First, they came for the Catholics
My latest column examines the Obama administration’s continuing war on religious health care professionals, which I spotlighted when the ACLU first launched its salvo against Catholic hospitals in 2010. What’s noteworthy now is the united front that Catholic bishops (who have traditionally taken big government positions) are now taking against the Obamacare abortion edict. Better late than never.
The Anchoress and LifeNews have excellent coverage of the controversy — see here, here, here, and here. As I mention below, the Becket Fund is representing two schools suing over the unconstitutional abortion mandate in federal court. Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio is sponsoring a bill to restore the conscience clause protections for health care providers of faith.
This outrageous power grab is one which both fiscal and social conservative can rally behind. Every one of the GOP presidential candidates should be raising it on the campaign trail, in debates, and media interviews. Send messages to @HHSGov and @WhiteHouse. The grass-roots revolt is growing. NCHLA has a petition and action alert info here.
Where’s the MSM? Mostly AWOL, as usual.
Related news: Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research has finally halted grants to Planned Parenthood.
And: Pfizer recalls 28 lots of birth control pills
.
***
First, they came for the Catholics
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2012
President Obama and his radical feminist enforcers have had it in for Catholic medical providers from the get-go. It’s about time all people of faith fought back against this unprecedented encroachment on religious liberty. First, they came for the Catholics. Who’s next?
This weekend, Catholic bishops informed parishioners of the recent White House edict forcing religious hospitals, schools, charities, and other health and social service providers to provide “free” abortifacient pills, sterilizations, and contraception on demand in their insurance plans – even if it violates their moral consciences and teachings of their churches.
NARAL, NOW, Ms. Magazine, and the Feminist Majority Foundation all cheered the administration’s abuse of the Obamacare law to ram abortion down pro-life medical professionals’ throats. Femme dinosaur Eleanor Smeal gloated over the news that the administration had rejected church officials’ pleas for compromises: “At last,” she exulted, the Left’s goal of “no-cost birth control” for all had been achieved.
As always, tolerance is a one-way street in the Age of Obama. “Choice” is in the eye (and iron fist) of the First Amendment usurper.
Like the rising number of states who have revolted against the individual health care care mandate at the ballot box and in the courts, targeted Catholics have risen up against the Obamacare regime. Arlington (Va.) Bishop Paul Loverde didn’t mince words, calling the U.S. Department Health and Human Services order “a direct attack against religious liberty. This ill-considered policy comprises a truly radical break with the liberties that have underpinned our nation since its founding.” Several bishops vowed publicly to fight the mandate.
Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Michigan asserted plainly: “We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law.”
It’s not just rabid right-wing politicos defying the Obama machine. Pro-life Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania denounced the “wrong decision.” Left-leaning Bishop Robert Lynch threatened “civil disobedience” in St. Petersburg, Florida, over the power grab. Lefty Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne wrote that Obama “botched” the controversy and “threw his progressive Catholic allies under the bus” by refusing to “balance the competing liberty interests here.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney blithely denied on Tuesday that “there are any constitutional rights issues” involved in the brewing battle. Yet, the Shut Up and Hand Out Abortion Pills order undermines a unanimous Supreme Court ruling issued just last week upholding a religious employer’s right to determine whom to hire and fire. And two private colleges have filed federal suits against the government to overturn the unconstitutional abortion coverage decree.
Hannah Smith, senior counsel at the non-profit law firm, the Becket Fund, which is representing the schools boiled it down for Bloomberg News: “This is not really about access to contraception. The mandate is about forcing these religious groups to pay for it against their beliefs.”
How did we get here? The first salvo came in December 2010, when the American Civil Liberties Union pushed HHS and its Planned Parenthood-championing secretary, Kathleen “The Shredder” Sebelius, to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions in violation of their core moral commitment to protecting the lives of the unborn.
The ACLU called for a litigious fishing expedition against Catholic hospitals nationwide that refuse to provide “emergency” contraception and abortions to women. In their sights: Devout Phoenix Catholic Bishop Thomas Olmsted, who revoked the Catholic status of a rogue hospital that performed several direct abortions, provided birth control pills and presided over sterilizations against the church’s ethical and religious directives for health care.
