Bishops rip HHS mandate That Forces Coverage of Birth Control, Abortion Drugs

[JimG]

The mandate is not constitutional and will likely be overturned by the supreme court. The religious exemption is narrowly applied, and would apply only to Catholic organizations which employ and serve only Catholics. Obviously Catholic hospitals, Catholic charities, Catholic social services serve the public, not just Catholics. As a result Catholic organizations would be required to violate their Faith and morals by being mandated to provide coverage of services which the Church finds morally reprehensible. If this mandate stands, there is no reason whatever that abortion coverage cannot be mandated, including even partial birth aboartion in those states where it is legal.

If freedom of conscience can thus be violated–forcibly mandated–by regulation, we will have lost freedom of religion in this nation. That is a violation of the first amendment. But given the secularist push of this administration, it seems that secularism has become the state religion, also a violation of the first amendment.

 

[retantion]

If freedom of conscience can thus be violated–forcibly mandated–by regulation, we will have lost freedom of religion in this nation. That is a violation of the first amendment. But given the secularist push of this administration, it seems that secularism has become the state religion, also a violation of the first amendment.

Would you say that freedom of religion is lost because women are not forced to marry their rapists as in Sharia law? Just because a piece of legislation goes against your beliefs doesn’t mean it violates freedom of religion. You are still free to practice freedom of religion, you just can’t deny people basic medical treatment/medicine such as contraceptives because you don’t agree with it.

 

[iHeartThe60s]

Considering that this is mandate will literally be FORCED upon us, I have to ask does that really mean that we will be “in violation of our consciences” if we do buy health insurance that has such a mandate? For one, WE (meaning those of us opposed to this mandate) did NOT ask for any of this. If anything, we’re APPALLED just for the fact that abortion, contraceptives, etc. are about to be covered by insurance, let alone covered via federal order. This move could potentially cause premiums, etc. to skyrocket and leave numerous families who are having trouble affording healthcare at the moment not be able to afford it at all in the future (please correct me if I’m wrong). Furthermore, not buying ANY health insurance will be in violation of the law (which we are supposed to follow). If anything, the government is in the wrong here, not us. How can we possibly be held accounted for something we had no say in?

 

[retantion]

How can we possibly be held accounted for something we had no say in?

Did you vote in your state’s senate/house elections?

 

[iHeartThe60s]

Did you vote in your state’s senate/house elections?

Well to be fair, I personally did not. Also, I’m taking into account the possibility that a number of people honestly had no idea that this mandate was even in the works.

 

[retantion]

Well to be fair, I personally did not. Also, I’m taking into account the possibility that a number of people honestly had no idea that this mandate was even in the works.

I think you see where I’m going with this; If you didn’t vote in the elections, you don’t get to gripe about legislation.

I agree with you; the vast majority of people had no idea that this mandate was being cooked up. There are millions of Christians in America. If they want to get this repealed, the proper technique isn’t lodging a formal complaint or writing a petition, its not voting for the Senators and Representatives that supported the legislation. An organized group of voters millions strong should be able to choose politicians at whim.

 

[iHeartThe60s]

An organized group of voters millions strong should be able to choose politicians at whim.

Seeing how this has created such a firestorm of opposition, that probably won’t be as much of a longshot now. It’ll no doubt be interesting come November…

 

[CWN_News]

Requesting prayer and action from the lay faithful, bishops nationwide continued to speak out against the Obama administration’s mandate that requires religious agencies to offer …

More…

 

[Monte_RCMS]

But the provision is not in the law itself. The provision is enacted under the regulatory power given her in the law by Kathleen Sebelius, acting on a commision recommendation. The greatest ability of the Federal Government to do evil lies not in the power to legislate, but in the power to issue regulations, which of course, are not subject to a vote.

This is one of several key issues.

Others including violation of First Amendment Rights.

And Tenth Amendment Rights.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Considering that this is mandate will literally be FORCED upon us, I have to ask does that really mean that we will be “in violation of our consciences” if we do buy health insurance that has such a mandate? For one, WE (meaning those of us opposed to this mandate) did NOT ask for any of this. If anything, we’re APPALLED just for the fact that abortion, contraceptives, etc. are about to be covered by insurance, let alone covered via federal order. This move could potentially cause premiums, etc. to skyrocket and leave numerous families who are having trouble affording healthcare at the moment not be able to afford it at all in the future (please correct me if I’m wrong). Furthermore, not buying ANY health insurance will be in violation of the law (which we are supposed to follow). If anything, the government is in the wrong here, not us. How can we possibly be held accounted for something we had no say in?

Because too many people said, “It doesn’t matter.”

So, now we have an uphill fight.

[It **does matter.]

 

[JimG]

It should be noted that this was not a matter of voting for or against legislation. Legislation is passed by Congress. This mandate was NOT passed by Congress. This is a mandate solely determined by regulation writers at HHS, headed by firmly pro-abortion appointee Kathleen Sebelius. No congressperson voted for this mandate. This is mandate by regulation. This is a result of giving over power to regulatory agencies. Before the final rule was passed, the department received thousands of comments and protests stating why the regulation should not be implemented. Those public (name removed by moderator)uts were all ignored, and the HHS went ahead and did what it wanted to do anyway.

