God Bless the "Dirty 100"

The self-proclaimed National Organization for Women (aka NOW) -- an organization paradoxically dedicated to eliminating its future membership by ensuring fewer and fewer baby girls are born -- has published its list of what NOW calls the "Dirty 100." The list includes100 of the plaintiffs currently suing the Obama administration's Department of Health and Human Services over the department's claim that Obamacare mandates birth control coverage. 

The list of plaintiffs includes a dozen Catholic dioceses and archdioceses: Atlanta, Beaumont, Biloxi, Cheyenne, Dallas, Erie, Fort Worth, Fort Wayne-South Bend, Nashville, New York, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Also listed among the 100 are the Michigan Catholic Conference, which represents the seven Catholic dioceses in the state of Michigan, and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Miami Archdiocese. Other Catholic organizations listed include: Ave Maria University, Ave Maria School of Law, Belmont Abbey College, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), Franciscan University of Steubenville, Little Sisters of the Poor, Priests for Life, and the University of Notre Dame. These Catholic plaintiffs are joined on NOW's list by a number of corporations -- including the now-famous Hobby Lobby -- and many other Christian organizations. (You can view the entire list here on the NOW website.) 

It's interesting that NOW would call this list of plaintiffs "dirty." But, I suppose like most on the far left, they cannot abide the fact that anyone might simply disagree with them. Yes, those dirty Little Sisters of the Poor really are nasty folks, aren't they?

I actually thank NOW for publishing the list and reminding us of these courageous organizations and companies whom we should applaud for their strong public support of the religious freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of our Constitution. And make no mistake, the issue is all about religious freedom. In the words of Miami's Archbishop Thomas Wenski:

"The administration continues to insist that the issue is about contraception; we disagree. It is about the first freedom of our Bill of Rights: the freedom of religion and respect for the rights of conscience."

I've included a video prepared by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on the subject of religious freedom and how it has been under assault in our country. Watch it...

...and pray for our nation.

God's peace.

Surprising Stories

Most news stories today are hardly news. By this I mean that they really don't surprise, but instead only confirm what one already knows or suspects to be true. For example, let me share a few of this morning's news stories. Here are the headlines...

Security draft would force agencies to share cyber-threat information. If you've ever worked for or with the federal government, the fact that US intelligence agencies haven't been sharing such information with likely targets 11 years after the 911 attack won't surprise you. Government entities -- Congress included -- tend to be reactive, unwilling to anticipate problems. Rather than take what might be the politically unsafe path, they prefer instead to wait until they are forced to act in the midst of a full-blown crisis. This executive order from the White House will, of course, fall far short of what's needed.

Gun industry going gangbusters. Again, no surprise here. Whenever he lets his guard down, the president clearly shows he is no friend of the Second Amendment. Many Americans, concerned about possible restrictions should the president win a second term, have been visiting their local gun shops to buy handguns, shotguns, rifles and ammunition. Those of you who prefer not to own a gun, can always buy stock in the industry. The stocks of many gun manufacturers have more than doubled in value over the past four years. 

Gun Sales Booming under Obama

Unemployment drops in seven swing states. Oooh...surprise, surprise. The administration's Bureau of Labor Statistics, three weeks before the election, has suddenly presented us with the lowest unemployment rate -- 7.8% -- since the president was elected. Not addressed was the fact that the vast majority of all these "new" jobs were part-time jobs held by people still looking for full-time work. 

TSA workers at Newark face firing or suspension. This is one of those stories that generates a yawn tempered by some mild surprise. The surprise is that TSA finally got around to firing anyone. At this one airport (Newark) TSA fired 25 of its employees and suspended 19 others. That's a rather large number, don't you think? They were fired because of "improper screening of checked luggage." Let me translate this little snippet of bureaucratic speak: they were stealing items from passengers' luggage. No surprise there.

Swapping real freedom for perceived safety

Occasionally, however, I come across news items that really do surprise. How about this one:

Hunting buddies hug

Justice Kagan says Scalia is game hunting partner. In a recent interview Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, one of the most liberal members of the court, stated she was taught how to hunt birds by none other than Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the court's most conservative members. The two now plan a hunting trip to Wyoming in search of larger game. Justice Kagan said she hopes to bag an antelope. This is not a story I ever expected to read.

