Archbishop: Obama Needs To Stop 'Intruding Into Internal Life Of Church'

[_Abyssinia]

Christian Colleges Urge Obama to Remove Contraceptive Mandate

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities wrote to President Barack Obama urging him to eliminate a proposed health care mandate that requires all new insurance plans to cover contraceptives, sterilization and some abortion-causing drugs.

“This mandate would require our member and affiliate institutions to violate their religious consciences,” CCCU President Paul R. Corts wrote, referring to “the narrowness of the religious exemption” and “the absence of any religious accommodation for health plans provided to students.”

The mandate in the Obama administration’s health care law is expected to come into effect next August. But many religious groups, not just the Catholics, are asking the administration to remove the clauses before it becomes law. Corts also co-signed a Dec. 21 letter to Obama from Protestant leaders asking for a revised exemption.

christianpost.com/news/christian-colleges-urge-obama-to-remove-contraceptive-mandate-65690/

 

[Tigg]

The Family Research Council has joined in:

Dear Friends,

As part of the Obamacare health care mandate, beginning next year any organization that offers health insurance to employees will be forced to cover contraception, sterilizations, and abortifacients – no matter what their objections. This is not only an attack on the consciences of employers and employees, but a direct attack on religious freedom. This mandate must be stopped.

The outcry is growing even as the Obama administration attempts to stifle dissent. While church leaders around the country voiced their disapproval to the mandate on Sunday, the Army’s pulpits were silent. According to several sources, the Chief of Chaplains issued an Army-wide gag order, warning priests not to read any letter resisting the policy.

Please join FRC Action for a special news program: “Healthcare Mandate: Violating the Separation of Church and State.” Host Tony Perkins will be joined by those directly impacted by the oppressive mandate, as well as Members of Congress, and policy experts. The program will be webcast live at 8:00 p.m. EST tonight - Thursday February 9, 2012 from FRC Action headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Program participants include:

Tony Perkins, President, FRC Action
Senator Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah)
Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, (R-N.Y.)
Eric Baxter, Senior Counsel, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Terry Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief, CNSNews.com
Dr. Richard Land, President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, SBC
Tom McClusky, Senior Vice President, FRC Action
Jeanne Monahan, Director, Center for Human Dignity, FRC
Bishop Walker Nickless, Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa
Dr. Mark A. Smith, President, Ohio Christian University

We want to hear your questions! Email your questions to questions@frcaction.org or submit your question on Twitter to @frcaction. We’ll attempt to answer as many questions as possible during the webcast.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren tweets:

I’m not a Catholic but I stand in 100% solidarity with my brothers & sisters to practice their belief against govt pressure

and

I’d go to jail rather than cave in to a govement mandate that violates what God commands us to do. Would you? Acts 5:29

Warren delivered the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration.

nationalreview.com/corner/290654/rick-warren-vs-hhs-mandate-rather-go-jail-cave-kathryn-jean-lopez

 

[anp1215]

Last night, my dad pointed out that most leftists and the Obama crowd cry “separation of church and state!” until they’re blue in the face about anything that suggests Judeo-Christian and their role in our country, but where is the separation of church and state in this? Basically, the Obama administration is saying, “You can’t tell us what to do, but we’re gonna tell YOU what to do!”

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Last night, my dad pointed out that most leftists and the Obama crowd cry “separation of church and state!” until they’re blue in the face about anything that suggests Judeo-Christian and their role in our country, but where is the separation of church and state in this? Basically, the Obama administration is saying, “You can’t tell us what to do, but we’re gonna tell YOU what to do!”

Separation of Church and State means, to them, that the Church must get out of the way of the ever expanding state. Now that health care has been nationalized, it is a state, and by way of exclusion, no longer a matter for religion or even private conscience.

 

[anp1215]

Separation of Church and State means, to them, that the Church must get out of the way of the ever expanding state. Now that health care has been nationalized, it is a state, and by way of exclusion, no longer a matter for religion or even private conscience.

Yes.

