The following comes from an Oct. 22 story by Wesley J. Smith in the National Review.
I wrote previously about radical California’s order that insurance companies cover elective abortion as “medically necessary” health care. Ridiculous and ideological.
Now, The Federalist reports that the order also applies to insurance purchased by churches. From the story:
While California (like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) exempts churches from its contraceptive mandate, there is no exception to this bureaucratic abortion mandate. This leaves California churches in the illogical and impossible position of being free to exclude contraceptives from their health plan for reasons of religious conscience but required to provide their employees with abortion coverage.
What? How can they get away with it?
First, the California abortion mandate is a law of general applicability. This means no violation of the First Amendment: Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, religious freedom doesn’t matter.
But Hobby Lobby! Nope. HL is a limited cased based on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The RFRA only applies to federal law, not state.
Since California could care less about religious freedom, we don’t have an RFRA-type law.
But Obamacare forbids states from discriminating against policies that don’t provide abortion coverage. True. Alliance Defending Freedom and Life Legal Defense Foundation are on the case:
Alliance Defending Freedom and Life Legal Defense Foundation have filed administrative complaints with the HHS Office of Civil Rights (which oversees this federal law) on behalf of individual employees and seven California churches forced into abortion coverage in violation of their conscience.
Go get them, guys, but as the story says, good luck with that.
The Obama Administration is pro-abortion. More, it has amply demonstrated it won’t enforce laws or regulations with which it disagrees. Thus, I would be very surprised if Obamacarians brought its fellow ideological travelers in California to heel.
So sue! Sure. But I have two words for you: “Ninth Circuit”
Bottom line: California has crossed the post-Christian bridge into the anti-Christian era.
The Obama Administration has too.
So have most courts, particularly the Ninth Circuit.
I don’t expect these churches to find legal relief short of the Supreme Court. And that will take years.
As I always say: Abortion – like slavery did in the 19th century – corrupts everything it touches.
To read the original story, click here.
This is what happens when people VOTE for the DEMOCRATIC PARTY of DEATH at any level of government.
They love death – both abortion and euthanasia.
“Catholic Voters Guide” – on Priests for Life web site
https://www.politicalresponsibility.com/voterguide.htm\
It answers all your questions.
YOUR ROLE AS A CATHOLIC VOTER
FIVE (5) NON-NEGOTIABLES
WHICH POLITICAL OFFICES SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT ?
HOW TO DETERMINE A CANDIDATE’S POSITION
HOW NOT TO VOTE
HOW TO VOTE
WHEN THERE IS NO “ACCEPTABLE” CANDIDATE
Pass this link on to others.
This seems to be just the beginning of religious persecution. The proper thing to do is withdraw from the health system entirely in CA. Pay the penalty. When you are sick, go to the County hospital as many do or one of the free clinics. There are actually foundations existing in the Bay Area where one can receive free medical care with or without insurance.
Yes, and please bring some ice so that when you are burned at the stake you will cook more slowly.
yfc, COMMENTS POLICY: Comments are limited to 250 words, and should not contain offensive or libelous language. Please strive to be civil.
These are truly dark sinful times and as I see it the Church cannot turn the other cheek but must fight back and say NO! we will not comply with evil. Second, actually do so if need be, by making the state pay dearly. How? By closing all Catholic schools, universities, hospitals and other Church institutions and thus forcing the state to come up with replacements which would be nearly impossible and very costly for them to do. The Church and we must take a stand and forget the Supreme Court as it is as evil as all the others. As Christians it is increasingly clear that the cross we bear is going to get much heavier. Are we up to it?
Our priests at Our Lady Help of Christians Tridentine Mission have already said they will drop Insurance rather than accede to this EVIL! Where do your priests stand?
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc
Abortions are down, as are teenage pregnancies, though we have so far to go to ellinminate abortions. Yes, there really are some “medically necessary” abortions, like the female physician n Ireland who died last year because Irish law said that as long as attending doctors can detect a heartbeat then abortions are prohibited. This physician was gravely ill and her doctors told her without an abortion she would die. It really was a case of both lives being lost or just one. As predicted, the woman died. In response to the outcry from the Irish people, the Irish Parliament ewpealed the fetal heartbeat law in order to protect women who really do face death without that “medically necessary” abortion. Admitedly, very few abortions are for saving the woman’s life, but we should learn from this one, nevertheless.
God protect from abortion….
Anonymous, you defy God, and then lie about your thoughts by stating “God protect from abortion”.
Anonymous, why do you lie so much ?
There are approx. 1 MILLION abortions in the USA each year.
This is the abortion clock put using non-Catholic Guttmacher, etc.
ABORTION CLOCK – https://www.numberofabortions.com/
If religious groups would have a medical savings plan for their employees to contribute to on a monthly basis, and invite Catholic physicians and hospitals to contract with them, they could be treated privately and leave the gov’t out of medical care. Then it would not be so hard for families who had an illness to pay for healthcare. It might also keep costs down ( by not doing unnecessary tests) to include a medical legal waiver.
yoli, many Catholic organizations do “self insure” – without any government funding.
However the Obama administration (and his executive orders) still want these organizations, Churches, private universities to pay for abortion, contraception, voluntary sterilizations etc., all of which violate Church teaching.
Obama and his henchmen want everyone to pay for the sins of some.
Remember when George W. Bush presented that idea, and he was ignored and ridiculed by liberals; but he was right on target!
ABORTION CLOCK –
Number of Abortions to date:
https://www.numberofabortions.com/