I hear a lot about choice in women's reproductive choices. And I agree. My own personal or religious opinions don't matter; I may vote my conscience, including those based on my religious preferences and the morals I was raised with, but I support a woman's right to choose, and I support the law of the land. Abortion is legal, birth control is legal, and in general, I'm OK with it. I would never condemn a woman for making or having made that choice. Life is difficult, it's not my job to make anyone's life harder. As the saying goes, if you don't like abortions, don't have one.
Fair enough! So tell me, when the Catholic Church, which doesn't approve of birth control, is ordered to provide contraceptive services to its employees by the federal government, is that OK?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57368259-503544/catholics-hear-anti-obama-letter-in-church/
The federal government has already done a lot of damage; in some US states, the Catholic Church provides social services as a free service to communities, but was ordered to provide services that it does not morally agree with; so it withdrew services. Those communities lose, because the federal government believes it can override a religion's right to believe what it wishes.
Now with this requirement, which the Catholic Church has stated flat-out that it will not comply with, it is quite likely that many Catholic services will simply close. Hospitals and other services; the federal government is asking us to do what we feel is not moral; no, strike that, they're demanding we do it.
Catholics may not agree with abortion or birth control; and many Catholics may vote that way, but no Catholic is compelled to obey church teaching. Many Catholics use birth control, no doubt many have abortions. Catholics also obey the law of the land; abortion is legal in the USA, regardless of how the Church feels about it.
But apparently, that freedom only goes one way. The Church has to respect the woman's right to choose; and the woman's right to choose trumps religious belief EVEN inside the Church.
Religious freedom? Never heard of it. Apparently.
Fair enough! So tell me, when the Catholic Church, which doesn't approve of birth control, is ordered to provide contraceptive services to its employees by the federal government, is that OK?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57368259-503544/catholics-hear-anti-obama-letter-in-church/
During church services on Sunday, Catholics around the country were read a blistering letter assailing the Obama administration for an "assault on religious liberty" in the form of a coming requirement that most church-linked organizations - among them hospitals, schools and universities - offer birth control coverage as part of their health care plans.
Despite strong lobbying from religious groups, the Health and Human Services Department announced earlier this month that most church-linked groups will not be exempt from the requirements - which also mandate that no co-pay be charged for contraceptive services - though they will have an extra year to comply beyond the August 1 deadline.
The federal government has already done a lot of damage; in some US states, the Catholic Church provides social services as a free service to communities, but was ordered to provide services that it does not morally agree with; so it withdrew services. Those communities lose, because the federal government believes it can override a religion's right to believe what it wishes.
Now with this requirement, which the Catholic Church has stated flat-out that it will not comply with, it is quite likely that many Catholic services will simply close. Hospitals and other services; the federal government is asking us to do what we feel is not moral; no, strike that, they're demanding we do it.
Catholics may not agree with abortion or birth control; and many Catholics may vote that way, but no Catholic is compelled to obey church teaching. Many Catholics use birth control, no doubt many have abortions. Catholics also obey the law of the land; abortion is legal in the USA, regardless of how the Church feels about it.
But apparently, that freedom only goes one way. The Church has to respect the woman's right to choose; and the woman's right to choose trumps religious belief EVEN inside the Church.
Religious freedom? Never heard of it. Apparently.