The Right Opinion
Outrageous Choice: Religious Freedom or Healthcare?
The Obama Administration has shown its cards. It is using ideology to trump religious freedom.
I've told you that the Obama Administration is intentionally restricting religious freedom. I've told you we are in danger of losing the right to exercise our faith in public.
Well, maybe I've been too understated. The attack is relentless.
Just recently, the Obama Administration announced that the Affordable Healthcare Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare, requires that employers pay for contraception, including abortifacients, and that Catholic institutions are not exempt from this requirement.
Well, Catholic Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh and other bishops are blowing the trumpets on the ramparts. And my hat's off to them. They see the Administration's actions for what they truly are.
In an open letter released last week, Zubik said that, "Kathleen Sebelius and through her, the Obama administration, have said 'To [H-] with You' to the Catholic faithful of the United States. To [H-] with your religious beliefs, to [H-] with your religious liberty, to [H-] with your freedom of conscience." I'll leave it to your imagination what the H- stands for.
In the administration's twisted way of thinking, contraception is "preventive care" that helps prevent illness in the same way that cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes screening do -- even though pregnancy is the means by which life is perpetuated and the species' existence continued.
Even worse is the willful refusal to accommodate the beliefs of the nation's largest religious body.
Sibelius defended the decision as "striking the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services." This is the same Kathleen Sibelius who told the crowd of abortion supporters at a NARAL fund-raiser, "we are at war" over the "pregnancy prevention" issue.
This the same Kathleen Sibelius whose department has issued hundreds of waivers for plans that fail to meet other Health and Human Service standards, including those offered by McDonalds. "Appropriate balance," my foot!
Every Christian, not just Catholics, should be outraged by the Obama Administration's decision. The regulations represent a move to define religious liberty in the narrowest possible terms. As one wag put it, the exemptions in these regulations are so narrow Jesus would not have been able to get through them.
Given the Catholic presence in areas such as health care, education and other social services, this is folly. Think of the public services that won't be delivered to people in need. And, Catholics are being asked to make a choice no Christian should ever be forced to make: heeding your conscience or serving your neighbor.
Folks, we've got to stand with all Christians and protest the Administration's outrageous assault on religious liberty. Our religious freedom is in grave peril. Today, now, I want you to go to BreakPoint.org. We will link you to Bishop Zubik's letter. I want you to read it and then send it to everyone you know.
And then today, as well, go sign the Manhattan Declaration. Again, we'll link you to it. In the coming months, you will be hearing much more from us on efforts to defend life, marriage, and religious liberty, for we have no time to lose.
4 Comments
Pat
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Yesterday I got into a heated discussion with a woman when I decried late term abortions. She said, "You will be the first one yelling about making welfare payments to these babies." Astounding. Just kill the babies off because they're not convenient, and save the state some money. This is where we get with people without religious principles.
Richard Ryan
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 7:01 PM
Anytime someone mentions Kathleen Sebelius I want to either puke or scream. She has to be one of the most hateful, mean looking people ever put on this earth. Living in Missouri, she is one of the main reasons I don`t have much use for Kansas. There has to be something wrong with a state that would elect her as governor.Richard RyanLamar,Missouri - Birthplace of Harry S Truman
Doug Indeap
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 3:41 AM
Some, including apparently the Church, have resorted to lies to in their efforts to oppose the health care law. Contrary to wild-eyed cries to the contrary, IT DOES NOT FORCE EMPLOYERS TO ACT CONTRARY TO THEIR BELIEFS.Questions about the government requiring or prohibiting something that conflicts with someone’s faith are entirely real, but not new. The courts have occasionally confronted such issues and have generally ruled that the government cannot enact laws specifically aimed at a particular religion (which would be regarded a constraint on religious liberty contrary to the First Amendment), but can enact laws generally applicable to everyone or at least broad classes of people (e.g., laws concerning pollution, contracts, fraud, negligence, crimes, discrimination, employment, etc.) and can require everyone, including those who may object on religious grounds, to abide by them. Were it otherwise and people could opt out of this or that law with the excuse that their religion requires or allows it, the government and the rule of law could hardly operate. When moral binds for individuals can be anticipated, provisions may be added to laws affording some relief to conscientious objectors. Here, it may be questioned whether there is real need for such an exemption, since no one is being "forced," as some commentators rage, to act contrary to his or her belief. In keeping with the law, those with conscientious objections to providing their employees with qualifying health plans may decline to provide their employees with any health plans and pay an assessment instead or, alternatively, provide their employees with health plans that do not qualify (e.g., ones without provisions they deem objectionable) and pay lower assessments.
Jeff Price
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 12:22 PM
As a fervant Protestant, over the years I have found myself at loggerheads on occassion with Cathlic theology. However at a time like this I have only one thing to say the Catholic church....God speed and go get em'.