Back in 1999, when he was running for the Republican nomination for president of the United States, George W. Bush famously declared that he was "a uniter, not a divider." The eight years of his administration, alas, proved otherwise: Despite the incredible unity brought about in the first year of his first term by the terrorist attacks of September 11, the presidential election of 2004 was among the most divisive in the history of the United States.
In the 2008 election, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama may not have adopted Bush's phrase, but he certainly attempted to present himself as "a uniter, not a divider." Yet from the earliest days of his administration, President Obama has overturned previous policies, especially on moral and life issues, that enjoyed broad popular support, from reversing the Bush administration's "compromise" on embryonic stem-cell research, to expanding federal funding for abortion and contraception, to announcing that his administration will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act.
Despite the polarizing nature of these policies, President Obama had largely escaped sustained public criticism over any of them. But with the announcement of the imposition of the contraception mandate, timed to coincide with the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the President pressed his luck a bit too far. Even the "compromise" that he presented a few weeks later has not brought an end to the public outcry over this blatant attempt to impose the values of the Obama administration on religious organizations that declare the use of artificial contraception to be objectively immoral.
And yet, in the midst of the division that he has sowed, President Obama has truly proved himself a "uniter," at least when it comes to one important group: the Catholic bishops of the United States.
As reported by Thomas Peters on February 16, "Every single Roman Catholic bishop in the United States has condemned in public the Obamacare HHS mandate—all 180 bishops who lead dioceses in the U.S. have spoken." And this is the revised mandate, which the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has rightly seen as simply a shell game, designed to hide the fact religious institutions will ultimately still bear the costs of paying for artificial contraception for their employees. (To understand why, see The Obamanomics of Contraception.)
To say that such a response from the Catholic bishops of the United States is unprecedented would be the understatement of the year. Not that long ago, before a certain generation of bishops began reaching retirement age and were gradually replaced by bishops appointed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI, I'm not sure you could have found unanimity on all matters of Catholic doctrine, much less on a political threat to the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in the United States. Even at the height of the controversy over President Obama's commencement address at Notre Dame, a significant number of bishops sat on the sidelines.
No more. President Obama has finally pushed his agenda too far for even the most reticent of bishops to stay quiet. In the process, he's become a uniter, not a divider.
And that may prove to be the most important accomplishment of President Obama's first term. So important, in fact, that I'm beginning to think that President Obama may wind up a one-term President, even though, just a month ago, I was certain that he would win reelection.
Time will tell, of course, and I should note that the "compromise" did change the nature of the public debate, returning some portion of those Catholics who had voted for Obama in 2008 to his fold. But as the Catholic bishops of the United States continue to explain the far-reaching nature of the Obama administration's assault on religious freedom, even some of those Catholics may come to understand that the "compromise" was no such thing.
This president has a problem with the bill of rights.
God’s Time is the Right Time. And you are so right, Mr. Richert…when the Catholic Church speaks with One Voice it is God Himself who is speaking. My prayer is that all American Catholics will stand up as One and defend our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church from this vicious persecution by the High Priest of Satan in the name of Obama
If you don’t like our current President, perhaps you need be reminded of the horrible conditions that prevailed under his predecessor.
Only those who deny the truth, don’t understand that there isn’t one single problem facing the human race larger than worldwide over-population. That is a smaller human population would make living on this planet far better than now, and do much to curtail strife, unreast and conflicts worldwide. It is pure idiocy to deny contraceptives.
“High priest of satan”… That seems a little fire and brimstone, a little ‘sinners in the hands of an angry God”
This may be America, but we are Catholics, not protestants.