A regulatory agency such as HHS, having received regulatory jurisdiction of the health care law, could in theory mandate anything it wants as required coverage–abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, medical marijuana, whatever.

 

[Incomplete]

In my diocese paper I read that there are religious exemptions. The only problem is that some Catholic universities/ other places that cater to a sizable portion of non-catholics must provide contraceptive services with their health care. I fail to see a problem. If these institutions believe in respecting the beliefs of people of different faiths enough to allow them participate and attend school (in the case of the university) then they should provide these health care services to them. The religious institutions are in the wrong here and need to comply with this law, which is completely Constitutional.

In not offering the things this mandate is forcing on us, the Church is not denying anybody the ability to purchase birth control, to receive sterilization, to have an abortion. What they are saying is that they cannot be the instrument by which it happens. If you want those things, you will have to pay out of your own pocket.

It is only your opinion that it is constitutional. I suspect that if the government was forcing you to purchase, say, life insurance, even if you had no desire to buy it, you would be able to see how that infringes on your freedom.

 

[Incomplete]

Just because a piece of legislation goes against your beliefs doesn’t mean it violates freedom of religion. You are still free to practice freedom of religion, you just can’t deny people basic medical treatment/medicine such as contraceptives because you don’t agree with it.

If hormone treatments are necessary for health problems, nobody is denying them. If you want to use birth control, nobody is denying that, either. The Church is just saying we cannot be forced to pay for it. That is what violated freedom of religion; forcing us to pay for it.

In fact, there are lots of medications people have to pay for out-of-pocket, or at least have a co-pay. Funny that the HHS isn’t worried about some of those medications. There are people who can’t afford life-saving drugs, but the government is worried about paying to prevent births.

And no, we aren’t free to practice religion…not when we are forced to give people what we believe is against what God wants. It becomes a choice of God or complying with the law.

 

[gilliam]

The following is from the USCCB:

Bishops Vow to Fight Coercive HHS Mandate

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB, sharply criticized the decision by the Obama administration in which it “ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans…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.”
He urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in protest. Watch his video & then take action today!
usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm

 

[scipio337]

I hate to sound cynical, but we deserve it. You can’t expect to take your 30 pieces of silver, and avoid the consequences.

old.usccb.org/healthcare/faqs.shtml

A painful lesson to learn.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

I hate to sound cynical, but we deserve it. You can’t expect to take your 30 pieces of silver, and avoid the consequences.

old.usccb.org/healthcare/faqs.shtml

A painful lesson to learn.

I am consoled to see that I am not alone in observing this. I have been pointing this out for years.

Before Catholics attack these new regulations, perhaps they should search their own conscience first to see whether they were part of the mob that led to them, even if unintentionally.

At a minimum, you would think that the USCCB would revisit their commitment to socialized health care, oops, I mean “comprehensive, life-affirming reform to the nation’s health care system”.

Alas, I don’t think any lesson has yet been learned.

 

[Tigg]

I hate to sound cynical, but we deserve it. You can’t expect to take your 30 pieces of silver, and avoid the consequences.

old.usccb.org/healthcare/faqs.shtml

A painful lesson to learn.

I couldn’t agree more!

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

The decision last week by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to reject the appeals of scores of religious leaders and retain a very narrow “religious” exemption from Obamacare’s so-called contraception mandate has ignited an uproar among Catholic leaders, as well it should — because it’s hard to fathom a government dictate more offensive than this one.

…

The central purpose of Obamacare — and the reason it was and is so strenuously opposed by so many Americans — is to transfer all of the critical decisions about how American health care operates to the federal government. Despite what the president contends, it is a federal takeover. The federal bureaucracy is now in the driver’s seat.

And, with the federal government now calling all of the shots, it is a foregone conclusion that a decidedly secularist and utilitarian point of view will be pervasive in everything that is done. It is simply beyond the capacity of the modern federal government to even consider arguments questioning the wisdom of governmental policies promoting free and abundant contraception. Indeed, it is an article of faith in the modern bureaucratic context that pushing such “prevention” measures onto the American public is one more step on the long march to a more just and humane society.

nationalreview.com/articles/289591/we-are-all-abortionists-now-james-c-capretta

Although the article does not really say so directly, the implication is that this was a deliberate attack on Christianity by the state. Can anyone really be shocked at the possibility of that?

I was listening to EWTN this morning and the question came up: where is this leading. The host (can’t remember his name) answered: martyrdom. He said he didn’t think that was hyperbole.

I’m beginning to agree.

 

[Tigg]

Just because a piece of legislation goes against your beliefs doesn’t mean it violates freedom of religion. You are still free to practice freedom of religion, you just can’t deny people **basic medical treatment/medicine **such as contraceptives because you don’t agree with it.

Herein is the propaganda assiduously spread by the culture of death and backed by the government which would have you believe that abortion, sterilization and contraceptives are **essential and necessary **issues of health!

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Herein is the propaganda assiduously spread by the culture of death and backed by the government which would have you believe that abortion, sterilization and contraceptives are **essential and necessary **issues of health!

Don’t you know, pregnancy is a disease. Obamacare is the cure.