ACLU and the feminists have joined with Obama to threaten and sabotage the First Amendment rights of religious-based health care entities. The agenda is not increased “access” to health care services. The ultimate goal is to shut down health care providers – Catholic health care institutions employ about 540,000 full-time workers and 240,000 part-time workers – whose religious views cannot be tolerated by secular zealots and radical social engineers.
Is it any surprise their counterparts in the “Occupy” movement have moved from protesting “Wall Street” to harassing pro-life marchers in Washington, D.C., and hurling condoms at Catholic school girls in Rhode Island?
Birds of a lawless, bigoted feather bully together.
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It was all over the news. Oh wait, it wasn’t.
None of this would be happening if individuals could purchase the health insurance plans that they want. Employers and the gov at all levels should be out of the health insurance control business.
Yes, indeed. I am the only one responsible for saving my own soul. I won’t force my beliefs on anyone else and I don’t want anyone forcing their beliefs on me.
As for that little RI snot who was soooo intolerant of seeing a prayer on the wall of her school, The world will never be perfect enough to keep from offending her.
I wish that Michelle Malkin and those who have the ability to spread a very clear and important message would take a stand today and ban all people who spew progressive liberalism by way of their blogs. It’s time we shut them down anyway we can. Start now!
Wonder if anyone has asked this gal if she has US money on her? If so, gotta take it, In God We Trust is on every coin and bill! She will probably go after our money to get the word God off it next?
L
I feel free to disagree.
as is your God given right.
Yes, of course, as long as the marketplace is allowed to function properly. The marketplace will fix it by punishing taxi companies that allow that kind of behavior and rewarding companies that advertise “We serve everyone!”
Also of course, and central to the current struggle between the collectivists and those of us who love freedom, the taxi companies have to have the right to not hire drivers who won’t follow company policy, no matter what the religion of the job applicant is.
Rogue Cheddar
They will shut us down. They will shut us up. Mark.My.Words.
The issue is Catholics and Catholic organizations are being forced to participate against their will by force of law.
Abortion is more than an issue of dogma. It’s an issue of natural law, science, and constitutional rights. Some use dogma, I prefer to use science, natural law and the constitution to make my arguments against abortion because I know that dogma based arguments are useless against those who don’t share mine.
That’s what happens when you don’t hang with religious people – you end up making foolish assumptions about them. I’ve been married for 25 years and my wife and I have never used it, and no, we don’t have 12 kids. It’s called natural family planning. Do a little research.
Choose One:
A. No balls
B. Fellow Traveler
C. All of the Above
AlohaGuy:
Because the whole Church hierarchy doesn’t have a pair of gonads between the bunch of them. They’re too enamored of their temporal power to see the real world consequences of their “go along to get along” attitude. But sooner or later they’ll have to answer to a higher authority. Trust me on that.
Reason #5,974 to stop using the tax code for social engineering. Flat tax, no dedcutions. If you want to own a home, have kids, be married, live alone, etc. that is your choice and the tax code should have no bearing on anything you do.
12 years of Baltimore catechism tells me that Catholics were willfully ignorant (read: STUPID) when they voted for the Jackass-In-Chief in ’08!!! There was a ton of info out there about Obastard’s 100% NARAL rating, and Catholics ignored it. Their BAD!?!
IF and until Catholics get back to Catholic tenents, they deserve to be the doormat of everything that is wrong with this country.
The anti-Catholicism in these threads is getting tedious too.
Try comparing apples to apples next time. In this case it is schools and hospitals that are run and paid for by the Catholic church not the workers at a local community clinic or workers at a community college.
In your example you are saying the drivers not the owners of the company. Now if the taxi company was Muslim owned and operated then yes they should be able to have the right to refuse service to anyone. If people don’t like it then find a different cab company. Just like if people want to have abortions go to a non-Catholic run hospital. If they want to have their health insurance pay for birth control either purchase your own health insurance or find an employer who will allow it to be covered.
I hate to say it, but I believe it is due to money and power. I will bet that Pelosi pays quite a large sum of tithing to the church and it doesn’t hurt that she is in a position of power that could cause them grief (i.e. changing the tax codes to remove tax emption status from religous organizations). And it is not just the Catholic church that does this. I feel the same reasons apply to the Harry Reid and the Mormon (LDS) church.
