[affan76]

First, this is not just about abortion. Socialist or totalitarian states must neuter the moral high ground that organized religion provides the masses. This administration does not want parochial schools teaching about God, hospitals serving the indigent and adoption agencies helping place unwanted children. It wants the Catholic Church out of those businesses. For socialism to work you must have the people turn to and be resilient on the government for all things. The Catholic Church and abortion have been chosen as the battle for moral high ground. For devout Catholics if the Catholic church caves on this the most sacred of all issues, human life, the Socialism will have a much easier path take over the US. Devout Catholics will turn away from the Church. For this reason you are seeing the Bishops and priests stand up for once and fight.

Second, for Socialism to be totally dominant it must have the masses devalue life itself. The liberals have won on the new life end of the spectrum, i.e. abortion can be as easy as popping an aspirin, etc. Next is working on the Euthanasia end of the spectrum and then on the disabled and those who don't fit the mold the government sets. See the similarities to the Soviet Union, China, and Hitler's Germany if you don't think this can happen.

People this is not just a Catholic battle. The battle field has been chosen against the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church knows it is in a war for souls. It needs all the help it's brothers and sisters can muster.

[Stosh]

Amen, brother.

The really sad aspect of this business is that the Church ceded much of its moral clout in this venue decades ago, when it muted its opposition to the moral travesties of secular liberals in government as a means of maintaining its influence in the “social justice” racket.

I’d point to two particular features of Church policy back in the ‘70’s that set the table for this debacle: the tolerance of pro-abortion Robert Drinan as a congress-critter, who as a priest gave scandal to Church teachings through his policy positions, and the weasel-worded “seamless garment” argument (especially prominent with my archbishop, Cardinal Bernadin) that undercut the sincere opposition of the faithful to the abortion license.

But you are exactly right, the administration is out to neuter all religious belief it is in conflict with, and all people of faith need to push back.