In all the chatter about the South Carolina primary, you may have missed the ruling from HHS Secretary Sibelius, which amounts to telling many religious organizations that they now have one year to comply with mandates that deeply violate their religion. At issue is:
“Religious leaders had feared the worst from Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and her Department of Health and Human Services, which since September has been considering whether to exempt Catholic and other religious employers from a regulation mandating insurance coverage for sterilization and contraceptives, including some that cause abortion.”
From this Washington Post column.
Don’t ignore this if you are not Catholic. Protestant and Jewish leaders have also expressed their alarm over the mandate.
The administration is exceptionally cynical about this. Reportedly, President Obama called Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan to tell him the news personally. Dolan calls the ruling “literally unconscionable.”
Of course this is going to the courts. Belmont Abbey College is suing: an interview about this here.
Meawhile, whether the national news outlets pay much attention or not (and why would they, when there must be more Newt-Mitt spats to report on), today is the National March for Life in which many, many thousands will march in support of life. Excellent roundup from the Anchoress and a wonderful reflection here on the culture of life:
It’s teaching our children that we are people of life. It’s raising them to love those who are weak, to protect those who are vulnerable, to respect those who are different.
More links on the HHS ruling:
http://aclj.org/pro-life/new-assault-faith-based-organizations