She has been excoriated publicly by bishops over the years for misrepresenting the Catholic position on some things.
Excommunication is pretty serious, so I’m not surprised they have balked at that. They should withhold communion, though, imo.
Really?
Blacks voted 95% Obama
Jews voted 78% Obama
1st Time voter: 69% Obama
Hispanics voted 67% Obama
Asians voted 62% Obama
Women voted 56% Obama
Catholics voted 54% Obama
There were other times in history when “doormats” were blamed for all the ills of the country — I’m nobody’s doormat, friend.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/exit-polls.html
We should be so lucky.
So your answer is to replace their fascistic policies with your own?
All Santorum would need to say is, “I have some very deeply held religious beliefs that have nothing to do with the issues the American People are concerned with. As POTUS, I can’t force my religious beliefs on anyone. So the topic is irrelevant. Now, ask me what I would do to get this economy back on track, and make this country jobs-friendly again!”
The mooslums here in Minneapolis who have taxis at the airport can refuse service to anyone they want, but they must then go to the end of the line if they refuse service to someone. After a while, they realize they are not making any money. That is their choice.
Yes, my blog my message and my beliefs. The government does it already – they just don’t admit it. The reason progressives have flourished like they have is because we have given them avenues to by which to do so..we give them opportunities by way of our blogs to explain their points of view that only serve to destroy us. That’s complete insanity.
Thanks for proving my point.
I agree with most of the things you say, but strongly disagree with this!! It is called censorship. Are you sure you want to go that route? No Way!
Re:#106
The god given right is life.
The Right for Feeling Free to Disagree should be directed towards a vet.
I wouldn’t give the devil a moments time on my blog, why would I give those who serve him more than that.
Misscheryl…The trolls who comment here give us the opportunity to shoot down their stupid ideas. They really don’t have any skills with debate or common sense. Why would you want them shut down? Let them spew. They just sound ridiculous. I’m o.k. with that!
Happy, it’s time to fight fire with fire IMHO. You are speaking from your own experience, many people read these and this blog who never post. Why provide them with a soap box? That’s my belief. That’s where I’m coming from. It’s time to take them seriously – really, it is.
Progressives come here. They make their arguments. We destroy their arguments. Readers can make up their own minds. Most undecideds who read what the progressives say and then read what we say will realize the progressives are argumentative loons.
That is the power of the freedom of speech. Over time, foolish ideas are revealed for what they are.
(BTW, I am not saying a blog blocking them would be a violation of freedom of speech, but the principle applies).
I salute MM for having the tolerance of Uber libs whining like mules on a free site.
If it was me hosting, there would a virtual iron skillet coming their way in 3D, but would feel it like it was in 5D.
Not true! They no doubt think that they’re doing their real job, which is of course to aid the Obama Administration.
But of course. The MSM is the official propaganda wing of his admin and party after all.
Nitpick:
Perhaps “…rally against.”?
Unfortunately most Catholics today were not taught the Baltimore Catechism and all they hear from the pulpit is Jesus loves you and you’re going to Heaven. Too many priests and bishops are fags and any good orthodox priest has a constant battle on his hands against liberal members of his parish, fellow priests, and his bishop. Read Goodbye, Good Men for more info.
He would do well to use quotes from this JFK speech:
Feel free to come back to Christian Orthodoxy
On February 1st, 2012 at 3:19 pm, Misscheryl said: Feel free to come back to Christian Orthodoxy
I’m glad to hear the liberals haven’t successfully derailed all Catholics…YAY!!!
Whenever I see a Kent, or ILMC, or an Old Begonias post a nonsensical progressive diatribe, and then watch as Flyoverman or John Deaux or others calmy deconstruct and destroy them, I feel blessed that I am part of this (and hopefully contributing) community of ideas freely expressed. It’s a beautiful thing.
Not at all. We just need to get rid of the hippy era liberal bishops who allow the BS to continue. My brother is a parish priest in Corpus Christi – he tells it like it is, like it or not. His group has shut down one abortion mill and they’ve been working on the other.
Otherwise we’d be eating our own out of complete boredom!!
You can also watch as some who tout ‘empowerment’ degrade others routinely!
