Catholic bishops press cause against federal mandates

U.S. Catholic leaders, claiming religious liberty is under assault from the Obama administration, are launching two weeks of non-stop nationwide teaching, preaching and public events to press their cause.

The campaign kicks off Thursday. Government, they say, should not decide who is religious enough to be exempt from government mandates — particularly a requirement to provide free contraception insurance coverage — that would force the faithful to violate church doctrine.

Nearly half of the nation's 195 dioceses have announced events from prayer breakfasts to town-hall-style meetings to readings of the Constitution. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is providing resources including a dramatic special prayer for strength and courage.

They have dubbed this a "Fortnight for Freedom," set to stretch from the feast day of two saints, martyrs who were murdered for refusing to bend Roman Catholic doctrine to meet a king's demands, to Independence Day.

The kickoff is in Baltimore, the first American diocese, led by Archbishop William Lori, who heads the bishops' committee on religious liberty. Lori told his brethren last week, "It will not be easy, and we may well suffer, as we are called to do, but we will not fail."

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Evemyrtle

Every Christian should foin the Catholics in their fight. If the government shouls win over them, then we are next inline to their invasion
- daves
  
  If the Catholics do not want to use birth control then they shouldn't but why should they have the right to deny that coverage to their employees?
  - wesley
    
    it like forcing an atheist to buy Bibles for all his employees.
    - daves
      
      No – it would be like forcing the religion insurance company to provide bibles for those who desire them.
  - Lou
    
    Daves, Please stop an think about it, Or are you just brain dead
  - Stan Byers
    
    Dave, This is not about contraception. It is a moral issue. I'm not a Catholic but I refuse to pay for medication to murder a baby (abortion) through my insurance. Since when can the government dictate a person's moral convictions. If this is allowed, what next? Can the government take away your God?
    - daves
      
      The contraception mandate does not require the coverage of any abortion-inducing drugs, even though the Food and Drug Administration describes the drug Ella as preventing implantation from happening.
      - wesley
        
        all form of artificial contraception are abortion-inducing drugs. the birth control pill admits that its line of of defense does cause chemical abortions. this is in their own literature. this mandate does force catholics to fund abortions.
      - pcsrocky
        
        Bulloney! The mandate forces institutions, Catholic in particular, to pay for insurance options which provide for the 72 hour pill, various sterilizations and the standard contraception. If you seek employment at or entrance into a business or school you know is Catholic and does not support these iftems, YOU have made YOUR choice on health insurance by default. You can obtain the majority of these things at your nearby, taxpayer funded Planned Parenthood office at litte or not charge.
        
        Wake up, this is just a sly, underhanded attempt to force Catholics first then all other Christian religions to compromise questions of conscience! If you think this is the last or only thing that will be forced your head is so far in the sand you must be coming up in China! If they can "force" this in the Catholics, the largest religious group in the world, they can force whatever they feel like on what ever group they feel like, they being Obama and company!!!!!!!
  - http://conservativebyte.com Michael G.
    
    In the Catholic Church artificial birth control is considered a mortal sion. Hence the coverage of such activities is not covered.
  - myth buster
    
    Because providing birth control to others is worse than using it yourself, just as being a drug dealer is worse than abusing drugs yourself, and making pornography is worse than watching it. In each pair, the latter merely incurs sin yourself, while the former deliberately causes others to sin, making you responsible for attempting to murder their souls.
    - daves
      
      They don't have to provide it.
      - wesley
        
        they are still forced to pay for it!!!
      - myth buster
        
        Helping somebody else procure it is just as bad. Understand, a Catholic pharmacist is not only forbidden from filling a prescription for contraception himself, but also from directing the patient to someone who will fill the prescription. Willfully assisting someone in committing a mortal sin is a mortal sin called scandal.
  - BOB
    
    What part of that you don't understand .IT GOD LAW You can denie it But it is still Hes LAW. IF They don't like CATHOLIC RELIGION They don't have to work there. THEY can go some where else to get their healthcare . AFTER ALL THEY REP. THAT CHURCH when they work there.!!!!
guest

We must all stand together. Christians all. Like never before. Instead of "mines better than yours" We need to unite in The Trinity with our full armor and fight the good fight.
wesley

evangelicals should be ashamed while given their large voting block about 2/5 of voters and all we get to vote for is obama and his inspiration for his healthcare plan going to war against the catholic church. several of these bishops are in the minority of their respected diocese yet they want to be counted faithful to their beliefs. this also gives us hope that as the younger catholics grow in number and influence in their diocese a revival can break out in the entire church in America like a wildfire through it starts from something very small and insignificant catcher everything in its way on fire so will the moving of God's Spirit across our nation.
- wesley
  
  obama admits that obamacare is based on romneycare. romney told catholic charities of Massachusetts to either place children with homosexuals of leave the state. romney benefits from American's short attention spans.
agbjr

Forty years ago there were those who insisted the Church has no right to issue mandates to the federal government thus Roe vs Wade was heard by the Supreme Court and unrestricted abortion became legal. Now those same persons who supported Roe vs Wade insist the federal government has a right to issue mandates to the Church. The Constitution is clear: in the United States NEITHER has a right to mandate or otherwise regulate the other. This administration, this government has no power over the doctrine and practices of the Church just as the Church has no power over this government. The mis-named Affordable Health Care Act is inherently and blatantly unconstitutional.
- fiddler
  
  I still don't know why the Supreme Court is not being picketed to have Justice Kagan recuse herself. If the reverse were true (the issue and Justice were conservative) it would be front-page news in the NYT! People should be screaming CONFLICT OF INTEREST! But apparently there are two sets of rules: one for the "children"; the other for adults.
msjallen

Perhaps Catholics will get the message and not vote for 0. I hope 0 shot himself in the foot on this one and continues to do so in his frustration of America not wanting him to be their "king". He is out for revenge but I believe more and more people will find out who he really is as he continues to try to hide his faults and evil against us.
- fiddler
  
  The latest moves: immigration and the sudden application of executive privilage PROVE that it is all about HIM, expecially since he was against executive privilage before (because it was about Bush). We need to speak to our friends and neighbors and ask them why the president is doing this. And, whether they should re-elect someone because they feel sorry for him. Good grief!
guest

There are liberal thinking persons in every religion. I am Catholic and over 65. I know not ONE Catholic who voted for this guy.
I am fortunate to be in a parish that is traditional. Without secularism creeping in. Thank God.
BOB

Most of the Catholic's and Jew's I have worked with over the years have been LIBERALS and voted Democrat for the last 35 years. I have never understood that but it their choose .
Robert Koomans

LL people who claim to obey God, should First obey the Creator, and after that, Man's laws. When man makes a law that conflicts with God's Laws, then, all good men (and women of course) of faith in God must disobey any of man's interference with their faith and beliefs. Israel was protected by God (YHVH) while they obeyed Him, but God did Not protect them when they strayed away. They had to learn their lessons. This is something that must change with all people if they want God's protection: Belong to God 1st! – And to do that we must Obey God's Commandments the way Jesus taught us, or – as John wrote – God will not Recognise us, or respond to our prayers (unless we are repenting). With God on our side, and absolute faith in Him, we could move Mountains! (see Gen-2 and Ex-20 for answers) – and boy! – do we need to move some mountains of bulldust!