As George Weigel notes, there is and will be no compromise from U. S. Catholic bishops on religious freedom. They will not give in to the Obama regime and help dispense contraceptives against church teaching. Good on them!
I particularly appreciate how the bishops cut through all the bull… spin in their statement:
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.
And, if I may add, this is not about a non-existent “war on women.” This is about a war on Constitutional freedom of religion. For under Obama and all in history with a totalitarian bent, the state must be served and worshipped uber alles!
Showing posts with label Sebelius. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sebelius. Show all posts
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Contrasting Responses to Obama’s Attack on Religious Freedom
Following up yesterday’s post on Obama putting birth control and Holy Obamacare above freedom of religion, two responses are notable and contrasting.
First, Roman Catholic bishops had letters on the subject read during masses this past Sunday. Here’s one example:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people — the Catholic population — and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.
In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.
We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.
And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Alexander K. Sample
Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample Bishop of Marquette
By the way, I think Obama shot himself in the foot with this decision. With parishes across the nation having it spelled out to them during Mass what he has done, I suspect he lost a lot of Catholic votes this past Sunday. Psalm 7:15 comes to mind.
In sharp contrast is the response from the bootlickers at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice which “applauds” Obama and Sebelius.
Because you just know “reproductive choice” is soooo much more important than freedom of religion.
----
MORE: You think I’m being hard on the Obama regime on this? Then read Bishop David Zubik.
The money quote:
Kathleen Sebelius, and through her the Obama administration, have said “To hell with you” to the Catholic faithful of the United States.
• To hell with your religious beliefs,
• To hell with your religious liberty,
• To hell with your freedom of conscience.
First, Roman Catholic bishops had letters on the subject read during masses this past Sunday. Here’s one example:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people — the Catholic population — and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.
In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.
We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.
And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Alexander K. Sample
Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample Bishop of Marquette
By the way, I think Obama shot himself in the foot with this decision. With parishes across the nation having it spelled out to them during Mass what he has done, I suspect he lost a lot of Catholic votes this past Sunday. Psalm 7:15 comes to mind.
In sharp contrast is the response from the bootlickers at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice which “applauds” Obama and Sebelius.
Because you just know “reproductive choice” is soooo much more important than freedom of religion.
----
MORE: You think I’m being hard on the Obama regime on this? Then read Bishop David Zubik.
The money quote:
Kathleen Sebelius, and through her the Obama administration, have said “To hell with you” to the Catholic faithful of the United States.
• To hell with your religious beliefs,
• To hell with your religious liberty,
• To hell with your freedom of conscience.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Obama’s HHS: Abstinence Programs Need Not Apply
From the National Catholic Register:
The Department of Health and Human Services released a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for initiatives that promote healthy marriages — as long as those projects don’t include abstinence-education programs.
FOA applicants are required to include a written statement pledging that abstinence education is not a part of their programs. In fact, teaching abstinence is defined as an “unallowable activity.”
Groups are asked to make a “commitment to not use funds for unauthorized activities, including, but not limited to, an abstinence-education program.”
The funding for these marriage programs comes from the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, which includes $75 million for “healthy-marriage promotion” and “responsible fatherhood grants.”
There is little question that abstinence before marriage is conducive to healthy marriages. And, certainly, “responsible fatherhood” includes not bedding around.
But Lefty secularist ideology comes before genuinely healthy families (and common sense) in the Obama Regime, especially under Kathleen Sebelius’ HHS.
The Department of Health and Human Services released a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for initiatives that promote healthy marriages — as long as those projects don’t include abstinence-education programs.
FOA applicants are required to include a written statement pledging that abstinence education is not a part of their programs. In fact, teaching abstinence is defined as an “unallowable activity.”
Groups are asked to make a “commitment to not use funds for unauthorized activities, including, but not limited to, an abstinence-education program.”
The funding for these marriage programs comes from the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, which includes $75 million for “healthy-marriage promotion” and “responsible fatherhood grants.”
There is little question that abstinence before marriage is conducive to healthy marriages. And, certainly, “responsible fatherhood” includes not bedding around.
But Lefty secularist ideology comes before genuinely healthy families (and common sense) in the Obama Regime, especially under Kathleen Sebelius’ HHS.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Merry Christmas from the Obama Administration!
Why, look what Santa Obama left under the tree . . . way in back by the wall in hopes we won’t notice that much. Two days before Christmas, the EPA engaged in a power grab, trying to take over industrial permitting in Texas. Yes, red state Texas has one of the better economies in the union. Must put a stop to that!
Governor Rick Perry noticed that lump of coal (or the “clean” equivalent). Expect a good political war between Texas and the EPA.
Oh, and look! Remember when Obama and company promised he would not give us death panels or the like for Christmas? Well, surprise! While we were busy buying gifts for Grandma, Kathleen Sebelius was busy trying to help shuffle her off. The HHS is writing regulations to give incentives for doctors to accelerate “end of life care.”
The timing of these fed regulatory actions is *interesting*, around Christmas when not even I is paying much attention to politics and soon after the last election and as far as possible before the next election.
But I’m sure the Obama regime isn’t trying to sneak these acts past us to avoid political fall out. Nah.
Merry Christmas!
Governor Rick Perry noticed that lump of coal (or the “clean” equivalent). Expect a good political war between Texas and the EPA.