“That is a smaller human population would make living on this planet far better than now”
This is clearly shown by the example of Russia which is enjoying unparalled increases in its prosperity, life expectancy, and quality of life as its population collapses. -/sarcasm off
G M Izzo this world can sustain many more people, but not if they live like the typical overconsuming American. Aside from condoms, often cause expensive medical complications and don’t prevent STDs. If people won’t accept the teaching of the Church as to why contraception is wrong, they can go buy their own condoms, or get some misguided philanthropists to donate them. I give you credit for at least admitting something most people supporting Obama won’t: that the real aim of his policy is not reducing costs or providing health care, but reducing the birth rate.
sorry, accidentally deleted “contraceptives” before “often cause expensive medical complications.
sorry, accidentally deleted “contraceptives” before “often cause expensive medical complications.”
The issue is not under or over population. The issue is not respecting individual moral conscience which is protected under the 1st Ammendment of the constitution. The Obama regime is acting as a dictatorshIp and not obiding by the constitution or respecting the beliefs Catholics by trying to force catholic institutions to provide insurance coverage for the morning after pill which catholicsis consider a form of abortion.
What terrible conditions prevailed under president Bush?. At least his administration respected the constitution and the right for individuals to act according to the dictate of their conscience instead of the dictate of the government.
Mary @42, you’d have no problem at all fitting into a cult like that found at Jonestown. Claiming God is speaking through you, and calling another one of God’s children Satan, is about as Blasphemous as it gets.
The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion (Prayer) first introduced by Sister Marie of St Peter in 1844 is recited “in a spirit of reparation for blasphemy”. This devotion (started by Sister Marie and then promoted by the Venerable Leo Dupont) was approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1885.
@ Sue. If you don’t think lying in order to start a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, many, many of them innocent bystanders, a war opposed by the Catholic Church was wrong, then you are obviously an idealogue and arguing will be pointless.
Oh and Bush faced threatened resignations by FBI director Mueller, AG Ashcroft, and his deputy James Comey if he did not stop the unconstitutional warrantless eavesdropping on US citizens.
Believe me the list is long on Bush and had the Democrats not been so spineless, there were more than enough high crimes and misdemeanors to impeach him over. He and Cheney are even canceling trips abroad for fear they will be arrested for war crimes. How embarrassing for the United States of America.
The fact of the matter is and remains that the World Health Organization labelled the Pill as a “group one” carcinogen in 2005 — in the same group as cigarettes. Of course the companies that sell and/or promote the Pill are going to deny this because they will lose a heck of a lot of money in profits, but the statistics are there. There is a very strong link between women who used the Pill (especially those on it for many years) and risk of cancer. A 660% increase in breast cancer alone over the past 40 years. And there are also ovarian and other cancers also linked to the Pill. Think about what the Pill does to a woman: it gives her high dosages of hormones to trick her body into thinking she is pregnant. How can that be good or healthy in any way? Now, using the Pill of course doesn’t mean you’ll get cancer, but like smoking, the Pill increases your risk of cancer. We also have to realize that the Pill gives people license for “free love” which has caused ~2/3 of sexually active people between 15-24 to have an STD. STDs have also increased among the elderly, who sometimes become promiscuous post-menopause. There is also a strong link to depression and the use of the birth control pill.
Our culture is addicted to sex, and will have it at all costs, even if it means going on the Pill, cheating on their spouse, divorce and remarriage, etc. People used to be stronger and have more self-control. If they didn’t want kids they would abstain or wait for an infertile part of the month. Kids were also not seen as a burden, so more kids were born. People were also less selfish: since the Pill, the number of people who felt pressured into having sex when they didn’t want to has increased tremendously.
We need to instill a new respect for self and respect for others in our society or the problems will only increase. We also need to slowly get people off the Pill because it is poisoning our women physically, mentally, and spiritually… so much for “women’s health.” It is also contaminating our soil and our drinking water with female hormones, which of course has hurt the fish population, which has seen an unprecedented ratio of female to male fish… so much for “going green.”