Well it’s certainly not boring here on this blog, but most recently we’ve been feasting on one another.
Not to mention the laugh we all get at their expense attributed to your wit Rogue.
Quick! More liberals!!
just sayin’
Yeah, I’ve had a few chunks taken out of me lately, not that I’m averse to some much needed weight loss at this stage.
BINGO!! Er…not a bad post for a Paulbot!
Dingo: You must spank her well, and after you are done with her, you may deal with her as you like… and then… spank me.
Hey swnntman, looks to me like 54% of Catholics endorsed Obastard’s 100% NARAL rating. That being the case, what exactly did they think they were going to get??? The Archangel Gabriel??? Sound like a whole lot of “convenience Catholics” to me.
And oh yeah, ILMC you remain a complete and utter moron.
@ Misscheryl: “With you” on your estimation of the “enemy”.
The class-warfare bend of the Commucrats current election strategy has resulted in massive violence perpetratede by the Left against their fellow citizens in many countries that are far more heterogenous than ours.
Georgw Soros is “predicting” (orchestrating?) massive rioting in the streets this summer. Donald Trump is predicting the same…..Both predicated on Obama looking like he could lose in the Fall.
Our problem is that we would be acting against our principles if we applied pre-emptive tactics of censorship. We–out of necessity, and respect for the rule of law, rather than the mob–must be counterpunchers. Its not an ineffective strategy, however. The Left continually overplays its hand; individuals show their asses (see the Occupy protests)….
I believe we can demonstrate the difference in such a way as to win the next election. The middle is ours, if we don’t overplay our hand…
THEN we disembowl the unions, their pipeline of worker’s money to the Socialist Left, and the regulatory protection rackets built by the Dems over the past 3 decades.
Winning the election is job one, but my biggest concern after that is that we won’t have the guts to institutionalize our victory after the fact. Hard counterpunches followed by ruthless application of that power is how the Left has gained so much ground, and its exactly what we need to do.
Dingo: Oh, wicked, bad, naughty, evil Zoot! Oh, she is a bad person, and she must pay the penalty!
My concerns are the same as yours and you articulated my feelings perfectly when you said: “Winning the election is job one, but my biggest concern after that is that we won’t have the guts to institutionalize our victory after the fact. Hard counterpunches followed by ruthless application of that power is how the Left has gained so much ground, and its exactly what we need to do”
When I suggested the idea of removing yet another soap box of the left by banning them from conservative blogs I knew what the outrage would be and the excuses why we can’t do that…it’s the same attitude that makes me wonder if we have the nerve to win this war. I don’t think we do. We’ll sell our souls for the sake of a good argument and gain nothing in the process.
*For those keeping score, that’s 100% azzholes voting for P-BO, a known socialist/marxist as early as 2007!
*Obamacare is unconstitutional, and, Lord willing, the SCOTUS will see it that way come June; We will get back to our Constitutional Republic, whether by the slow peeling away legistatively(the Ron Paul way), or by a more dark and unhealthy way(P-BO, or pick your RINO)!
Rogue: I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if “she must pay the penalty” includes letting me watch, I’m for it.
Misscheryl: Do we have the nerve? I don’t know. The hard Leftists in this country are absolute cutthroats. These are the folks that will gleefully put fellow-citizens in camps. Resentment, which Obama stokes on a daily basis, generates incredible motivation for evil and violence. And of course, no personal responsibility for the carnage.
Fear of God and common decency are handicaps when dealing with this crew.
Point taken and appreciated. I stand corrected.
I haven’t had time to read the comments tonight, and I’m not a Catholic (actually a Lutheran), but I am completely Pro-Life , and I think this is appalling. Beyond appalling. This is despicable and evil. This is why Obama must be defeated. I’m for Santorum, but I’ll vote for whoever is the GOP candidate.
Obama is a baby-killer.
Newt Challenged Florida’s delegate appointment, says they have to follow the law and award its delegates proportionally.
Mitt Romney looking more and more like Al Gore.
Just a little (Monty Python) back and forth between Spacey and me. And yes, we like it when others watch.
While heartily agree with you, Misscherly, it has become a Wack-a-Mole game trying to eradicate these regressive critters.
