Posted on 09/29/2013 2:30:59 PM PDT by NYer
Today, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order of Sisters dedicated to caring for the elderly poor (see video). Without relief, the Little Sisters face millions of dollars in IRS fines because they cannot comply with the government’s mandate that they give their employees free access to contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs. The Little Sisters are joined by their religious health benefits providers, Christian Brothers Services and Christian Brothers Employee Benefits Trust, and a class of other religious organizations facing similar fines, in the first class action lawsuit against the Mandate.
The Little Sisters of the Poor are an international Roman Catholic Congregation of women Religious founded in 1839 by St. Jeanne Jugan. They operate homes in 31 countries, where they provide loving care for over 13,000 needy elderly persons. Thirty of these homes are located in the United States.
“Like all of the Little Sisters, I have vowed to God and the Roman Catholic Church that I will treat all life as valuable, and I have dedicated my life to that work,” explained Sister Loraine Marie, Superior for one of the three U.S. provinces in the Congregation. “We cannot violate our vows by participating in the government’s program to provide access to abortion inducing drugs.”
Although the Little Sisters’ homes perform a religious ministry of caring for the elderly poor, they do not fall within the government’s narrow exemption for “religious employers.” Accordingly, beginning on January 1, the Little Sisters will face IRS fines unless they violate their religion by hiring an insurer to provide their employees with contraceptives, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs.
“The Sisters should obviously be exempted as ‘religious employers,’ but the government has refused to expand its definition,” said Mark Rienzi, Senior Counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead counsel for the Little Sisters. “These women just want to take care of the elderly poor without being forced to violate the faith that animates their work. The money they collect should be used to care for the poor like it always has—and not to pay the IRS.”
The lawsuit is the first of its kind both because it is a class-action suit that will represent hundreds of Catholic non-profit ministries with similar beliefs and because it is the first on behalf of benefits providers who cannot comply with the Mandate.
The lawsuit was filed in federal District Court in Denver. There are now 72 lawsuits challenging the mandate.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
That was my plan, but I didn't start the snark, and I didn't whine and complain!
Remember what Sampson did with just the jawbone of an ass, and the power of YHWH? Remember what David did to Goliath? It has *nothing* to do with your organizarion's skill at politics or it's deep bench.
(BTW, the first thing you learn is how to upright the boat when you go under!)
Don’t worry, verga, God protects His own.....there is no need for a believer to fear anything of this world.
God bless,
jodyel
Of every stripe, I also have gay and lesbian friends as well as quite a few minority friends.
I don’t think I’m that funny, really, so it must be the lack of sleep. I should have been in bed, too.
So said Elijah...
Romans 11:4
Or else WHAT??
Only PROTESTanrs snark.
Catholics rack.
Catholic teaching is that you can, however, TALK to 'dead people' (insert Catholic qualifier here) to get their help in getting a message to GOD.
And interesting side note: DisneyWorld has changed it's policy on letting 'handicappped' folks move to the head of the line.
Bring it!
The mainstream MORMON bunch in SLC caved to the big bad FEDERAL GOVERNMENT on polygamy; but the FUNDAMENTALIST Mormon groups sure haven't!
Why? When I have the BIBLE?
2 Kings 6:17
Dang... do ALL you Catholics think like this??
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