Congress asked Sebelius to consider the concerns that had been raised.
They requested that she “suspend the final rule” until an arrangement has been made to “ensure that both employers and individuals are afforded their constitutionally protected conscience rights.”
The whole thing is an evil, unconstitutional, marxist nightmare.
How many of those 150 congressional leaders are Democrats?
Kathleen Sebelius was instructed by her bishop in Kansas AND by the Archbishop of Washington, in no uncertain terms, that she is NOT to present herself for Holy Communion in a Catholic Church.
That's also in Wikipedia.
So now you know.
I’m just making the distinction that it is one thing to have executive branch agencies execute the laws passed by the legislative branch.
It is another when the agencies are illegally assigned law making powers which we the people granted to Congress only.
I think when Santorum pointed out that the Bishops had supported Obamacare, he was inferring a major problem in fighting Obama on this; i.e. if the Bishops lacked the mental capacity or foresight to deal with this during a process and outcome they supported, how do they encourage followers to respect their leadership and line up behind them now? Obama was THEIR guy, and Obamacare was THEIR solution; now he's not? You want me to follow you where?
I think this calls for a MAJOR Church document which acknowledges the Church's errors in judgement and trust and, most importantly, lays out a clear plan of action (something like a "Contract With Christians") that we can review and sign-on to BEFORE we simply accept their leadership.
Right now I'm really wary of their leadership and I want to see that they 1)understand their errors 2) have a plan and 3) they are COMMITTED.
The Church should issue a new "Non Abbiamo Bisogno" a "We Do Not Need" - Obamacare
"Non Abbiamo Bisogno" ("Italian for "We do not need") is a Roman Catholic Church encyclical published on 29 June 1931 by Pope Pius XI. The encyclical begins with the Pope's protest against Mussolini's closing of Italian Catholic Action and Catholic Youth organizations in that same year. Pius XI made protests not just about the closing of these Catholic associations, but also against calumnies[clarification needed] ordered to be published in the Italian press by Mussolini.
"Pius also wrote that Mussolini's regime was anti-Catholic. The encyclical was clearly anti-fascist in stance.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Vatican Secretary of State) asserts that the encyclical was "strongly polemic" against Mussolini who ordered that Catholic youth associations be dissolved."
Paragraph 73 could be used today:
"Yet Catholics will never be able to agree to adopt or to favour maxims or ways of thinking and of acting contrary to the right of the Church and to the welfare of souls, and therefore contrary to the rights of Almighty God."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_Abbiamo_Bisogno
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_29061931_non-abbiamo-bisogno_en.html
First off, I generally agree with your point.
BUT:
It should not be signed by the Pope. Can you imagine the shrieking and howling against a "foreign potentate" intruding into the domestic affairs of The United States? I can name names of FReepers who would likely be very loud in their protests. And then, consider the reaction from the pro-death left.
On the one hand, they (particularly the anti-Catholic FReepers) can pound sand. I hold them beneath contempt
On the other, it would be counterproductive. The debate would be about that horrible, interfering Pope rather than about that horrible marxist President.
So ... such a document should come from American Bishops ... I would strongly encourage them to do so individually and collectively. Each individual Bishop has the unquestioned authority to write whatever pastoral letter he deseires; one which condemns communist medical care (0bamacare) would be most welcome and timely.
I completely agree. I've been using the terms "the Church" and "the Bishops", but you're correct.
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And she has been banned from Communion by her Bishop.
Forget about “walking it back”; Obummer needs to WALK THE PLANK!
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