Is it just my fading memory or did the Catholic Church throw its impressive weight behind Obama and Dimocrats in 2008 on social justice issues? If so, it is rather ironic that they are now being hammered by that very same Obama.
Indiana has taken a step in that direction by declaring itself to be a RTW state. Workers are not prohibited from joining a union and unions may still organize and recruit. Is their job made more difficult? Yes. So what? However, a worker may not be compelled to join a union and pay dues if they do not want to. Time for the truth to be told!
That squealing sound emanating from stuck union hogs in IN is such a pleasant sound!
I am thinking that if the hard leftists seize total control of this country, the rope factories will see a significant uptick in demand and production.
A certain relative of mine had this fear that the hard right was going to take total control of the country and do what the hard left now appears poised to do. I saw it as a lost cause trying to convince him that it was not the hard right he needed to fear more.
This is one of the primary reasons I think he wanted the Oval Office so much.
So true. The only time Obowtome has taken a position was to support the killing of babies.
First they came for the unborn. Then for the old people. Then for the cronically ill, the mentally disabled, the physically disabled, then for anyone they considered unworthy of living. Welcome to Obamacare!
On February 2nd, 2012 at 8:22 am, conservative hispanic said:
I was reading about a couple of Bio-Ethicists who are trying to re-define murder. Basically calling killing of the non useful “Just like weeding your Garden”
Goering and Himmler were ‘bio-ethicists’?
Dexter Alarius:
No, I believe it was Dr. Mengele and Goebbels.
Interesting. When push comes to shove, I wonder if they would have this same attitude about their OWN lives? Me thinks not! One of them has a stroke or something…no longer useful…weed him out! Oh, no, wait! I was just kidding! Life is precious! These cowards will have MUCH to answer for some day. Life is a gift from God and that makes it very precious indeed!!
I’m curious as to how old is considered old? I mean, has there been a number attached to the word old? Will they come up with some criteria? Just so you all know…I may look “old”, but I’m really 50 years young. I have just had a hard life! Scrapbooking takes its toll.
Me tinks the the time for some patriotic militancy is drawing near.
Great column. I would take issue with one thing though (which someone else may have already mentioned but I haven’t waded through all the posts), and that is that Sen. Casey might call himself pro-life but his record says otherwise. Please don’t continue to append this misnomer on him and make him look better than he is.
This was a setup.
The D’s know they’ve marginalized R’s on social issues through their proxies {msm/Hollywood/schools} and as long as the R’s stick to the economy, they are golden.
Can’t have that, so they set it up so there would be LOTS of pushback so the D’s could go “See, THIS is what you’ll get if you don’t reelect O”
Now that I’m older and wiser, I can see the moral AND economic underpinnings of the conservative viewpoint, but it took me until I was 50 to *really* connect the dots.
And I have always leaned right!
Those “moderates” out there will stick with the devil they know before they’ll vote R – UNLESS, the R’s get the TP freshmen to get out on the stump and connect the dots FOR them!!!!
If this was a setup, they made a BIG mistake! Millions of Catholics and other Christians will NOT vote democrat because of this travesty. How is that for an “unintended consequence”??
Give the stats:
Blacks voted 95% Obama
Jews voted 78% Obama
1st Time voter: 69% Obama
Hispanics voted 67% Obama
Asians voted 62% Obama
Women voted 56% Obama
Catholics voted 54% Obama
It sounds more like a whole lot of “convenience Americans” to me.
Ms. Malkin obviously does not understand the difference between oral contraceptive pills (a.k.a. birth control) and abortion.
Take a stand people lest you lose it all.
First, what an idiotic and insulting comment to our host.
Second, you obviously didn’t read the article. Catholic beliefs prohibit any unnatural methods to prevent pregnancy. The Obeyme Administration is trying to force religion-run organizations to cover contraception and abortion in the health insurance they offer to employees, against their doctrine/conscience.
Finally, the ‘morning after’ pill is an abortifacient. I.e. it is a pill designed to abort an already fertilized egg (person).
Susan G. Komen for the Cure has reversed its decision, and is resuming funding for Planned Parenthood. In the short run, this has resulted in $3 million in increased donations to PP, and with the resumption of the funding of grants by Komen, means that PP is fiscally better off now than it was before.
So the whole thing kinda backfired.