Time for Citizen Action: Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013 Deserves Full Support

3/11/2013

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especially needed in light of new challenges to conscience rights arising from the federal health care reform act."

Over one hundred lawsuits have been filed by not for profit and for profit organizations, churches, mission outreaches and businesses. We urge our readers to stand in solidarity with the millions who are mobilizing around this vital defense of Religious Liberty, conscience and authentic human freedom.

This can be done by standing with a growing number of citizen coalitions which are mobilizing in this great response to defend freedom. In our opinion, there is a need for even more efforts to serve the true common good in the months ahead. We will be making an announcement after the celebration of Easter concerning our own plan to join this growing movement.

The Birth Certificate of our Nation, the Declaration of Independence, affirmed the existence of inalienable rights and self evident truths. Those Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness are endowed by our Creator and not conferred by a Federal Government. They cannot - they must not - be taken away by a Federal Government which fails to recognize fundamental human rights such as the Rights to Life and Religious Freedom. Religious Liberty is at the heart of the very understanding of the Right to Liberty in the Western tradition. It has long been called the first freedom for good reason.

Without legislation such as the Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013, the HHS Mandate will require employers, including Catholic and other religious employers, to cover sterilization, abortion inducing drugs, and contraception in their health care plans or face the boot of fines and penalties. The fines and penalties will have the practical result of closing many of the Church's outreaches, ministries and institutions of care and compassion. The HHS Mandate injures the Church and religious institutions. It injures businesses which are run by men and women of conscience. It injures American society. It harms the common good.

The Federal Government of the United States is trying to force us to act against deeply held religious convictions and to violate conscience. The claim that such an edict is an unjust law is rooted in the western understanding of the nature of law itself. That is the foundation upon which the American founders grounded their insistence that there are inalienable rights, endowed upon us all by a Creator, which cannot be taken away by any civil government.

It is time for citizen action. The Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013 has been introduced and deserves full support.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013, HR 940, Religious Liberty, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act, Conscience exemptions, Archbishop Lori, USCCB, Congresswoman Dianne Black of Tennessee, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, Congressman John Fleming

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

Emma
2 months ago
It's about time! In our own household, we have also made a decision to withhold tax monies and refuse to pay any "fines " forthcoming from our refusal to contribute to the government's demands that we pay for any further killing. A guardianship has been established for our son and we are willing to take this all the way. If more Americans would follow this path, the government that steals from us and then uses OUR money to support its actions would be forced to change direction. Sadly, too many live in fear of our so -called representative system to do so. But, we can no longer contribute to such a corrupt system. As it's said, "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul! " We are in need of a tax payer revolt! It's the only option left short of an uprising. I won't pay anyone who forces me to choose between my conscience and my freedom. If they're going to strip me of my liberty, strip any of us of our liberty, why do we continue to provide them with the means to do so? It's like handing an intruder a gun and then asking them "pretty please don't shoot me "! Someone needs to take a firm stand and be willing to back up their words with action. That decision is in and of itself, liberating! Let the chips fall where they may. I place my trust in Jesus.
Tom McGuire
2 months ago
How do we establish a dialogue on these issues with those who do not agree with Catholic held moral beliefs? To insist that the Catholic position is absolutely right and that all other positions that are not in agreement are evil will not contribute to dialogue.

Pope Benedict XI said this about dialogue between people of different religions in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in the Middle East. Perhaps what he said can help us enter dialogue about these important issues of health care.

Dialogue is a listening to and a responding to truth. This leads to a mutual transformation. Dialogue, as a mutual challenge to growth towards fullness, involves such a call to conversion.

In dialogue, one listens and observes, corrects and is corrected, which leads to mutual understanding. One, so to speak, submits one’s understanding of the world, of God and of faith to the test of dialogue.
Brian
2 months ago
Good article... just needs one thing. Perhaps a link to a petition or something that we can use to show support. Anyone know of one such petition?

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