Freedom and Law, Life and Disease, Contraception and Abortion
Our government, arguing for the current HHS “Obamacare” mandate that includes contraceptive coverage, sees no guarantee of freedom of religion for “secular entities”, allowing such freedom only to churches. HERE is a summary. The Justice Department stated to the judge that “for-profit, secular employers generally do not engage in any exercise of religion protected by the First Amendment.” “A secular entity by definition does not practice religion,” the Obama administration argued.
This is astounding to me. I am a “secular entity.” Hence I have no freedom of religion? It seems that (for now) a church has some freedom to gather on Sundays and pray and talk about religion – but the people in the pews have the freedom to live only such religion that the government permits. This administration believes that it knows, better than our God, what my social obligations are. Federal law supersedes moral law, and God.
Defending the HHS mandate, administration attorneys added:
Lack of contraceptive use has proven in many cases to have negative health consequences for both women and a developing fetus … Accordingly, through the requirement that health coverage includes coverage for contraceptive services without cost-sharing, defendants seek to further an indisputably compelling interest in the promotion of women’s health and the health of potential newborn children.
Let’s get this straight: “lack of contraception has negative health consequences for both women…” – that is, pregnancy for the woman is equivalent to disease, or illness – “and a developing fetus” – that is, the child in the womb would be better off never having been conceived. A child in the womb, created by God in the divine image, possesses a life that is for him or her a terminal disease calling for the cure of death. The Orwellian “new-speak” that we have come to, is breathtaking.
Their argument for the good of contraception continued:
Contraceptive coverage, by reducing the number of unintended and potentially unhealthy pregnancies, furthers the goal of eliminating this disparity by allowing women to achieve equal status as healthy and productive members of the job force … Congress’s attempt to equalize the provision of preventive health care services, with the resultant benefit of women being able to contribute to the same degree as men as healthy and productive members of society, furthers a compelling governmental interest.
We hear, here, one of the root faults in the logic of this progressivism (for lack of a better word, for now): the reduction of man to a social instrument. The government concern is for “healthy and productive members of the job force.” In the culture of death, man is not a person having eternal meaning and destiny but a worker-cell in the organism of society. Government does not exist for the sake of man, as the Church teaches, but rather man exists for the sake of society as determined by government. This dark philosophy at the foundations of fascism, and communism – and all tyranny – is getting clearer and clearer to be at the foundations of modern progressivism as well.
The philosophical and practical link between contraception and abortion, seen by the Church for some time now, is also made plain in this court argument. The administration lawyers explained, “Plan B and similar drugs” work in three ways:
- “by delaying or inhibiting ovulation,and/or
- altering tubal transport of sperm and/or ova (thereby inhibiting fertilization), and/or
- altering the endometrium (thereby inhibiting implantation).”
Thus the mandated drugs act to contracept (#1 and 2) and/or abort (#3). Abortion and contraception are merely two forms of “health coverage” deserved by worker-women and their potentially and/or unfortunately conceived babies.
The Homosexual Equivalence
The Democrats seem to be testing the waters for a plank in the 2012 platform supporting homosexual marriage, as President Obama now openly does. Already, polygamists are watching to see how this goes, because if “marriage” can be redefined to let homosexual unions in, why not polygamy also? And why not two men and three women (“polyamory”) in a group marriage? Marriage is the foundational unit of a society. When marriage itself disintegrates, the family and the home do also, to the grave harm of future generations. The larger society, like a house built on cards, then falls with the wind. American families have been under attack from many sides, for some time. This latest insult, and attack, may be the final and irreversible one. May God help us.
Polls can be misleading, granted. But HERE’S ONE STUDY:
- 53% of Catholics supported the idea of same-sex marriage, while the general public is evenly divided on the issue.
- 56% of Catholics did not believe sexual relations between two adults of the same gender constituted a sin, compared to 46 percent of the general population.
- 60% of Catholics favored adoption rights for same-sex couples
- 49% think “gays” should be allowed to be ordained as clergy
- American Catholics tended to be more liberal than evangelical and mainline Protestants
- There has been a gulf on social issues between church teachings and the American laity since the mid-1970s on subjects such as abortion, divorce without an annulment, premarital sex and artificial contraception. “Catholics make up their own minds about these moral issues irrespective – or almost in spite of – what the bishops and official church teachings say,” one commentator said.
An Election is Coming
Dear brother and sister Catholics, these are very dangerous times. This coming election, now less than 100 days away, is perhaps the most significant one certainly in our lifetimes, because the choice is so stark. The Democratic Party used to be the knee-jerk party of choice for most Catholics – a party of the disadvantaged, the marginalized, the powerless. Today, it is something very, very different. If Catholics in this country voted with a well-formed Catholic faith and conscience, America would be a different place today – and would be headed toward a very different destiny. As it is, America is heading toward a post-Christian neo-paganism, where the tyranny of moral relativism rules and traditional morality will be seen as criminal bigotry. Such a future is not yet irreversible! May God give us faithfulness, and renewal!
Thomas Richard
Renew The Church! - website and Blog 
Dear Dr. Richard,
As a Canadian I don’t wish to express my opinion about American politics.
Someone once said that whenever Washington has the flue, Canada develops pneumonia… For this reason I am deeply concern about the possibility the loss of your religious freedom, if I am reading what has been commentated over the Internet for a while is correct.
