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| for example, the NObama gov't has ordered the catholic church to offer birth control (via their health insurance program) to it's employees. Now, there's only one problem: the catholic church does not believe in birth control - it's policy. so, does the NObama gov't have the right to compel the church to do something that is against their religious beliefs? doesn't this in some way infringe of their freedom to worship/practice their faith as they please?
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Does the Catholic church have the right to impose it's beliefs on people that are not Catholic? there is a large catholic health organization where i live. they offer health insurance. not just to their employees, but as a product other companies can purchase.
they happen to be the insurance provider for a large meat packing plant. many of the employees there are not Catholic. is it fair for their health care to be limited because of what the Church believes? they have no choice in the company providing the health insurance. and i don't know if you have looked lately, but birth control is expensive.
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and by the way, once again you have your facts wrong. this isn't completely because of changes in health care.
quoting from NPR that liberal news outlet..
Institutions like hospitals and universities ... you're required to include contraception coverage in your insurance plan where you include coverage for other prescription drugs, as a matter of basic gender equality," she says.
That's the result of a ruling in 2000 by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It found that employers whose health plans offer prescription drugs and other preventive services but not contraceptives violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, 1978 civil rights law that amended the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
lets see...who was President in 2000....
oh yeah.
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A religious exemption covers the Catholic Church and organizations that fall under the Church's authority. The new rules, which come into effect in some 18 months, will be imposed on groups and companies affiliated with a religion such as hospitals and charities but are not directly under the Church's control. There is a window to overturn the mandate.
It seems there is always a window that runs until after the election. Go figure.
While the rules are new, the battle is not. We have already seen several adoption and foster care programs dropped because of gay marriage and adoptions by gay couples.
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Not exactly - if the group your talking about is a secular orginization - then - the gov't has every right to impose its will and say 'thou shalt provide condoms" - however - when you're dealing with a reglious group - the gov't doesn't have the same right to do that.
You also have to expand past just employees of the Church, but, employee's of its other arms too (hospitals, charities, &c,). while they might not be direclty under the authority of the church, they share the same relgious idology and should share the same exemptions. Failure to grant those exemptions to relgious orginzations that do not believe in birth control is a direct attack on relgious liberty - and shouldn't be allowed to happen. Or are we all prepared to goose step across the bill of rights and shout heil obama?
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It depends how you perceive the role of the state and the purpose of the Church.
If the Church (for the sake of argument, the holy catholic Church rather than just the Roman Catholic Church) branches out into tax-paying employment, insurance, service provision it has entered the jurisdiction and arena of the state and therefore is obligated to abide by whatever laws the state comes up with to maintain the common good that is informed by the society which both inhabit. Imposing and coercing behaviour is the state's job, not the Church's.
The Church has a distinct purpose that is separate from the state which the state would find very difficult to prevent - no government/monarchy has successfully stopped the church from pursuing its purpose in the past 2000 years, they may have hindered freedom of expression but history generally shows that where the church is oppressed or martyred it grows in strength and eventually number. (The Church has proven more than capable of bolloxing up what it's supposed to be doing without state intervention.)
Of course the Church can and should question and challenge laws that the state puts into place but it should do this in relation to its purpose, in favour of the poor and under-represented and against injustice, rather than on cultural preference.
So yes, I think the state has the authority to impose laws over faith-based activity where that activity extends outside its remit as 'Church'.
Authority exercised with humility, and obedience accepted with delight, are the very lines along which our spirits live. - C.S. Lewis
Sancte et Sapienter
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Render unto Caesar what is Caeser's.
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'zactly - 'Caesar' has a legitimate function.
Authority exercised with humility, and obedience accepted with delight, are the very lines along which our spirits live. - C.S. Lewis
Sancte et Sapienter
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A good Catholic joke...
The Pope and Obama are on the same stage in Yankee Stadium in front of a huge crowd.
The Pope leans towards Mr. Obama and said, "Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, but will go deep into their hearts and they'll forever speak of this day and rejoice!"
Obama replied, "I seriously doubt that - with one little wave of your hand? Show me!"
So the Pope backhanded him and knocked him off the stage!
AND THE CROWD ROARED & CHEERED WILDLY!
~~~~~~
A day without blood is like a day without sunshine...
~~~~~~
All your ta-ta's and buns are belong to us.
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The fact that this issues is treated as if it's debatable baffles me. Look, I'm not a religious person and I'm not a Catholic, but the constitution clearly explains this freedom from government intrusion, especially when it's religion. Settlers fled from religious persecution and that is something that could cause an uprising here once again. You cannot induce the Church by law to knowingly do something that violates their constitutional right to practice their religion.
If employees of these Catholic organizations want to be on birthcontrol, let them buy it or go to planned parenthood, they'll give it to you. I see this intrusion of religion as no different than Obama saying that Muslim schools must serve pork in the lunchroom for their students and employees, you know, so you make sure that people have options.
Everyone needs to remember, you may not be apart of the group that is under attack, but if you allow it, it may someday be your group or ideology that is stripped of rights. Work towards individual rights and you solve all issues on race, religion, class, social status and so on. We can all be free, stop imposing our will on other individuals.
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