 

[GAHere]

…Rather, we should heed the voice of St. Paul in Ephesians 6:101-20, and realize that this battle is not against flesh and blood. I encourage everyone to read this again in light of the current events, meditate upon the weapons we are to use, and join the real battle. I will link the chapter to make it easier.

usccb.org/bible/ephesians/6

Ephesians 6:10-20

While I appreciate the need for prayer in this matter, I’m still very dismayed by Mexico legalizing abortion. The country whose people were led to conversion thru the intercession of Mary with child succumbed to secular pressure. I know prayers and rosaries abounded between Mexico and the US and yet it could not be stopped. I confess it has affected my outlook on prayer and fasting for thing like that. I want to believe it works, but I’m just not seeing it.

I agree with the bishops on this HHS issue, tangible efforts have to be made along with the spiritual to resolve this.

 

[iloveangels]

While I appreciate the need for prayer in this matter, I’m still very dismayed by Mexico legalizing abortion. The country whose people were led to conversion thru the intercession of Mary with child succumbed to secular pressure. I know prayers and rosaries abounded between Mexico and the US and yet it could not be stopped. I confess it has affected my outlook on prayer and fasting for thing like that. I want to believe it works, but I’m just not seeing it.

I agree with the bishops on this HHS issue, tangible efforts have to be made along with the spiritual to resolve this.

Tangible efforts are being made, GAHere. Look at some of the pressure that’s being applied by Catholics and other Christian groups. Mexico has an entirely different setup and culture than we have. Don’t despair. Pray and hope. The Church will prevail.

It’s important to realize that this is different than previous attempts. This attempt to control religious freedom is general and direct. People are seeing that it’s not really a weasel thing, trying to make us soften on something, but rather, an direct attack on religious freedom.

 

[_Abyssinia]

C-SPAN Broadcasts Excellent Discussion on HHS Contraceptive Mandate

catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26394
Heads We Win; Tails You Lose. Obama is Hoist On His Own Petard.

catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26376
13 Catholic (and Christian) Institutions Opposing Obama/HHS Mandate

catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26406
When even Chris Matthews opposes Obama’s contraceptive mandate, you know it’s in trouble

jillstanek.com/2012/02/when-even-chris-matthews-opposes-obamas-contraceptive-mandate-you-know-its-in-trouble/
Why the Pope’s Army Will Not Kneel to the HHS Mandate

Read more: ncregister.com/blog/why-the-popes-army-will-not-kneel-to-the-hhs-mandate#ixzz1luYAhtGD
Senior U.S. Catholic cites Obama “promises” on birth control

reuters.com/article/2012/02/09/us-usa-contraceptives-idUSTRE8181MX20120209

 

[iloveangels]

C-SPAN Broadcasts Excellent Discussion on HHS Contraceptive Mandate

catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26394
Heads We Win; Tails You Lose. Obama is Hoist On His Own Petard.

catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26376
13 Catholic (and Christian) Institutions Opposing Obama/HHS Mandate

catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26406
When even Chris Matthews opposes Obama’s contraceptive mandate, you know it’s in trouble

jillstanek.com/2012/02/when-even-chris-matthews-opposes-obamas-contraceptive-mandate-you-know-its-in-trouble/
Why the Pope’s Army Will Not Kneel to the HHS Mandate

Read more: ncregister.com/blog/why-the-popes-army-will-not-kneel-to-the-hhs-mandate#ixzz1luYAhtGD
Senior U.S. Catholic cites Obama “promises” on birth control

reuters.com/article/2012/02/09/us-usa-contraceptives-idUSTRE8181MX20120209

Stalin once said dismissively, “How many divisions does the Pope have?” He’s gone now, and so is his system. We took it down.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Little off topic buy look what this secular news outlet has to say:

Time To Admit It: The Church Has Always Been Right On Birth Control

Read more: businessinsider.com/time-to-admit-it-the-church-has-always-been-right-on-birth-control-2012-2#ixzz1lueVFaCs

 

[iloveangels]

Little off topic buy look what this secular news outlet has to say:

Time To Admit It: The Church Has Always Been Right On Birth Control

Read more: businessinsider.com/time-to-admit-it-the-church-has-always-been-right-on-birth-control-2012-2#ixzz1lueVFaCs

Yes, but this is far bigger than that. This is about religious freedom.

