Here's the nutshell. The O-God-Help-Us Administration has ruled that every employer in America, including Catholic institutions, must provide contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs in their company health plans. Even if doing so violates their conscious. (it does).
Set aside for a moment that this is about contraception. Not everyone is ever going to agree with the Church's position on contraception, so let's not argue about that. What this is REALLY about is religious freedom. Bishop Timothy Dolan, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says it best in the video link which I have partially quoted below;
"Never before has the Federal Government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the bill of rights. How about letting our elected leaders know we want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored."This ruling is a direct, obvious and blatant violation of the first amendment which states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
Even if you're not Catholic... if you believe in God and seek to serve Him at all... you should be concerned about this ruling. Because, if it stands, your beliefs are next.
A few months ago I said that our government was going to set out to destroy religious freedom. I predicted that they would go after Mormonism first, and the Catholics would be next. Seems the attention has flipped. You should know that I would gladly stand in defense of my Mormon friends should their fundamental beliefs be under attack.
I'm taking a bit of the easy way out here... and I'm going to link to some already well-written pieces about it. Hopefully I can dig up some writing inspiration in the next few days and come back to this post and do better.
Here is my area Bishop's thoughts on the ruling.
The Bad Catholic hit a home run as usual with his Open Letter to President O-God-Help-Us Concerning Recent Tyranny
We could only hope this unconstitutional ruling will be overturned.
And lastly, I ask for your help to write to the president and to your state representatives to repeal this ruling. I'm asking all of you Protestants out there who recognize this as an attack on religious freedom, to stand with your Catholic friends against this. If you need further convincing, please read Shoved to Them's Call to Arms. She provides links to contacts. If you would like a form letter to work from, contact me at Singlesolitarythings@yahoo.com, and I will send you a letter composed by a friend of mine.
Thank you for letting me address this. You know that I don't set out to preach on this blog, but our religious freedom is too precious to ignore.
This quote from Martin Niemoller, a foe of Hitler and Nazi rule is sounding quite relevant in our modern times, isn't it?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -
and there was no one left to speak for me.
image above borrowed from National Catholic Register
13 comments:
Don't know if you are interested or not but here is a link totally unrelated to this post (of which I 100% agree with you) http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2012/02/show-us-your-life-show-us-your-singles.html
I agree with you, TRS. We must stand up for religious liberty, and I hope that even our non-religious friends will recognize the importance of the freedom that is being trampled. The audacity of this legislation is new to us as a nation, and I fear it is a dangerous path that will lead to destruction.
Additionally, we cannot turn our back on God, and expect Him to continue to bless that which He despises (sin).
Thank you for your bold post.
Shannon. .. THANK YOU!
Yvonne. .. I'll check it out, thanks.
Why should the religious rights of the employer be more important than those of the individual employee?
Paj,
Repealing the legislation wouldn't affect the employees' freedom - just means they have to pay for it themselves. No one's saying they can't have those things - just don't make others who don't agree responsible for paying for it. Too many people think they should be given things just because they want them.
Being told you have to work for something or pay for it yourself is not a denial of freedom.
excellent point Alexis. Thank you for chiming in.
Paj, also I think people are confusing birth control with some fundamental human right.
isn't it odd to suppose that access to a drug that makes a normally functioning female body - NOT work as designed - should be a right?!
What comes next? Free boob jobs for everyone at their employers expense?
Or worse, yet more likely, lets just sterilize all women. Wait no, just the ugly ones.
After reading these posts, I'm curious, how do you feel about the Duggars (19 and counting)?
One interesting thought -- it's very possible that the whole plan would cost more to the employer/employees if these items were not covered. The ins. co may have determined that more children, more pregnancies costs them more than covering sterilization/birth control. So I don't think it can be assumed that the option to have these covered is the more expensive option for the employee/employer and that one is being forced to pay 'extra' for this.
As a couple people said, yes, I totally agree that it's ultimately up to the individual! If your insurance covers something you don't beieve in, it's up to you to not use that service/feature of your plan.
I don't like Obama care. Things will slip by quietly until we don't notice it. Like losing the freedom of religion. I would be happy with free vaccinations and free preventative care - as in preventative like weight loss, stress reduction, dentistry and eye care. All this other imposed stuff and the govt. telling me what I can and can't have annoys me.
I completely agree with you. I'm going to take it another step. I'm married and pregnant with our 5th. I'm a stay at home and my husband and I get a fair amount of negative reactions when people discover that we're having #5. We get lots of comments like, 'Don't you know how that keeps happening?' and 'Don't you know they make a pill to keep that from happening?' I will say this. The constitution does not guarantee sex without consequences. Nor is my fertility a disease that needs to be regulated by society. Dismounting my soapbox. By the way, we aren't Catholic but we definitely are standing with our Catholic friends and family against this encroachment of our religious freedom. :)
TRS, thank you for your comment at my place after following me from (in)Courage. It's not that I don't feel welcome in the comments section - I comment all over the place. What I was affirming in the comment before mine is the truth that there is nowhere in the leadership team a person over about the age of 40-45. And that is pretty much true across the board in Christian blogging. That seems like a big hole to me, but then I'm in that missing demographic, so it probably occurs to me way before it does to anyone younger than 40.
I do not see how this is about religious freedom. No one is forcing employees to use contraceptives or have abortions. The health plans will now simply provide those options,and employees retain the right to reject them. Certainly you can't compare this to the Holocaust -- which is essentially what you are doing in the "they came for me" your last paragraph. If you were the EMPLOYER I might understand, but your point of view is based on emotion, not logic.
Anonymous.
Are not employers people?
They are. Why should they pay - in fact subsidize - the use of a drug that !) devalues women 2) destroys marriages 3) ends life 4) causes cancer 5) makes a normally functioning female body to work as if it is broken?
You must understand that the church and those faithful to the church (and by church I mean The Catholic Church) know this, understand this and believe this. Just because others choose knowledge of convenience over knowledge of TRUTH... doesn't mean our argument is based on emotion. It it based on logic... logic most of secular America is too selfish to see. They want their lives to be convenient. We want our lives to reflect the truth.
We are put here on earth to assist in helping others to salvation.
Therefore... should we not support the employer?
What if the employer is my uncle?
If the employer is the CHURCH..... I am the Church...
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