Vocations Boom. This is another headline one doesn't see too often these days. But it's true, and it relates to an order of Cistercian nuns near Madison, Wisconsin, the only community of Cistercian nuns in the English-speaking world. Over the past ten years this community of cloistered contemplatives has doubled in size to 20 women and they expect this growth to continue. They are building a new monastery designed to house 35 nuns. This story shouldn't have surprised me since the "boom" in religious vocations is occurring only in those orders in close communion with the Church and its magisterium. The photo below is an artist's rendering of the proposed monastery, a design based on traditional Cistercian architecture. To help defray the costs, click here.

Pope believes Christianity will rekindle in Europe. Again, this headline surprised me, although it shouldn't  have. On many occasions, and in several of his books, Pope Benedict XVI has addressed the sad state of Christianity in once-Christian Europe. And my own experience, including five trips to Europe during the past 12 years, has left me less than optimistic regarding a rekindling of Christian faith among Europeans. But Pope Benedict understands, far better than most, that ideologies always leave a void. They never fulfill. They never satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart, the desire for God. In his words, “The Gospel…is true and can therefore never wear out. In each period of history it reveals new dimensions…as it responds to the needs of the heart and mind of human beings, who can walk in this truth and so discover themselves...It is for this reason, therefore, that I am convinced there will also be a new springtime for Christianity.” We can only hope and pray he is correct. Read more here.

Joe Biden on Ash Wednesday

Bishop to Biden: No Communion in Colorado Springs Diocese. Another surprise: a bishop who teaches what the Church teaches and acts on it. Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs has instructed Vice President Biden (a Catholic) not to present himself for Holy Communion in the Diocese of Colorado Springs when he campaigns in Colorado. As the bishop stated: "There must be no confusion in these matters...Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the Church and so jeopardize their salvation. Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences. It is for this reason that these Catholics, whether candidates for office or those who would vote for them, may not receive Holy Communion until they have recanted their positions and been reconciled with God and the Church in the Sacrament of Penance." Read more here.

Catholic Colleges Outnumbered by Other Christian Colleges Suing HHS. This headline took me by surprise, because I truly expected more Catholic colleges to follow the University of Notre Dame's lead and join in the lawsuits challenging the HHS mandate. (See my post, Who's Suing the Obama Administration?) This hasn't happened. Instead a growing number of Protestant colleges have come aboard, to the extent that these non-Catholic Christian schools now outnumber the Catholic schools involved in the lawsuits -- a bittersweet turn of events. It's good because it destroys the administration's claim that this is strictly a Catholic issue derived from the Church's so-called anti-women teachings on contraception. And not so good because it makes one wonder why so many Catholic colleges in the country have chosen to ignore this serious threat to religious freedom. Read more here.

Peace...

Who's Suing the Obama Administration?

Unless you've spent the last few months on one of Jupiter's moons, you've at least heard of the now notorious Obama-care mandate issued by the current administration's Department of Health and Human Services. This mandate requires all religious-based institutions, including schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other charitable organizations, to provide employee health insurance that includes coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortifacients, even though this coverage would force such institutions to violate their religious beliefs.

It's hard to imagine a more direct attack on the religious freedom guaranteed by our Constitution's First Amendment. The mainstream media, however, following the lead of President Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, have attempted to spin the coverage into a controversy over contraception. It's not about religious freedom, we're told. No, it's just another example of the "war on women" being waged by all those reactionary Catholics and Evangelicals.

Our religious freedom will be decided by these 9 justices

The administration is trying mightily to keep the truth of this mandate from the American people, at least until after the election. They believe they have public opinion on their side when it comes to contraception, but religious freedom? That might be far more problematic. The churches, however, especially the Catholic Church, just won't go away and are taking the only action available to them: they're suing the administration in federal court. Ultimately -- and we can only hope that this will occur sooner rather than later -- the issue will be resolved by the nine justices of the U. S. Supreme Court.

But who exactly are the plaintiffs in these lawsuits? Most are Catholic entities and include dioceses, educational institutions, charitable and healthcare organizations, as well as businesses; and the list continues to lengthen almost daily. Interestingly, there are a growing number of Evangelical Protestant institutions and businesses among the plaintiffs. You will note that eight states attorneys general have also joined the suit. 

The following is a current list of plaintiffs. You can find information on the state of each of the lawsuits here.

