Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 10:13am

Kathleen Sebelius and her HHS regulations: A violation of religious liberty and inconsistent with the Catholic faith…

Evidently, President Obama has allowed his minion, U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, to set forth his administration’s argument concerning religious liberty for the 2012 election.  Today, Ms. Sebelius announced that HHS would implement regulations mandating health insurance coverage for sterilizations and  contraception, including some that cause abortion.

Interestingly, there was a “compromise”: To allow religious groups one year to comply with the regulation.

The Motley Monk has been chronicling the development of this story, hoping that Ms. Sebelius—who is Catholic—would eventually have an “Emmaus moment” and see the light.   Instead, with this decision, she remains steadfastly aligned with the U.S. pro-abortion lobby.

One can only guess why Ms. Sebelius does so.

Perhaps the exemption is designed to allow the regulation to be litigated, as Belmont Abbey College has already brought suit.  The list of defendants include: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Department of Treasury; and, the departmental secretaries.

 

In a News 14 Report late last year, the President of Belmont Abbey College, Dr. William Thierfelder, said the healthcare mandate is a violation of the institution’s constitutional rights and religious values:

This is a much bigger case and this effects every American.  In other words, if they can do this to us they can do this to everybody.

Thierfelder said Belmont Abbey College will not comply with the mandate and because of noncompliance, the institution will receive recurring fines.  This potentially could cause Belmont Abbey College to close.

Perhaps the reason Ms. Sebelius allowed the one year exemption was that she knows it is illegal, violating the First Amendment, and is likely to be overturned by the Courts sometime in late 2012 or 2013.  That would allow the Obama administration to promote its pro-abortion credentials during the election while at the same time tell pro-life forces that the matter is being litigated and, while it is, the status quo remains in place

Forget the truth.  What matters are the votes, pro-abortion and pro-life.  Maybe the truth is that today Ms. Sebelius “split the difference” to win some votes for her mentor.

 

To read the HHS Secretary’s statement, click on the following link:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/01/20120120a.html

To read about the Belmont Abbey College suit, click on the following link:
http://www.foxcharlotte.com/news/politics/Belmont-Abbey-College-Sues-Federal-Government–134156948.html

To see the News 14 Report, click on the following link:
http://triad.news14.com/content/local_news/649904/belmont-abbey-college-sues-over-mandate-to-require-contraceptive-coverage

 

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Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 3:20pm

The most pro-abortion administration in our nation’s history is also the most anti-Catholic. The hubris of these idiots! They are going into an election and they are deliberately picking a fight with the Church, comfortable in their assumption that Catholics can be safely used as a punching bag for them to rally votes among the pro-abort fanatics who constitute their base. Time to prove them wrong.

elm
elm
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 4:07pm

Unfortunately, many of the pro-aborts are catholic. Lord, have mercy on us.

RL
RL
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 4:28pm

I hope you’re right Don, but I doubt it. It’s not like there are any surprises coming from this administration. This is what a large number of Catholics knowingly voted for. Not a small number put themselves out there in support of Obama during the election, through the Obamacare debacle, and to this very moment. I don’t even to expect to many to claim they didn’t see it coming.

Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 4:42pm

Then RL we need to convert those who we can convert and defeat those we can’t at the polls. Catholics who will tolerate this aren’t even CINOs.

Dante alighieri
Admin
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 5:26pm

The folks at Vox Nova have a strong condemnation of the administration’s actions you might want to check out here.

Mary De Voe
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 5:28pm

I have said this before and I am saying it again: It is the duty of government to protect and defend the virginity, innocence and civil rights of every citizen. “or prohibit the free exercise thereof” The free exercise of conscience is a First Amendment right. Government cannot define a person’s conscience, or man’s response to the gift of Faith from God, nor the Catholic Church, the Sacraments, nor its adherents without violating the tax code, double taxation, without representation. For their taxes, each citizen has bought and paid for his freedom in conscience, has paid his fair share for his freedom to be free, simply because government is not authorized to violate the sanctuary given the parishioners of the Catholic Church

Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 5:38pm

“The folks at Vox Nova have a strong condemnation of the administration’s actions you might want to check out here.”

Yes, and they have added to it:

DarwinCatholic
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 5:42pm

Paul, thank you for that very informative link.

Mark Shea
Mark Shea
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 6:21pm

The bishops need to go Gen. McAuliffe and send a one word reply to our God King:

“Nuts.”

Of course, there’s a good two word reply too, but bishops aren’t supposed to talk that way.l

Phillip
Phillip
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 6:39pm

I suspect some bishops don’t care about contraception, sterilzations or abortions. They care about “social justice.” For some, social justice even includes these things.

They sell their birthright for a mess of pottage.

Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 7:39pm

“The bishops need to go Gen. McAuliffe and send a one word reply to our God King:

“Nuts.”

Of course, there’s a good two word reply too, but bishops aren’t supposed to talk that way.”

Bravo Mark! Well said!

Mary De Voe
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 8:18pm

two thoughts: One, Catholic Taxes are Catholic Taxes are Catholic Taxes. Taxes belong to the citizen even while being administered by the administration. This concept of “government funding” is stealing from the Catholic taxpayer. This bullying, OWS are measures designed specifically to exhaust resources. Those in power can then pull the strings and the people in the pews are without a leader and the strength to maintain their civil liberties. From whom did the government get the government funding? Government funding is not charity, that is, generosity, nor largess. Government funding is public tax money that must be distributed with equality. Discrimination is a crime. It is the people’s will to educate. The choice is the citizen’s. It is the people’s will to be free

trackback
Friday, January 20, AD 2012 8:21pm

[…] A Violation of Religious Liberty, Inconsistent with Catholic Faith – The Motley Monk, TAC […]

Bill Sr.
Bill Sr.
Saturday, January 21, AD 2012 12:23pm

Finally, America has been traveling down the highway to Sodom and Gomorrah with its dual lanes of economic disaster and moral decay while the laity was gasping and scratching their heads wondering when the “E” bomb was going to be dropped on politicians and celebrities who openly defied Church law and trampled the truth of the Gospels long enough that even the fearful politically correct voices of Shepherds of the Faithful have had enough.
It took over three years of the most anti-Christian reign of the most pro-abortion and anti-American messiah of the progressive liberals president to awaken the bishop from their self inflicted comma of capitulation to the media’s constant cry for tolerance, diversity, and its version of social justice in place of their rigid dogma, doctrine, and Catholic teaching.
Thank God, if it has taken this latest assault by the current demonic leadership in Washington on our religious freedom and moral conscience to arouse justified vocal resentment and resistance to the administrations policies aimed at turning our beloved country into a totally secular socialist bureaucracy run essentially by a dictator without regard for the peoples constitution to finally get the Bishops of America to stand up for the faith and values thousands and thousands of catholic men and women have given their lives to protect and preserve for America and all those who sincerely want to be part of what most have referred to as the shining city on the hill.

T Elrod
T Elrod
Sunday, January 22, AD 2012 8:47am

Why is this women and others like her not excommunicated? Actions speak louder then words.

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