And if you are concerned about “over-population”, look at Europe and Russia. They have gone wild with birth control and the population is below replacement rate in many places. There aren’t enough young people to work anymore. More and more people are reaching retirement age because the human life expectancy has gradually increased, which of course means there are too many old people to be supported (retirement, pension, etc.) by the taxes of working class folks. Already in the Netherlands elderly people are being euthanized, and I’m guessing the age for euthanasia will decrease as there are fewer workers, because people aren’t having kids anymore. It’s one thing to tell people to try and limit to 2-3 kids per family (replacement rate is an average of 2.1) and quite another to encourage people to have 0-1 kids per family. Families that have a lot of kids are usually more likely to encourage a kid to pursue a religious vocation, so there would be more priests, nuns, etc., and of course those people would not have kids. I read somewhere that an estimated 1/3 of people might have a religious vocation. Well, if 1/3 were religious and the other 2/3 chose married life, that would also stabilize the population a bit.
As for the November 2012 election, why does it matter what George W. Bush did, or whether or not you liked him? Just because someone is a Republican doesn’t mean they will be “as bad” or “worse than” President George W. Bush; you need to learn to get past your bias/anger and see clearly and objectively. George W. Bush is *not* eligible to run in this election!
See who the Republicans choose to run for them, compare him to our current President Barack Obama, and *then* make your decision. Don’t just vote for someone based on his political party. There are people who would make good Presidents–and people who would make bad Presidents–in every political party. Nobody is automatically “good” or “bad” because they’re a Democrat or a Republican.
Stop being a lemming and think for yourself! Go to both liberal and conservative websites and news sources to make a good decision. This November will be a very important election.
Those who do not learn form the past are doomed to repeat it.
The current GOP candidates, especially the front runners, have pledged to do exactly what has driven the middle class into poverty and destroyed the economy to a point not seen since the Great Depression. They have said they will deregulate so the crooks in pinstripes can get back to work screwing over the middle class. Do away with Social Security and Medicare. They have espoused the policy of trickle down economics which has proven time and time again it odes not work. Their plans all would further concentrate the wealth of the nation among a few and attempt to create a subservient peasant class.
My favorite part of the Bible is where Jesus gives money to the rich, tells the poor to suck it up and asks for Caesar’s birth certificate.
And to the issue at hand, if the Catholic Church wants to either divest itself of all businesses that employee people not of the Catholic Faith, or stop self insuring, then they will have a leg to stand on. But if the Catholic church is going to employee non-Catholics then they need to follow the laws of the United States of America.
Otherwise, don’t be surprised if non Muslim women are forced to wear Burkhas if they work for a Muslim owned business, non Jehovas witness employees don’t get blood transfusions if the work for Jehovas Witnesses, or no health care at all if the employer is Christian Scientist.
If you are going to enter into business, engaged in interstate commerce, in the United States of America, then you are subject to the rules and regulations associated with that.
And here is something, in your rush to beat President Obama over the head with something, you missed. In many states in this country, it is legal for a company to take out life insurance policies on their employees without their knowledge or consent, they are called “Dead Peasant Insurance Policies;” Google it. Now, add to that, the ability of that same company to deny medical treatment on “moral or religious grounds.” You’ve just enabled a CEO to do what we put husbands and wives in prison for every year, taking out a life insurance policy, then having their spouse killed for profit.
“Otherwise, don’t be surprised if non Muslim women are forced to wear Burkhas if they work for a Muslim owned business, non Jehovas witness employees don’t get blood transfusions if the work for Jehovas Witnesses, or no health care at all if the employer is Christian ”
Exactly right, Pat. How much control of our personal lives do we have to put into the hands of big business and extremist fundamentalists? These are people who think they have the right to control the personal lives of women who have the misfortune to work for their oppressive corporate regimes. It’s as if these people think we owe some kind of allegiance to the religion of our employers, and should be required to follow rules that they set up for us, based on their religious bigotry. No thank you!
In response to the comment about “Jesus telling the poor to suck it up well” the Obama regime has cut the catholic
church off from federal funding,the catholic church used this money to help fight human trafficking of children into sex slavery. Obama wants to punish Catholics because he could not bully them into going against their conscience by paying for abortion pills (the morning after pill). I don’t see Obama doing anything to stop modern day slavery (human trafficking).