All that remains to be done presently is for the clergy and lay Christians is to sound the alarm loud and clear and pray.
Gene
By: Gene on August 2, 2012
at 4:08 pm
Hello Gene,
I say this with no sense of triumphalism at all, but only as a matter of fact: America has held a place of leadership among the world’s nations and cultures for some time. Over the course of history God has allowed some nations to rise in prominence for a time, and allowed them to fall in humiliation and defeat – economic, political and military. America is abandoning her foundations. As the Lord said, a house built upon sand will fall.
Let us all please pray for the Church, sent to be His light for this dark and darkening world!
By: Thomas Richard on August 3, 2012
at 4:19 am
Dear Thomas,
Yes, indeed, this is probably the most important election in our lifetime. Gene, in Canada, and our brothers and sisters all over the world will suffer the consequences if the present Obama Administration continues for another four years.
May God have mercy on us and enable the “sleepy” disciples of the Catholic Church to wake up before it is too late! May Our Lady, Patroness of the United States under her title of the Immaculate Conception, intercede for us and for all her children, given to her by Jesus from His Cross.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Jesus, we trust in You!
By: Deborah on August 2, 2012
at 5:51 pm
“May God have mercy on us and enable the “sleepy” disciples of the Catholic Church to wake up before it is too late!” – Amen to that. I hope that the Church in this country is, indeed, beginning to awaken. There are signs of some in the Church, here and there, speaking out with unexpected force and clarity! But so many who could be, and who ought to be by vocation and office, are not.
By: Thomas Richard on August 3, 2012
at 4:43 am
Dear Thomas, yes, I too am very concerned about this country and where it is headed. In my opinion, the Catholic Church should be sounding the alarms all over this country. This administration has taken a very strong stand and they are not wavering on their positions. It is time for all of us to unite and be heard.
I remember our “sidebar” coversations we both had during my RCIA program 3 years ago and we shared our concerns then about this administration. I cannot believe just how much they have done to restrict our freedoms in only 4 years. God bless this country and watch over us during these times!
Russell
By: Russell Rich on August 2, 2012
at 9:00 pm
Hello Russell – how good to hear from you. Thank you for your comments.
“In my opinion, the Catholic Church should be sounding the alarms all over this country.” – Yes, the Church is sent to speak truth! And the first persons who need to hear the truth of this danger are the Catholics in the pews, Sunday after Sunday, who in many cases are not (yet, anyway) hearing it.
I pray that God powerfully move the hearts of our bishops and priests and deacons to speak with clarity and unction – that they may begin to stir the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in us the fire of His love.
By: Thomas Richard on August 3, 2012
at 5:15 am
Dear Thomas
The present attack on the Church goes hand in hand with “Totalitarianism”. The state in that political philosophy must replace God and become “god”.
Your analysis and commentary is precise and correct. During my travels to various parts of our country, I have witnessed numerous clear and forceful calls to be aware of the attack on “Religious Freedom” and adamantly demand government fulfill it’s function to protect our individual Liberties, most specifically, our Freedom of Religious choice and practice. Further, I have been encouraged to know that many of our fellow citizens of all Faiths and Persuasions are and have joined with the Catholic Church in demanding the respect of our Freedoms.
Unfortunately, the “main stream media” has become nothing more than the propaganda arm of the state. In spite of that fact, I believe our fellow Citizens have their eyes open and are vigilant.
Please continue being the articulate voice calling out in the wilderness. Hopefully, we will heed God’s word.
By: Kent Miller on August 3, 2012
at 8:40 am
Hello Kent –
It is true, I believe, that at the root of the culture wars in the West today is the dark desire to eject God from the world of men, that man might stand in His place. This darkness will be defeated – of that we can be sure. Man can never find the happiness and peace he seeks except in the truth of God – the Gospel, then, is our “secret weapon” and its truth must be preached, taught, and lived.
May the Lord bless His holy Church.
By: Thomas Richard on August 3, 2012
at 6:39 pm
Dear Thomas,
In reference to the statement: “Congress’s attempt to equalize the provision of preventive health care services, with the resultant benefit of women being able to contribute to the same degree as men as healthy and productive members of society, furthers a compelling governmental interest.”, you say “The government concern is for “healthy and productive members of the job force.” What strikes me is the idea that bearing children does not contribute to being a productive member of society. I had not read before that administration attorneys made the argument you quoted. That certainly states succintly their attitude towards children’s worth and explains their hostility to the Church’s position on contraception.
Blessings to you and Deborah,
Barbara
By: Barbara Byars on August 4, 2012
at 1:17 pm
Hello Barbara,
Thank you for this comment – and your observation of the implications for the children involved, in the administration argument. I had not seen that side of it. Indeed, the administration clearly does have a distorted view of the worth of children to a society, manifest in many different ways.
What a sad, sorry state we have built for ourselves! The importance of an informed electorate – and a culture formed at least in the natural moral law, if not guided as well by the divinely revealed moral law – is becoming clearer and clearer! May God have mercy on us, for we in the Church have been entrusted with His light, yet too often we have kept it hidden and His truth silenced. Perhaps even so, even now, the Church may yet awaken.
By: Thomas Richard on August 4, 2012
at 3:23 pm