Obama and Co. have re-jiggered the wording on the HHS mandate… and they have made it worse. “No, this is worse than before. Insurance companies will pass the costs on to employers and employees, whereas before, only employers would pay the costs.”
Costs aside, step back and look at what’s happening: the President claims to have the right to decide what your faith practices can and cannot be. If you do not comply, you will be penalized. Please, someone remind Obama of this:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment
Well worth watching: video from Card. Wuerl from the Morning Joe show this a.m., linked here. The hosts are asking him questions, and he asks them back, “”How about if we compromise away _parts_ of our freedom?” Exactly!
They remind us that “under no circumstances should people of faith violate their consciences and discard their most cherished religious beliefs in order to comply with a gravely unjust law.”
In Virginia, Tim Kaine apparently thinks this changes something, and is now happy with it.
The Anchoress has a great post and is updating often:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2012/02/10/obama-to-announce-accomodation/ Her prediction:
Predictably, the media narrative is Obama reconciled this and the story is over. If the bishops object, they’ll blame them.
U.S. bishops http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-025.cfm
But the Conference continues to express concerns. “While there may be an openness to respond to some of our concerns, we reserve judgment on the details until we have them,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of USCCB.
“The past three weeks have witnessed a remarkable unity of Americans from all religions or none at all worried about the erosion of religious freedom and governmental intrusion into issues of faith and morals,” he said.
“Today’s decision to revise how individuals obtain services that are morally objectionable to religious entities and people of faith is a first step in the right direction,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said. “We hope to work with the Administration to guarantee that Americans’ consciences and our religious freedom are not harmed by these regulations.”
The government is forcing religious organizations to both pay for and facilitate activities that violate their religious doctrine. If anyone thinks that passes muster with the First Amendment, that’s even more magical thinking than this funding shell game.
