“ours” sounds like they are fighting so the church and their businesses (universities, hospitals, schools) can operate outside of Obamacare. That leaves all other Catholic owned businesses out in the cold. I welcome them into the fight, but it seems to me religious freedom should not be limited to church-operated business.
Thanks for posting the entire statement from Wednesday, March 14th. It is as I expected. With Cardinal Timothy Dolan as it’s leaser, and the many new bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, we now have a cadre of strong spokesmen for the cause of religious freedom for all, the institutions, the right of churches to define what is a “church institution”, the rights of private employers, as well of individuals who purchase health care.
OK, the battle lines have been further delineated. It’s onward in this battle. Remember, Jesus promised us that the “Gates of Hell will not prevail” against the church. Jesus did not say we would not have to stand firm and we would not suffer some persecution, but perhaps it is time we who call ourselves Christian have to be persecuted even here in the USA. As St. Paul might state, “I consider myself honored to be reviled for the Christian Gospel and the cross of Christ.”
And it involves a violation of the civil rights of individuals, who will be compelled to act against their conscientious convictions This is so far outside the bounds of acceptable governmental behavior that I am appalled, a condition that I thought Obama's immoral and inept administration had lost the power to induce. Godwin's Law "As a discussion goes on, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1" has finally reached the situation for which it was created: "Precisely because such a comparison or reference may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact."
For the United States government to compel individuals with a sincere religious objection to pay for abortion and for contraceptives that function in some cases by inducing early abortions is a shocking and disgusting act, one that violates fundamental and unalienable human rights granted by God and the associated legal rights guaranteed in the First Amendment of "The Supreme Law of the Land". While such violations were common under socialists like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao in the 1900s, I thought our Constitution would protect us even if the voters chose a socialist for our White House. Since I was clearly wrong, it is our duty as Americans to restore constitutional government, starting with the ballot box in November.
Because of this socialist gross overreach, failure to vote in November has passed from an act of indifference to an unforgivable act.
We must vote Obama out and vote in a Congress conservative enough to stop this power grab and restore fundamental human rights.
This is not about access to contraception, which is ubiquitous and inexpensive. . . . This is not about the religious freedom of Catholics only, but also of those who recognize that their cherished beliefs may be next on the block. This is not about the bishops’ somehow ‘banning contraception,’ when the U.S. Supreme Court took that issue off the table two generations ago. Indeed, this is not about the Church wanting to force anybody to do anything; it is, instead, about the federal government forcing the Church . . . to act against Church teachings. This is not a matter of opposition to universal health care, which has been a concern of the Bishops’ Conference since 1919, virtually at its founding. This is not a fight we want or asked for, but one forced upon us by government on its own timing. Finally, this is not a Republican or Democratic, a conservative or liberal issue; it is an American issue. As a Jew, I seldom have any reason to pay any attention to what Catholic leaders have to say. However, this issue is one that completely transcends any particular religion, and goes to the heart of the 1st Amendment protections that ALL believers have against government coercion. Three cheers for these bishops, they've really hit the nail on the head. As the above statement points out, this is an issue of religious liberty, not contraception. They are also spot on that this issue was not one that they/we sought, but rather one that was on them/us by the fascist Obama Administration.
