US Catholic Bishops Issue Call To Action To Defend Religious Liberty
The bishops called for 'A Fortnight for Freedom'
The U.S. bishops have issued a call to action to defend religious liberty and urged laity to work to protect the First Freedom of the Bill of Rights. They outlined their position in "Our First, Most Cherished Liberty." In this call to action the Bishops urge a strong lay involvement, outline threats to First Freedom at all levels of government and abroad - and call upon dioceses to pursue a religious liberty fortnight, June 21-July 4, 2012.
PrintWASHINGTON, DC (USCCB) - The U.S. bishops have issued a call to action to defend religious liberty and urged laity to work to protect the First Freedom of the Bill of Rights. They outlined their position in "Our First, Most Cherished Liberty."
The document was developed by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), approved for publication by the USCCB Administrative Committee March 13, and published in English and Spanish April 12.
The document can be found here.
"We have been staunch defenders of religious liberty in the past. We have a solemn duty to discharge that duty today," the bishops said in the document, ". for religious liberty is under attack, both at home and abroad."
The document lists concerns that prompt the bishops to act now.Among concerns are:
- The Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate forcing all employers, including religious organizations, to provide and pay for coverage of employees' contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs even when they have moral objections to them. Another concern is HHS's defining which religious institutions are "religious enough" to merit protection of their religious liberty.
- Driving Catholic foster care and adoption services out of business. Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Illinois have driven local Catholic Charities adoption or foster care services out of business by revoking their licenses, by ending their government contracts, or both-because those Charities refused to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples who cohabit.
- Discrimination against Catholic humanitarian services. Despite years of excellent performance by the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services in administering contract services for victims of human trafficking, the federal government changed its contract specifications to require USCCB to provide or refer for contraceptive and abortion services in violation of Catholic teaching.
Religious institutions should not be disqualified from a government contract based on religious belief, and they do not lose their religious identity or liberty upon entering such contracts. Recently, a federal court judge in Massachusetts turned religious liberty on its head when he declared that such a disqualification is required by the First Amendment-that the government violates religious liberty by allowing Catholic organizations to participate in contracts in a manner consistent with their beliefs on contraception and abortion.
The statement lists other examples such as laws punishing charity to undocumented immigrants; a proposal to restructure Catholic parish corporations to limit the bishop's role; and a state university's excluding a religious student group because it limits leadership positions to those who share the group's religion.
Other topics include the history and deep resonance of Catholic and American visions of religious freedom, the recent tactic of reducing freedom of religion to freedom of worship, the distinction between conscientious objection to a just law, and civil disobedience of an unjust law, the primacy of religious freedom among civil liberties, the need for active vigilance in protecting that freedom, and concern for religious liberty among interfaith and ecumenical groups and across partisan lines.
The bishops decry limiting religious freedom to the sanctuary.
"Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans," they said. "Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith?"
"This is not a Catholic issue. This is not a Jewish issue. This is not an Orthodox, Mormon, or Muslim issue. It is an American issue," they said.
The bishops highlighted religious freedom abroad.
"Our obligation at home is to defend religious liberty robustly, but we cannot overlook the much graver plight that religious believers, most of them Christian, face around the world," they said. "The age of martyrdom has not passed. Assassinations, bombings of churches, torching of orphanages-these are only the most violent attacks Christians have suffered because of their faith in Jesus Christ. More systematic denials of basic human rights are found in the laws of several countries, and also in acts of persecution by adherents of other faiths."
The document ends with a call to action.
"What we ask is nothing more than that our God-given right to religious liberty be ...
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Vance: I think one could logically say this is indeed a Socialist Democratic Party. Examples: Obamacare! $1 Surcharge Wholesale Abortions! Government Spending! ETC., ETC. It is also worthy to note, that after Socialism, (of which we are not yet but fast becoming), comes Communism. It is here I wonder where he will lead? He is suppose to be, and ran on the Democratic Ticket. But the Dems have a Big Swing=Moderate Dems, Liberal Dems, Socialist Dems, Marxist Dems, Communist Dems. That encompasses A LOT of DEMS! Then we have the Other Parties. ALL OF THESE VOTES TAKE AWAY FROM THE GOP. A lot of these Dems are not Catholics. Not even Christians. And if they are, they could be of the Pro-Choice persuasion. Yes, Catholics must UNITE in REMOVING Obama! Easter Blessings...
Why are we having this conversation? Could it be that the Sick Evil Democrat Party and Obama have anything to do with this? Could it be that the Sick and Evil followers of the Socialist Democrat Party are cheering for the elimination of Free Speech and the murder of millions of babies?? If we Catholics hope to have any future, we had better get up off our couches and easy chairs and fight for it.
