I am not Catholic but I understand that infringement of the government into the ministries of the church is a violation of our First Amendment Rights. Our Bill of Rights guarantees that Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The requirements of Obamacare are prohibiting religious ministries from freely exercising their beliefs by mandating they violate them through the health care they provide. It’s an assault on religious freedom and an example of the potential abuse this legislation represents.
The administration is trying to make it a women’s rights issue but those rights exist and will continue whether employers provide them or not. We already have government subsidies for Planned Parenthood to give free contraception and day-after pills. There are health clinics providing women’s needs, etc. The government already has guaranteed that a woman’s ability to pay is not a hindrance. Do not violate the conscience of faith-based ministries. Catholics are not the only ones threatened by this mandate and they are not the only ones going to push back.
Sharon Long
Vancouver
