Obama: War Against The Catholic Faith

"You have to pass the bill so that you can find out what's in it."

--Nancy Pelosi on ObakaKare, one of the most idiotic statements ever made in politics



And apparently people are beginning to finally realize what's in it, and they're not much amused. Particularly when people sense that it declares open war on the Catholic faith.

Let me make this clear: I'm not Catholic. I keep my religious faith close, not public. And I realize that the Catholic Church isn't perfect -- certainly not any number of its priests. As a matter of fact, I may as well write it now: I'm not a large believer in organized religions. When I wrote the post "Church or Heart," I summed it up: I keep God in my heart. I don't believe you need an edifice to worship the Lord. Jesus didn't need one. And, frankly, I'm not much of a "joiner."

That said, here is a truthful letter from Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput which sums up Obama's assault on religion:

February 1, 2012

Dear friends in Christ,

The United States Department of Health and Human Services announced on January 20 that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the current Administration has undermined both the principle of religious conscience and the First Amendment to the Constitution in an unprecedented way. Unless the ruling is overturned, faithful Catholics will be forced either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees and suffer the penalties for doing so. The Administration’s only concession was to give our institutions a one-year delay to comply. This is not merely inadequate. It is dangerous. And it betrays the good faith of many Catholics who -- until now -- have supported the current Administration with an honest will.

Bishops and lay Catholic leaders across the United States have made it clear that we cannot comply with this unjust law without compromising our convictions and undermining the Catholic identity of many of our service ministries. This is not just another important issue among the many we need to be concerned about. This ruling is different. This ruling interferes with the basic right of Catholic citizens to organize and work for the common good as Catholics in the public square.

Today, I ask of you two things. First, we need to pray for our country, for our Church, and for our own right to work freely as a believing community through our ministries in the public square. Second, we need to act. Please visit the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference website at www.pacatholic.org to learn how to contact your federal Representative and Senators. Write them, call them, visit them -- and help them understand the deep resistance of Pennsylvania Catholics to this dangerous ruling. Please also visit www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this attack on religious conscience, and how to work to reverse the Administration’s decision.

Your action on this issue matters -- not just today but for many years to come; and in ways that will shape the ability of the Church to witness the Gospel publicly through her ministries well into the future. Please know that you have my gratitude and daily prayers. And please remember me in your prayers as well.
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Philadelphia

ObakaKare mandates that hospitals -- all hospitals -- provide, essentially, free hot and cold running abortions. And not only if you "take" federal funds. Across the board. Period.

Hugh Hewitt writes about this here, and here, and here, and here.

Finally, let me close with this quote, please:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Our current completely secular government is coming for the Catholics. Clearly, they've purposely managed to not read any of the quotes literally "etched in stone" on numerous historic DC buildings, the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights.

And this is wrong.

You have made a terrible, terrible mistake, Obama, and HHS.

BZ