May God bless our bishops in having the fortitude to stand against evil designed to destroy the church! Absolutely, we must defend our right to practice our faith; helping others without bending a knee to anyother false doctrine or mandate!
Protestant Convert: Welcome! Thank you for reminding us to "come out, stand up for what one believes in, and to live our morals, and speak as Jesus did". If I recall correctly, the only time he was angered, was when he turned over the tables of the Temple. Otherwise, when he disagreed, He answered kindly by turning the question around, asking a question, usage of scripture, or parable. Again, thank you. Easter Blessings...
An election is coming up and we need to think about what we're doing when we vote. Don't repeat the last mistake. The country got what they voted for and nobody should be surprised by what's happening in Washington and throughout the country.
THINK ABOUT YOUR VOTE!
I applaud the Bishops and it's about time. Being Catholic, ( Protestant or Jewish) is about more than fulfilling your weekly obligation by showing up for mass or services. Half the time, some of us barely listen to the homily or sermon. THIS is what it's ALL about, people!!!
Jesus dared to offend by saying what was right, speaking the truth. We have to stop worrying about "offending" others simply because we believe in out faith. We are not stopping others from choosing not to believe by standing up for our moral standards. I pray we all answer this call from the Bishops.
milkem: If this is True, how sad. I am living between Ca. and Or. and I can tell you that in both parishes I go to, the priests are quite vocal on what is said by Holy Mother Church.
From there it is up to the individual. And herein, I believe, lies a large portion of the problem. Case in point: How many priests sit in the confessional waiting for one to visit Our Lord? Secularism has played a big part in shaping the minds of our citizens...adult and young Catholics as well. In instances where materialism and technology have become gods, it is difficult at times, for young ones not to follow the crowd and stand up for who they are and what they believe in. But they have too. And parents have a Responsibility to help them. As Deacon Keith wrote in another article, Parents are our first teachers. This is from Baby to Adulthood. And on...Our children, no matter how old, will always remember how we acted in a certain situation or what we said. We are their Example until death. Evidently, perhaps, some of us, did not have very good Examples. And if that is the case, it is time to start taking Responsibility for our words, deeds and actions now, if we have not come to that point already. Sorry, CCD teaching...Mom teaching...got carried away for Love of the Church. Anyway Mikem, can you give me some Examples of your liberal parishes? Easter Blessings..
Catholic Cardinal: A Sin to Cooperate With Obama Mandate
A leading Catholic cardinal at the Vatican has essentially said that complying the with Obama birth control mandate would have Catholics and Catholic organizations participating in sin.
The mandate compels religious employers to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions in health coverage for their employees and a revised mandate will compel them to refer employees for free coverage from their health insurance plans, which will eventually have the payment mandate.
In an upcoming episode of Catholic Action Insight hosted by Thomas McKenna to air on EWTN on Wednesday, Cardinal Raymond Burke speaks out for the first time on the controversial mandate. http://www.lifenews.com/2012/04/10/catholic-car dinal-a-sin-to-cooperate-with-obama-mandate/
DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!!!
A call by a foreign entity to disobey the sovereign laws of our land... That sound rather treasonous.
Some of you get it though...
If you don't like the rules.. do not play the game.
Easy enough.. stop taking Federal Money... And stop providing Health Care services..
And we will let you discriminate all you want within your own Doors.
Stop whining because we are done coddling Discriminators.
I applaud the Bishops stance. I also agree, that under This administration, the Church should take no government money. It depends on the administration in office as to what foreseeable matters may lie ahead in the future. Clearly, Obama's Abortion and government control is not one to take money from. Closed Catholic Adoptive and Foster Child Charities or Services is Appalling! Back in the day, it was Catholic and /or Christian Charities that helped government keep costs down...No More. Looks like Obama wants a government take over! Big Brother's ideas and ideals imposed on Everyone. Like it Or Not. His way, is the Only way. This kind of thinking has happened before. The Bishops are correct in calling on the laity. Making a public notice. Who said our Church and Bishops are lax? When the strong get tough...the tough get going. Peacefully. Prayerfully. And Voting. And doing our part however we may. Juneau Alaska: Just FYI, it has not been the Church that is not willing to forgive gays and accept them, it has been judgmental society itself. I am both young and old enough to remember a time when society did not discuss gays. At that time, gays were secret, and/or embarrassing to most people. And when people did acknowledge them, they were sometimes shunned or talked behind their backs, or worse. This is Society. And society is still dealing w/the issue. The Church stands on moral grounds. She has compassion. Not society's emotion's or law's. I could go on and on, but I agree w/a Church of Morality and Compassion. Easter Blessings...