Pat do you remember how Bush was crucified because gas prices went up well they are higher than ever and nobody holds Obama accountable. Obama flies all over the world on vacations. He has gone on more vacations than any other president at tax payors expense, talk about wasting gas he and his entourage fly everywhere in jets that guzzle gas and tax payers pay for this. His administration is printing money and along with his failed stimulus package which has tripled the dtficit we are soon going to have a second dipper recession where the dollar will be worth nothing and inflation and interest rates will soar-thanks to nobody but Obama. But as Biden said we will just have to be “patriotic and pay more taxes”. So out of every worthless dollar you earn you will be allowed to take home 30c. At this point your 30c will not be worth a penny because the US dollar will be worthless. Just do me a favor when this happens remember I said I told you so.
Rush has the best retort for Pat about gutting ss: The Republicans, for as long as I’ve been alive, have been accused of gutting Social Security. Here’s Obama doing it, Obama and the Democrats are actually doing it, the payroll tax is the only funding mechanism for Social Security, and this continuing tax cut is — look, if they want to do it, fine and dandy. I’m just telling you, from a political standpoint, it’s a gold mine here, and they’re not using it. The Republicans instead decide to reach across the aisle, they want to show that they can compromise, they want to show that they can get along, and Obama and his media minions just slap them down.
Kathleen – who exactly is forcing these women to work for the “extremist fundamentalists” and ” oppressive corporate regimes” you wrote about? I was always under the understanding that if I didn’t like the way my employer ran things I was more than welcome to find a job somewhere else.
“This president has a problem with the bill of rights.”
No. The Catholic Church does. They now will not be required to finance, provide, or even discuss contraception with their employees. And the employees will still have access to contraception. A win-win…unless, of course, the Catholic Church’s problem is that their employees will have access to contraception.
Jon Stewart said it best: “You’ve confused the war on your religion with not always getting everything you want.”
Sue-President Obama has NOT gone on more vacations than any other president in history. This article is from August of last year:
“So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch where his staff often joined him for meetings. And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch.
Among recent presidents, Bill Clinton took the least time off — 28 days.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/17/eveningnews/main20093801.shtml
just thought you could use a little…help… there.
“he and his entourage fly everywhere in jets that guzzle gas and tax payers pay for this.”
LOL…Sue. The President and his STAFF travel as they have traveled ever since we have had this technology. Air Force One. Which is-any plane the President of the United States is ON. Sometimes, Air Force One is a helicopter. Sometimes, yes, it is a jet. But whatever aircraft the President travels in, it’s Air Force One. Recently, Air Force One was a small Cessna. You really are not terribly well-informed, are you? That’s all right. I’m feeling PARTICULARLY helpful this morning…
” His administration is printing money and along with his failed stimulus package which has tripled the dtficit we are soon going to have a second dipper recession where the dollar will be worth nothing and inflation and interest rates will soar-thanks to nobody but Obama.”
I’m trying to help, Sue. Let’s keep this easy-peasy, k?
1) The administration does not print money. The Department of the Treasury does. The Federal Reserve controls that-AND-they are an independent agency. Seriously.
“The Federal Reserve, like many other central banks, is an independent government agency but also one that is ultimately accountable to the public and the Congress. The Congress established maximum employment and stable prices as the key macroeconomic objectives for the Federal Reserve in its conduct of monetary policy. The Congress also structured the Federal Reserve to ensure that its monetary policy decisions focus on achieving these long-run goals and do not become subject to political pressures that could lead to undesirable outcomes.”
http://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_12799.htm
SO…the Administration. Is Not. Printing. Money.
I don’t want to overwhelm you-that sentence of yours is kind of overwhelming-so I’ll move on. I’m here to help!
Well it seems that most American Catholics support Obama’s plans as somewhere in the vicinity of 90 percent of Catholics living in this country use contraceptives in one form or another. The Bishops are the ones who are out of touch with the Catholic population, and I haven’ t seen or heard about any bit ” outcry from the general Catholic population. Just the celibate men who can’t get pregnant, and who don’t have to worry about supporting children.
