Posted on 10/20/2006 6:40:09 AM PDT by presidio9
Catholic and other religious social service groups must provide contraceptive coverage to their employees even if they consider contraception a sin, according to yesterday's ruling by the state's highest court.
The 6-0 decision by the state Court of Appeals hinged on defining Catholic Charities and the other nine religious groups suing the state to be social service agencies, rather than only operating as churches.
The organizations "believe contraception to be sinful," the decision states. "We must weigh against [their] interests in adhering to the tenets of their faith the state's substantial interest in fostering equality between the sexes, and in providing women with better health care."
The New York Catholic Conference is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"We think this has never really been about contraception, we think it was to target the church and open the door for coverage of abortion," said Dennis Poust, spokesman for the Catholic conference.
The court said the fact that the organizations hire employees outside their faith is a critical factor and they deserve the rights sought under the law.
"That ought to be offensive to anyone of faith," Poust said.
"I think it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Catholicism, which teaches that to be saved, Catholics must perform works of mercy," Poust said. "Faith alone is not enough . . . and the way the church performs its works of mercy is through its Catholic Charities, its schools and its hospitals -
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
There is a reason why the Church is against contraception.
While it's complex (for a much better explanation, I'd highly recommend reading Christopher West's Theology of the Body for Beginners), I'll try my best to give a really brief explanation...
I. Married life is a continuation of the sacrament of marriage; and sexual activity between man and woman is meant to be a reaffirmation, renewal, and expression of their wedding vows.
II. As in Gn 2:24, man and woman join together to become one flesh.
III. Marriage images God's love for us, and the sexual union symbolizes the complete mutual giving of man and woman. Thus the sexual union visualizes the very mystery of God and is a sign of the sacrament of marriage
IVa. According to Pope John Paul II, the "language of the body" (West, ToBB p.104) speaks about this very mystery and its being a sign.
IVb.Inserting contraception into the equation produces a counter-sign. Or, as Christopher West puts it, contraceptive sex proclaims that "God is NOT life-giving love," which in itself is a sacrilege.
V. Because of this, contraception denies the totality of the conjugal act and thus turns the "I do" of the wedding vow into an "I do not."
VI. Since the conjugal act is the ultimate representation of God's love for us, and contraception perverts that representation, it is thus unacceptable to use contraception.
Disclaimer--As I'm currently reading up on the Theology of the Body--so I'm in no way an expert (and I might not be 100% on the money). If anyone's more knowledgeable about it, feel free to chime in...8^)
I think that all hospitals that are licensed are required by some inane and ridiculously expensive federal mandate to serve all emergency cases within their competence. I may be wrong.
Thank you for your kindness and prayers for Fr. Weslin. Like General Patton before Bastogne, he needs all the prayers he can get from chaplains who stand in well with the Lord.
Hell, I'd be happy to supply real arms and ammo for THAT march...
Hey include me! I doubt arms would be needed though. Just a few hundred crucifixes and a gallon or so of holy water should dissipate the majority of all the opposition as they melt in front of our very eyes. Sort of Dracula-like.
F
Marriage isn't a religious establishment. It is a Divinely established institution. Believers and unbelievers may enjoy the blessings of that institution and live very healthy lives when abiding by the legitimate authority within those institutions. Three other divinely established institutions include free will (volition), family, and national governance.
Those who rebel from those institutions merely bring additional suffering and misery into their lives and others around them. One doesn;t have to have faith in Christ in order to inherit many of the blessings of those institutions. They were provided for believer and unbeliever alike.
" My Kingdom is not of this earth." Catholic Charities should withdraw from the hospitals and/or charities which require Catholics to fund practices antithetical to their beliefs. Abortion will be next if not stopped now.
That's by no means clear, and is something you're reading into the text. And what do you do with "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord' will be saved, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven"??
I've come to expect nothing more.
The first amendment was meant to protect rights of conscience for the individual; this ruling clearly violates the intent and letter of the first amendment. No law should compel someone to commit a grave offense against his conscience.
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