It's The First Amendment Stupid, Not Contraception!

by Sonja Harris on March 4, 2012 at 11:47 AM

The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshipping Almighty God agreeably to their consciences, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights.
George Washington

Faith and Freedom Rally - February 18, 2012

How is it possible that the Health and Human Services mandate of January 20, stating that, “After evaluating comments, we have decided to add an additional element to the final rule. Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law. Employers wishing to take advantage of the additional year must certify that they qualify for the delayed implementation. This additional year will allow these organizations more time and flexibility to adapt to this new rule. We intend to require employers that do not offer coverage of contraceptive services to provide notice to employees, which will also state that contraceptive services are available at sites such as community health centers, public clinics, and hospitals with income-based support. We will continue to work closely with religious groups during this transitional period to discuss their concerns" could possibly be misconstrued to be anything but a direct attack on the teachings of the Catholic Church and religious freedom?

The ‘compromise’ presented by Obama on February 10th was not accepted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Obama’s ‘bait and switch’ will force employers to buy insurance only from companies that cover contraception and sterilization. Obama wants to force the Catholic Church to abandon its moral teachings and elect to go with the Obama pro abortion agenda. The fact that a sitting American president is dictating that religious groups go against their conscience should not only outrage every Christian but scare every American that the First Amendment is under attack. Faith Leaders came together and signed a letter asking Obama to uphold our Religious Freedom, and the Obama Administration continues to ignore our pleas.

On February 16, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on the ‘Separation of Church and State’. Basically only men of faith were invited to testify. This set off the Liberal women saying that they should be allowed to testify, after all ‘women rights’ were being violated. This was a great opportunity for the Liberal feminists to insert their agenda!

Chairman Issa Hearing Preview Statement

Americans of all faiths have a right to practice their religion free from the fear of persecution or harassment from their government. Our nation's founders believed this and enshrined religious freedom into the First Amendment to the Constitution.

While some Americans may not feel that government mandates forcing them to pay for contraception are an infringement on their religious beliefs, others consider it to be an assault against their freedom of conscience. A government policy that encroaches on the conscientious objections of religious groups concerns all Americans who value the protections of the First Amendment. Today, the committee will hear testimony from leaders of different faiths. They are concerned that government, under this Administration, is encroaching on their First Amendment rights.

The Administration's actions have forced us to confront a more fundamental question about the proper role of government in our lives.

This hearing is about basic question of religious freedom, and whether or not protection will be afforded to religious institutions who wish to follow their conscience in refusing to pay for products they find morally objectionable. I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses.

The spin masters, Obama, Catholic Vice President Joe Biden and Catholic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi continue to add fuel to the fire. The Socialists are making sure that uninformed women believe that this is about contraception and women’s choice and not religious freedom. It is not about contraception, it is about our right as a free nation to practice our religious beliefs without fear or retribution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlRC0nsjtKQ

Sandra Fluke a law student from Georgetown University testified at an unofficial hearing led by none other than Catholic Pelosi. Fluke stated that there is a ‘medical crises’ and that 40% of her fellow students are going without contraception, revealing that there is a ‘crushing demand’ for contraceptives. Fluke states that the cost of contraception is $3,000 a year, a summer’s salary, and that academic success depends on contraceptives. It seems that this law student is spending way too much time on her back and not enough time on her law studies. Hence, she would understand that this is a 1st Amendment issue and not a contraceptive issue. Fluke is under the impression that we should all pay for her immoral choices. Besides, Fluke knew when she enrolled at Georgetown that it was a Catholic university.

The Blunt Amendment S1520, which would have allowed employers to not cover health services that would be morally objectionable was tabled on March 1 by the Senate on a 51 – 48 vote. The votes were mostly on party line. Olympia Snowe of Maine voted with the Democrats as usual. But even if Snowe had voted with the Republicans, the amendment would have still failed. We must support and elect more Conservatives to the Senate if we ever hope to have any legislation pass that represents conservative views.