OBAMA vs. CATHOLICS

President Obama thinks that universal health insurance coverage is important enough to force people to buy it, even when they don't want it and don't need it.  He also thinks that contraception and sterilization are so important that Catholics ought to be forced to pay for them, even though it violates their consciences and the teaching of their Church.  


On January 20, 2012 Mr. Obama's Administration (the HHS) denied the latest effort to provide a conscience exemption from the requirements of universal health insurance coverage.  This means that Catholic hospitals and schools will be required to provide insurance to their employees that covers sterilization and contraception, even though their church prohibits such practices.


I find it astonishing that this Administration, in the name of "choice," is prepared to override the "choice" of tens of millions of religious Americans.  An article in CatholicCulture.org, which covers news that is of interest to Catholics, quotes Cardinal Roger Mahony:

"Every candidate must be pressed to declare his/her position on all of the fundamental life issues, especially the role of government to determine what conscience decision must be followed: either the person's own moral and conscience decision, or that dictated/enforced by the Federal government. For me the answer is clear: we stand with our moral principles and heritage over the centuries, not what a particular Federal government agency determines." 

This injustice will hound President Obama as he campaigns for re-election. His arguments about "fairness" will ring hollow for the tens of millions of Catholics who actually practice their faith, as it will for millions of other Americans who don't like being pushed around by arrogant politicians.  

President Obama is all for freedom if it is his freedom.  He is all for choice if it is his choice.  He is all for fairness if it is fair to him. 

We shall see how the President fares on this latest venture in forcing his vision on unwilling Americans.   I don't see this working out well for him.  Not even a little bit.