Everyone in my church is very supportive of it, including the down to earth priest who realizes that the congregation is using contraceptives.
And as others have noted, if catholic employers employ non-Catholics, and want to be treated like any other employer, then they need to follow the laws of this country. What next? Deny health insurance to gays because that’s also a sin? Authorize insurers not to pay for maternity care for unwed mothers be ause well, that woman is a sinner? Where does it end?
Well it seems that most American Catholics support Obama’s plans as somewhere in the vicinity of 90 percent of Catholics living in this country use contraceptives in one form or another. The Bishops are the ones who are out of touch with the Catholic population, and I haven’ t seen or heard about any bit ” outcry from the general Catholic population. Just the celibate men who can’t get pregnant, and who don’t have to worry about supporting children.
Everyone in my church is very supportive of it, including the down to earth priest who realizes that the congregation is using contraceptives.
And as others have noted, if catholic employers employ non-Catholics, and want to be treated like any other employer, then they need to follow the laws of this country. What next? Deny health insurance to gays because that’s also a sin? Authorize insurers not to pay for maternity care for unwed mothers be ause well, that woman is a sinner? Where does it end?
President Obama is a Constitutional scholar. Don’t be ridiculous about his lack of the Bill of Rights. The Affordable Healthcare Act does not require the Roman Catholic church to provide birth control options for priests and nuns, those actual employees of the church itself.
All it does is require employers to provide this as an option in health insurance coverage. Where does the RC get the idea that they don’t have to follow this for their hospital employees? If they do have a problem following that law then what stands in the way of them refusing to treat some people based on their religion, sexual preference, race, country of origin, etc. ?
If the RC can’t comply with these basic laws then they should sell off their secular businesses and go back to being a church and nothing but a church. Then they can bypass these laws all they like.
And while I agree with Dela Croce in spirit and in truth, in fact-the Catholic Church doesn’t even have to strain themselves. There is no need for them to do a thing. Except stop BITCHING. But hey. I’m easy. Keep it up, RC Bishops. You do, after all, have a right to speak your mind. But so does everyone else in this country. Here’s something else about this country you need to get real clear about. You’re in it.
And when you are operating a business in this country-a business, not a house of worship-that business has to meet certain standards. The government has the RIGHT to set those standards, for the safety and welfare of its citizens. Rome isn’t relevant. The Bishops aren’t relevant. If the Southern Baptist Church had an issue with this-I grew up Southern Baptist-THEY wouldn’t be relevant. This is a LABOR issue. On this particular Church & State boondoggle, the Church is crowding the State.
BACK OFF.
RE: vacations Obama Has taken. I don’t know where you get your statistics from, anyone can make up statistics. If you watched the news last year Obama and Michelle and kids and dog flew all over the world on vacation at the expense of tax payors. Every time I turned the TV on they were flying somewhere else. The European vacation taken at our expense was the most extravagant, the hotel Michelle stayed in cost over $1000 per night, the entire vacation cost over $100,000 which tax payors paid for. Then they took off to Maine during the oil spill crisis . Do you remember watching them on vacation in England?
I will never forget that vacation because I remember cracking up with laughter when Michelle threw her arms around The Queen of England not being clued in to the British culture where they are polite but not demonstrative among upper class people. I will never forget how the queen recoiled and glared at Michelle. Talk about embarrassing the US every time Obama gets off a jet he embarrasses us with that attempted salute he does.
Bush just used to go back to his ranch, I don’t remember seeing he and his wife galavanting around the world at our expense, I don’t remember Bush turning the white house into a party pad either like the Obamas do, having $ 100 steaks for all their friends that tax payors paid for on the 4th July. What about the $100,000 valentine date we paid for, did Bush live regally like this at our expense? I don’t think so.