Oh, and look! Remember when Obama and company promised he would not give us death panels or the like for Christmas? Well, surprise! While we were busy buying gifts for Grandma, Kathleen Sebelius was busy trying to help shuffle her off. The HHS is writing regulations to give incentives for doctors to accelerate “end of life care.”
The timing of these fed regulatory actions is *interesting*, around Christmas when not even I is paying much attention to politics and soon after the last election and as far as possible before the next election.
But I’m sure the Obama regime isn’t trying to sneak these acts past us to avoid political fall out. Nah.
Merry Christmas!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Obamacare “Gangster Government”
I have in times past written on the Obama regime’s totalitarian streak, and perhaps some readers thought that a stretch. I certainly think not. But even I was aghast to read of a letter of HHS Secretary Sebelius to the president of America’s Health Insurance Plans. Her message to the health insurance industry: Shut up about Obamacare costs and eat those costs . . . or else.
She does not like it that insurers are raising their rates due to costly Obamacare mandates and have the common courtesy to tell their customers why rates are going up. So she has threatened them with exclusion from future fed health insurance pools if they do not shut up about Obamacare costs . . . which would hurt their business to put it mildly. “Nice business you’ve got here. It would be a shame if something happened to it.”
This is nothing less than thuggery to stifle free speech, even in business communications with customers. It is unworthy of America, violates our Constitutional freedoms and may merit an investigation in the next Congress. It is gangster government:
"Congress shall make no law," reads the First Amendment, "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."
Sebelius' approach is different: "zero tolerance" for dissent.
The threat to use government regulation to destroy or harm someone's business because they disagree with government officials is thuggery. Like the Obama administration's transfer of money from Chrysler bondholders to its political allies in the United Auto Workers, it is a form of gangster government.
If this were not an outrage, it would be funny. The Obama regime is so thin-skinned that it refuses to own the consequences of the Obamacare it worked so hard to pass. Instead, it extorts businessmen to shut up about them, even in the normal process of informing customers why their rates are going up. (And if my insurance rates were going up, I would certainly want to know why.)
If only this were just a funny Mafia movie.
And in case one thinks this attempt to silence speech not typical of the Obama regime, I remind you of a past statement from Our Dear Leader Himself.
MORE: I forgot to mention that Sebelius recently recommended “re-education” on Obamacare. I was amused by her poor choice of words, but did not think it sinister.
Now it is not quite so amusing.
She does not like it that insurers are raising their rates due to costly Obamacare mandates and have the common courtesy to tell their customers why rates are going up. So she has threatened them with exclusion from future fed health insurance pools if they do not shut up about Obamacare costs . . . which would hurt their business to put it mildly. “Nice business you’ve got here. It would be a shame if something happened to it.”
This is nothing less than thuggery to stifle free speech, even in business communications with customers. It is unworthy of America, violates our Constitutional freedoms and may merit an investigation in the next Congress. It is gangster government:
"Congress shall make no law," reads the First Amendment, "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."
Sebelius' approach is different: "zero tolerance" for dissent.
The threat to use government regulation to destroy or harm someone's business because they disagree with government officials is thuggery. Like the Obama administration's transfer of money from Chrysler bondholders to its political allies in the United Auto Workers, it is a form of gangster government.
If this were not an outrage, it would be funny. The Obama regime is so thin-skinned that it refuses to own the consequences of the Obamacare it worked so hard to pass. Instead, it extorts businessmen to shut up about them, even in the normal process of informing customers why their rates are going up. (And if my insurance rates were going up, I would certainly want to know why.)
If only this were just a funny Mafia movie.
And in case one thinks this attempt to silence speech not typical of the Obama regime, I remind you of a past statement from Our Dear Leader Himself.
MORE: I forgot to mention that Sebelius recently recommended “re-education” on Obamacare. I was amused by her poor choice of words, but did not think it sinister.
Now it is not quite so amusing.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Obama Picks Late Term Abortion Supporter Sebelius to Lead HHS
President Obama has indeed selected Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to become Secretary of Health and Human Services.
As noted here before, her support of abortion extends even to late term abortionists, such as George Tiller.
Shame.
As noted here before, her support of abortion extends even to late term abortionists, such as George Tiller.
Shame.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Report: Obama Picks Late Term Abortion Supporter to Lead Health and Human Services
The word is that President Obama has selected Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to lead Health and Human Services.
It is really hard to describe this selection while avoiding Godwin’s Law. As mentioned here before, she is a notorious supporter of abortion, even of late term abortionist George Tiller.
For all his campaign posturing and dancing around the issue, this is yet one more indication that Obama is all in when it comes to killing the unborn . . . during all nine months of pregnancy.
If this is indeed Obama’s selection, this is like selecting a KKK Grand Wizard to lead the Civil Rights Commission. It is an outrage that calls for protest.
It is really hard to describe this selection while avoiding Godwin’s Law. As mentioned here before, she is a notorious supporter of abortion, even of late term abortionist George Tiller.
For all his campaign posturing and dancing around the issue, this is yet one more indication that Obama is all in when it comes to killing the unborn . . . during all nine months of pregnancy.
If this is indeed Obama’s selection, this is like selecting a KKK Grand Wizard to lead the Civil Rights Commission. It is an outrage that calls for protest.
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