Aquinas College (TN)
Archbishop Carroll High School (DC)
ArchCare (NY)
Archdiocese of Atlanta (GA)
Archdiocese of New York (NY)
Archdiocese of St. Louis (MO)
Archdiocese of Washington (DC)
Autocam Corporation (MI)
Autocam Medical, LLC (MI)
Ave Maria University (FL)
Belmont Abbey College (NC)
Biola University (IN)
Catholic Cemeteries Association of Diocese of Pittsburgh (PA)
Catholic Charities of Atlanta (GA)
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago (IL)
Catholic Charities of D.C. (DC)
Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne-South Bend (IN)
Catholic Charities of Jackson (MS)
Catholic Charities of Joliet (IL)
Catholic Charities of Diocese of Pittsburgh (PA)
Catholic Charities of Rockville Centre (NY)
Catholic Charities of Springfield (IL)
Catholic Charities of St. Louis (MO)
Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc, (TN)
Catholic Health Services of Long Island (NY)
Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America (NE)
Catholic Social & Community Services Inc. (MS)
Catholic Social Service (NE)
Catholic University of America (DC)
Christ the King Catholic School (GA)
College of the Ozarks (MO)
Colorado Christian University (CO)
Consortium of Catholic Academies (DC)
De l’Epee Deaf Center Inc. (MS)
Diocese of Biloxi (MS)
Diocese of Dallas (TX)
Diocese of Erie (PA)
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (IN)
Diocese of Fort Worth (TX)
Diocese of Jackson (MS)
Diocese of Joliet (IL)
Diocese of Nashville (TN)
Diocese of Peoria (IL)
Diocese of Pittsburgh (PA)
Diocese of Rockville Centre (NY)
Diocese of Savannah (GA)
Diocese of Springfield (IL)
East Texas Baptist University (TX)
Eternal Word Television Network (AL)
Father Ryan High School (TN)
Franciscan Alliance (IN)
Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH)
Geneva College (PA)
Grace College and Seminary (IN)
Hercules Industries, Inc. (CO)
Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (OK)
Houston Baptist University (TX)
Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. (IL)
Legatus - Catholic Business Association (MI)
Louisiana Baptist College (LA)
Mary, Queen of Angels, Inc. (TN)
Michigan Catholic Conference - supports 7 dioceses (MI)
O’Brien Industrial Holdings, LLC (MO)
Our Sunday Visitor (IN)
Pius X Catholic High School (NE)
Pope John Paul II High School (TN)
Priests for Life (NY)
Prince of Peace Center (PA)
Resurrection Catholic School (MS)
Sacred Heart Catholic School (MS)Seneca Hardwood Lumber Company (PA)
St. Anne Home (IN)
St. Dominic Health Services (MS)
St. Joseph's Catholic School (MS)
St. Martin Center (PA)
St. Mary Villa, Inc. (TN)
State of Alabama (AL)
State of Florida (FL)
State of Michigan (MI)
State of Nebraska (NE)

State of Ohio (OH)
State of Oklahoma (OK)
State of South Carolina (SC)
State of Texas (TX)
Triune Health Group (IL)
Tyndale House Publishers (IL)
University of Notre Dame (IN)
University of St. Francis (IN)
Vicksburg Catholic School (MS)
Villa Maria Manor, Inc. (TN)
Weingartz Supply Company (MI)
Wheaton College (IL)

Quite a list! One sad observation: not one of the  28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States are listed among the plaintiffs.

Vote responsibly on November 6.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Vice President Biden Not Truthful

"If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet." [Proverbs 29:9]

The following is a press release from the U.S. Catholic Bishops addressing Vice President Biden's comments about the HHS mandate made during the recent debate. As anyone who is even slightly familiar with the issue knows, the vice president was far from truthful in his comments. The bishops call him on it...

________________

DATE:October 12, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USCCB RESPONDS TO INACCURATE STATEMENT OF FACT ON HHS MANDATE MADE DURING VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the following statement, October 12.  Full text follows:

Last night, the following statement was made during the Vice Presidential debate regarding the decision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to force virtually all employers to include sterilization and contraception, including drugs that may cause abortion, in the health insurance coverage they provide their employees:

“With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. That is a fact.”

This is not a fact. The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain “religious employers.” That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to “Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital,” or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served.

HHS has proposed an additional “accommodation” for religious organizations like these, which HHS itself describes as “non-exempt.” That proposal does not even potentially relieve these organizations from the obligation “to pay for contraception” and “to be a vehicle to get contraception.” They will have to serve as a vehicle, because they will still be forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. They will have to pay for these things, because the premiums that the organizations (and their employees) are required to pay will still be applied, along with other funds, to cover the cost of these drugs and surgeries.

USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms, actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the mandate.

For more details, please see USCCB’s regulatory comments filed on May 15 regarding the proposed “accommodation”: www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/upload/comments-on-advance-notice-of-proposed-rulemaking-on-preventive-services-12-05-15.pdf

Sincerely,

Gary Marx
Executive Director
Faith & Freedom Coalition