Is the HHS Mandate a Threat to Religious Liberty?
—1st Amendment
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
—Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
"The inalienable right to life of every innocent human
individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its
legislation:
The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by
civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend
neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a
concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature
and are inherent in the person...
The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined... As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights." 1,2
At the moment of conception a
baby boy or girl is formed with a complete set of DNA that demonstrates
their "personhood." A person has a natural, God given, right to life.
This right
should continue to be protected
under our 14th amendment.
HHS mandate: Fines would cripple work of the Church, close businesses
Consequences for Business Owners of Faith
Leaders of a multitude of religious-advocacy
groups are warning of the mandate's consequences for business owners of
faith:
The Catholic Association, or TCA, released a
statement warning, “August 1, 2012, indeed marks a seismic shift in the
world of religious liberty in America. Once the mandate goes into
effect, the government has codified into law the notion that employers
may be required to violate the teachings of their faith if they are a
for-profit employer. … August 1 is D-Day for religious freedom in
America.”
Matt Smith, president of Catholic Advocate:
“Aug. 1 will be remembered as the day our most cherished liberty was
thrown in a government dumpster and hauled away. A day when family owned
small businesses were forced to abandon their religious beliefs to
provide products and services for free. And if they don’t, they will be
taxed and fined at a time when job creators are struggling with enough
costs and bureaucratic red-tape at every level of government just to
stay in business. While the courts have provided a reprieve for one
family business in Colorado, the government will never be able to repair
the broken conscience of thousands of others until this mandate is
removed.”
Gary Marx, executive director of the Faith &
Freedom Coalition: “Confidence in the system and hope for religious
liberty was mildly restored when a federal district judge issued a
temporary injunction blocking Barack Obama’s health-care mandate from
compelling a business to provide insurance coverage of sterilization,
contraception, and abortion-inducing drugs. This is certainly a victory,
but the fact that it only applies to one company means the federal
government is still going to force millions of Americans to choose
between having health insurance or their conscience and faith. With an
administration intent on suppressing religious liberty, we can expect a
historic turnout of voters of faith show up in November.”
Kristin Hawkins, executive director of
Students for Life of America: “Today marks the beginning of the end of
religious and conscience rights in America. As an employer, I am forced
to make a false choice between providing a vital service to my employees
and violating my conscience and values. The abortion-pill mandate is an
egregious attack upon my rights, as well as the rights of all people of
values and faith in America.”
Jeanne Monahan, director of the Family
Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity: “Today as a result of this
initial implementation of the HHS mandate, the relationship between the
separation of church and state is critically changed. Americans can no
longer follow their consciences or religious dictates on issues as
critical as abortion-inducing drugs. Organizations such as Wheaton
College, or businesses such as Weingartz Supply of Ann Arbor, Mich.,will
be forced to violate their consciences. On this sad day Americans have
no ‘choice’ in this matter.”
Larry Cirignano, president of Faithful
Catholic Citizens: “Give up your religion or go bankrupt. This is not a
mandate; it is an ultimatum. Buy insurance and kill babies or go
bankrupt fighting us. Not all of us can afford lawyers to fight this
‘mandate.’ None of us can afford to pay the fines $100 per employee.”
Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned
Women for America: “The only solution that has been provided to the
majority of Americans is to stand up and fight for their religious
rights by refusing to comply or battling in court. … We must remember
the wise words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘All tyranny needs to gain a
foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.’ To force
religious groups to deny their deeply held convictions is not called
balance; it is called tyranny.”
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1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
2. CDF, Donum vitae III