The Catholic Church Vs The Obama Administration
 

It was inevitable. Following the HHS decision earlier this year to mandate employer's health plans must contain coverage for birth control, multiple Catholic organizations are filing lawsuits in Federal Courts across the country. The plaintiffs, including Notre Dame, Franciscan University of Steubenville, and dozens of Catholic hospitals and organizations, have filed a total of 12 lawsuits today against Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Obama administration over the controversial HHS mandate.

Closer to my home, the Michigan Catholic Conference said that the mandate violates religious freedom by requiring many religiously affiliated hospitals, schools and charities to comply with a federal mandate to include coverage for birth control in the health insurance plans provided to their employees. The conference says it has provided medical insurance coverage to church workers since the 1970s and currently offers insurance at more than 1,100 Catholic institutions employing around 10,000 people.

I know that this will likely bust a blood vessel in some of our forum participants, but here is a quote from a USA Today article today talking about the Catholic Church's potential arguments:

"Catholic University Law professor Robert Destro argues that the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United recognizes that corporations — including faith-based non-profits and for-profit companies run by individuals of faith — are covered under the rights of free religious and political speech.

Obama's mandate, in any form, is "a shell game" because it still links believers who find contraception immoral to insurers who will provide it free, even without direct participation from the religious person or institution, Destro says."

How much might this legal activity and the surrounding debate jeopardize the "Catholic" vote for Obama, which by size is a pretty large, though not monolithic, voting block?

That depends upon how many of them are single-issue hypocrites. :confused:

I suspect a fair number of them will take umbrage to the idea whether they really care about the issue in question or not. I suspect Obama and his minions have carefully weighed lost votes vs gained at any rate.

Pete

The Catholic leadership has lost control over a significant part of its flock. I do not believe the average joe or jane listens or follows much of what comes from the top.

Too many scandals have undermined the authority and integrity of the church.
Plus the crushing demands of modern life, the exposure to the new and the easy access to information have reduced the hold of the once very powerful Papacy.

I believe the displeasure of the church with O will have minimal effect on the election.

It sounds to me like the Catholic Church wants to make its own rules for its participation in the secular economy.

This is more about politics than about contraception. The catholic leadership has always been unhappy about having a baby killer in the White House and this provided a convenient opportunity to stir things up.

Regards,

D-Ray

Painting with an EXTREMELY broad brush there counselor. The Catholic church, and other employers, were offering health insurance on terms of their choice long before Obama and company showed up. The Catholic church was, in fact, minding their own business, and here comes Obama and company telling them that, in order to continue to offer health coverage, you have to do it based on the government's rules.

Was the church "participating in the secular economy" any less before Obamacare? No.

This isn't about politics. Its about contraception to the extent that contraception is the core tenet of the Catholic church that the government is attempting to kick to the curb.

Your comments about a "baby killer" in the White House are inflammatory and specious. The Catholic Church has been by far more aligned with Democrats on social and economic issues than not. if you're suggesting otherwise, then you're grossly uninformed.

Which is why -- to paraphrase Pete's argument -- Democratic leadership isn't sweating this: they're likely to GAIN votes, in the long run.

Until the Ratzinger Bishop's club decided to attack the Religious Women's Group. They are the ones who own the hospitals and who attempt to do Jesus' work. All the Bishops are about is control, control, control. If the hierarchy does not get it together we may well see tha end of the church as we know it.

If they provide contraception "good" catholics will not use it and only "non catholics" in their employ well use it. Since it is also used to alleviate some medical conditions, the church is allowing its dogma to interfere in the life of certain women who may require such treatment, hardly a christian act.

BTW I am well aware of how the church operates, having lived in a priest ridden province and being married to a former member of the church.

We are talking about birth control Whell...something that is so mainstream in American society since the 1960s that it is a mundane topic for most people. And there are many uses of birth control for other medical issues, such as acne. You are falling for the trap Whell....keep worrying about birth control and the economy ceases to be the number one issue of the election.....a slam dunk for the Donkeys. Hmmm maybe the Dems are secretly bankrolling the lawsuits lol.....

This is such a needless, nothing distraction, what the GOP does best.