Dear Mr. President: An Appeal for Religious Liberty
From Catholic Vote
And from National Review
We’re “Battling Over Birth Control,” or haven’t you heard? That was the title of a New York Times editorial over Thanksgiving weekend insisting that the White House not succumb to Catholic backward thinking over contraception. (Never mind that it’s not just the pope in Rome but slick glossies anymore.) But that’s not actually the battle. The battle is over simple conscience rights that this president’s Department of Health and Human Services doesn’t think Catholic institutions and others with religious objections deserve when providing mandated health plans and contraception coverage.
As has been pointed out, not even Christ Himself would qualify for the exemption HHS has carved out — he couldn’t be ecumenical in His service; a Catholic hospital would have to put a Baptists-not-allowed sign up.
We were warned.
And now Belmont Abbey College is suing (Belmont Abbey College v. Sebelius). Mark L. Rienzi, an assistant professor at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, is part of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty team in the Benedictine school’s legal corner.
The founding fathers’ separation of church and state clause was meant to protect citizens from a state-mandated religion. Consitiutionally, how do we view the Federal government telling people that they have to operate against their beliefs? I will be watching Belmont Abbey College vs. Sebelius.
Leave your response!