J
jim1130
Guest
FIRST AMENDAMENT (ratified 12/15/1791): Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Although not a scientific survery or meant to reflect Catholic opinion 100 %, I was dismayed when I recently read comments in response to an online CNN article about the upcoming Presidential election and abortion. A substantial majority of respondents who claimed to be Catholic wrote that the Bishops had no right to tell them how to vote (Bishops were not telling people how to vote; only that abortion is one of the five non-negotiable issues of the Catholic Church). Even the Archbishop here in Oklahoma City area has been very careful to educate on core values and beliefs, not whom one should vote for. The majority of the responses to the online CNN article from the self-proclaimed Catholics were downright hostile to the messages of the Bishops, speaking of how behind-the-times the Catholic Church is and claiming 98 % of Catholics use birth control (and, yes, the priest sex abuse scandal). I submitted a lengthy response of my own about Church Authority, that it was American Catholics clamoring for change in the Church rather than the Catholics of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Central and South America, Canada, etc. in an attempt of showing American arrogance, and the five non-negotiables as well as the fact that this issue at stake is truly about religious freedom, which seems to have been lost in the dialogue because “abortion” and “contraception” are better trigger words.
The Catholic Church is in the forefront of this battle, and often alone. Yes, Hobby Lobby is filing a suit, but it is a Christian business, not a religious institution so I do not believe they will have much of a defense. I truly believe that the Obama Administration feels that if it can dismantle the most vocal opposition, the Catholic Church due to its authority and uniformity, then the other churches, because of their independence and absence of cohesiveness, will be unable to unify and unite an opposition. Better to attack and defeat the main obstacle first and then stamp out the tiny pockets of resistance later.
What can be done to educate Catholics and others that the threat from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Obama Administration is religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment?
What information is available to share with others? Granted the US Conference on Catholic Bishops will have materials available to educate people, but many Catholics and non-Catholics will refuse to acknowledge these materials because the materials are Catholic in origin. In esence, they will be contrarians simply because the Catholic Church vocalizes a specific position.
Although not a scientific survery or meant to reflect Catholic opinion 100 %, I was dismayed when I recently read comments in response to an online CNN article about the upcoming Presidential election and abortion. A substantial majority of respondents who claimed to be Catholic wrote that the Bishops had no right to tell them how to vote (Bishops were not telling people how to vote; only that abortion is one of the five non-negotiable issues of the Catholic Church). Even the Archbishop here in Oklahoma City area has been very careful to educate on core values and beliefs, not whom one should vote for. The majority of the responses to the online CNN article from the self-proclaimed Catholics were downright hostile to the messages of the Bishops, speaking of how behind-the-times the Catholic Church is and claiming 98 % of Catholics use birth control (and, yes, the priest sex abuse scandal). I submitted a lengthy response of my own about Church Authority, that it was American Catholics clamoring for change in the Church rather than the Catholics of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Central and South America, Canada, etc. in an attempt of showing American arrogance, and the five non-negotiables as well as the fact that this issue at stake is truly about religious freedom, which seems to have been lost in the dialogue because “abortion” and “contraception” are better trigger words.
The Catholic Church is in the forefront of this battle, and often alone. Yes, Hobby Lobby is filing a suit, but it is a Christian business, not a religious institution so I do not believe they will have much of a defense. I truly believe that the Obama Administration feels that if it can dismantle the most vocal opposition, the Catholic Church due to its authority and uniformity, then the other churches, because of their independence and absence of cohesiveness, will be unable to unify and unite an opposition. Better to attack and defeat the main obstacle first and then stamp out the tiny pockets of resistance later.
What can be done to educate Catholics and others that the threat from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Obama Administration is religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment?
What information is available to share with others? Granted the US Conference on Catholic Bishops will have materials available to educate people, but many Catholics and non-Catholics will refuse to acknowledge these materials because the materials are Catholic in origin. In esence, they will be contrarians simply because the Catholic Church vocalizes a specific position.