We have the right to believe as we do about homosexuality and a whole host of issues, in addition to the birth control and abortion issues. The federal government may not tell us what to believe and we do not have to bow down to them like they were a god. We have a religion and we have the constitutional right to practice it in freedom.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Heads We Win; Tails You Lose. Obama is Hoist On His Own Petard. catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=26376

Thanks for posting these.

I though this was worth pulling out:

He seems to want to split the atom with the power of his mind. There is an election-year-driven hint of a desire to “compromise” (note it’s a campaign mouthpiece saying this, not the Press Secretary at the White House). But then within 24 hours we have a doubling-down on the commitment to the mandate. CBS New York reports:

[The White House]
wants to find some way to calm Catholic opposition, but will not back down on the policy, itself.

“I want to be clear today that the commitment to insuring the women have access to these important health care services remains very strong,” Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

See: trying to split an atom with the power of his mind. They want to calm the opposition that has erupted due to this policy (which amounts to them shouting “ouch, stop that!”), but they are steadfast in their support of the very policy that is repugnant to those erupting in opposition. Not a position that comforts one about your willingness to “compromise.”

It’s like saying, “I want to have a happy marriage, but I absolutely refuse to stop beating my wife.”

 

[Incomplete]

Yes, but this is far bigger than that. This is about religious freedom.

We have the right to believe as we do about homosexuality and a whole host of issues, in addition to the birth control and abortion issues. The federal government may not tell us what to believe and we do not have to bow down to them like they were a god. We have a religion and we have the constitutional right to practice it in freedom.

While you are right about that, it was still good to see this article in a non-Catholic setting. I’m glad it was posted.

 

[iloveangels]

While you are right about that, it was still good to see this article in a non-Catholic setting. I’m glad it was posted.

Yes, we are getting a lot of support from other churches and organizations.

Evangelicals: nae.net/news/715-press-release-evangelicals-disappointed-with-white-house-decision-on-conscience-protection

Orthodox Jews: advocacy.ou.org/2012/union-of-orthodox-jewish-congregations-critiques-administration-denial-of-expanded-exemption-for-religious-entities-liberties-in-health-insurance-plans-calls-on-congress-to-redress-through-legislat/#.TzQw2MiN-Sr

Eastern Orthodox: assemblyofbishops.org/news/releases/protest-against-hhs

And many others.

Even some secular columnists and so on are coming out in protest, because they realize what this violation will do to the bill of rights and the foundational fabric of the country.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Little off topic buy look what this secular news outlet has to say:

Time To Admit It: The Church Has Always Been Right On Birth Control

Read more: businessinsider.com/time-to-admit-it-the-church-has-always-been-right-on-birth-control-2012-2#ixzz1lueVFaCs

Outstanding article, especially for where it was published.

 

[iloveangels]

Outstanding article, especially for where it was published.

Yes but we have to be careful not simply to set a focus on contraception. That’s important but there’s a lot more at stake here. The Democratic administration wants us to focus on contraception. They think they can get far more done if they fool us into that.

This is about religious freedom. It’s about being able to believe as the Church teaches, and not have to suffer persecution from the government for it.

It’s about being able to control our own ordination policies, and moral laws, and interpretations of scripture. It’s about the sanctity of the confessional. It’s about not having to justify ourselves to the federal government and being able to believe as the Church teaches without interference.

 

[CMatt25]

Is it Pope Obama? He must think so.

No. But the Pope is not the POTUS either. John F Kennedy as a candidate discussed it.

 

[iloveangels]

Don’t feed the trolls.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Yes but we have to be careful not simply to set a focus on contraception. That’s important but there’s a lot more at stake here. The Democratic administration wants us to focus on contraception. They think they can get far more done if they fool us into that.

Agreed. But the administration is taking the long view and so am I.

Support for abortion is on the decline after reaching a peak of support a decade or so ago. That’s why they are trying to make this into the larger issue of “reproductive rights”.

General support for contraceptives is not written in stone either. And this article is a great contribution to that discussion. Yeah, we don’t want to focus on contraceptives, but there is no reason to concede that issue to the enemy either.

Europe is already probably past the tipping point and America (especially under Obama), is headed in the same direction. Turning that around means not just protecting bishops from violating their conscience, it means changing how people think about life.