The local Catholic Archbishop has issued a throw down to the Obama Administration over a rule in ObamaCare which he claims is tantamount to blowing up the Constitutional right to religious freedom.
The ObamaCare rule forces all entitities--including religious ones--to cover under their health insurance policies abortion pills, contraceptives and sterilization.
In a letter that is supposed to have been included in the Parish newsletters, the Portland Archbishop says the rule "cast[s] aside the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, den[ies] to Catholics our Nation's first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty."
This letter has not been included in Parish newsletters as far as I can tell.
See it after the jump.
In other states a similar letter has been read from the pulpits but my Catholic friends in the Portland have not heard this local letter recited nor included in a Parish publication.
Today during the White House news briefing spokesman Jay Carney called the rule a "balance" of considerations. As constitutional lawyer and radio host, Hugh Hewitt says, there is no such thing as this kind of "balance" in religious liberty. He says the White House claims to strike between religious freedom and state forced health care which is unprecedented and deeply repugnant, not to mention unconstitutional.
The Archbishop encourages people to see this video to explain the issue.
When the government requires you to go against your conscience to buy a product it forces upon you that's tyranny. That the Obama Administration, run by a man who holds himself out as a constitutional lecturer, does this, it shows he either, A) doesn't know any better, or, B) doesn't give a rip.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Portland Archbishop on ObamaCare: "We Cannot and Will Not Comply With This Unjust Law"
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Nice self righteous indignation Victoria. I would agree with you if it were as simple a Religious group providing health care to its' own members. In this case I imagine that a large proportion of the users of Providence and St Vincent's are not Catholic and are more interested in being treated in a fair manner. Just because my health care provider is of a specific religious belief doesn't mean that I have to hold those beliefs to be a subscriber. Should a non Catholic who's only choice in affordable health care happens to be a faith based group be forced to accept that groups tenets in order to receive health care that they are paying dearly for? Perhaps all of the Catholic health service agencies and hospitals should divest itself of any non Catholic providers as well.....nice to turn a non religious debate into something it isn't. The Church should be ashamed of itself!(by the way I am a Catholic and this stance by my church disgusts me)
ReplyDeleteYet.. this same office kicked out the Multnomah County Americans for Prosperity for meeting at the St. Rose Church...
ReplyDeleteIt is also allowing the Occupy movement to have a office in another of the area's Catholic Church's.
So now we have have the same office scream about the Health Care Mandate
I support the Position of many Catholics in this manner.. but I see a problem with the logic.
Very dangerous to play politics with women's health..........as the Komen Foundation is learning.
ReplyDeleteVern, the church has every right to defend its stance on the sanctity of life and to support the faith based hospitals in their system. Those in their employ are to be respected as they have first amendment rights just as you and I. The role of government is not to make determinations of ones conscientious in favor of any particular application of law. This effort is another graphic example of the Obama administration's lack of respect for the Constitution and America's Judeao-Christian tradition. Those who require care that includes abortion or prescriptive contraceptive treatments should look elsewhere. While there are many other areas of disagreement we Catholics might have with Church's doctrine or behavior, there should be no daylight between us on this government overreach. I personally applaud Bishop Vlazny's courageous stance and his leadership in this matter.
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