By the way Bush did not start the war. During the 911 terrorist attack 1000s people were killed. It I don’t see how Bush was responsible for that. If you are referring to sending troops to the Middle East then that makes Obama guilty of the same thing because he has had 3 years to remove these troops like he promised he would and hasnt
Please explain why nobody calls Obama on his decision to not open up 10000,s jobs when he said no to allowing the Key Stone pipeline to ce to Alabama. Bush would have been executed if he had done that.
@ Dr. G M Izzo:
President Bush may have not been perfect, but at least he wasn’t violating human rights and destroy a nation’s future. Obama did more damage in his first years than any other living President .
And Overpopulation? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day, as the current information shows that Birth Rates as dropping around the world. And if we would have plenty of resources if people did their part, recycle and be responsible.
Instead, people want to encourage irresponsibility by destroying life and continuing to overconsume.
@ terri E: the President does have a problem with the Bill of Rights. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be forcing his so called “social reforms” at the cost of our freedoms.
Regardless of what others think or do, the reality is that the Government can’t force a religion to act against their consciousnesses. That ‘s a violation of the First Amendment, and worse, the spread of a plaug.
The plague is that of lies. lie that people can be free of responsibility. The lie that people can trust the government. The lie that people can play God and get away with it. Lies that people buy into for their own base and carnal desires.
But as history shown, these lies will burn nations and generations will suffer because of our arrogance and stupidity.
Dela Croche
If Obama is the scholarly expert on the constitution and bill of right, then it makes it worse that he does not respect freedom of religion and individual conscience. He cannot plead ignorance as an excuse for ignoring the 1st ammendment. I think he is showing glimpses of his true nature which is that he would be a dictator if he could but that pesky constitution is protecting US citizens and putting restraints on him making it more difficult to be the Castro or Mugabe that he really is.
Dela Croche
The Obama administration is trying to force catholic institutions to provide coverage for the morning after pill which Catholics view as abortion. Take a catholic institution such as a catholic college. I don’t think you would want to attend or work at a catholic college if you were not catholic. Why should such an organization be forced to provide coverage for something that they and the staff and students believe is amoral? That is violating their freedom of conscience and religion as protected under the 1st ammenent.
This potus comtinues to ignore his oath of office and the interpretation and meaning of the 10th Amendment to the U S Constitution …..his only powers are granted by the constitution….healthcare and contraception are out of his legislative authority…..ie the powers not granted by the Constitution are given to the States…..the American people are not obliged to accept this nor can they be legally prosecuted for doing so. It’s unconstitutional.
dear terri,
Are you willing to read Daniel Chapter 11???
Are you willing to look up Wikipedia about Tim Geithner
, Bilderberg and what its’ aims are and how it squares up, supports your views, tell me what you think…
What does the Holy Spirit tell you, in love, deny.
Let’s be very clear in your opinion piece that you must be careful when exaggerations and falsehoods are presented as “facts.” First of all, there is no provision for federal funding (your tax dollars) going directly to abortion services. There is a provision that encourages private health insurance providers to cover abortions as a part of their packages for those women who choose to have that medical procedure covered, for better or worse. Similarly, it calls for insurance policies to cover contraception for the large number of women in this country who choose to use it as a part of responsible family planning or use it as a matter of health (such as women at risk for ovarian cysts). For those entities in the business of health care, it calls on those medical institutions to provide this option. While the Catholic Church should be applauded for its active involvement in developing medical institutions of high quality in this nations, it would also do well to acknowledge that being a hospital is NOT the same as being a church. In many places in this country, Catholic hospitals are the only medical option or one of very few. Thus, it would behoove our many fine Catholic hospitals to provide the medical care sought by patients and prescribed by doctors. Although I understand the desire to practice faith with integrity, there is also an obligation when you are a MEDICAL facility to provide the care and services needed by the patients WITHOUT proselytizing or advocating beliefs that the patients may or may not hold. The fact of the matter is that a large number of practicing Catholic women themselves use forms of contraception. MEDICAL institutions, despite their connection to religious institutions, must be in the business of providing medical care, not promoting religious beliefs.