I thought the administration was in court arguing that the health care law was constitutional becasue it doesn't fine people for not purchasing insurance, it merely taxes them.
Perhaps the individual mandate is worded differently than the employer mandate, but if not then the administration has to make up its mind. If failure to comply subjects you to a tax, then wouldn't a tax-exempt institution be, well, exempt. Of course, if you are subject to a fine, then the administration can't go around arguing the constitutionality of the legislation based on their taxing authority.
Or, like I said, maybe the two sections are worded differently.
What the Administration proposed is effectively "money laundering": religious institutions that object will not have to pay for a policy that includes contraception and abortion services; these will have to be provided free of charge by the insurer if asked by the individual employee. "There you go--now you don't have to buy insurance that covers abortion or contraception", says the Administration.
But wait--when insurers are asked to cover a specific class of clients "for free", they do so by raising premiums on everybody else--including religious institutions that do not wish to pay for abortions or contraception. So, the Church DOES end up paying, just not directly--the money is laundered through the premiums, and sanitized by slight of hand.
I do believe Obama thinks the bishops--and all of us--are blindingly stupid.
But the bishops for once prove that they are not, and have issued a statement strongly condemning the "faux accommodation".
By the way, since when do rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights have to be "accommodated"?
StuartK:
Bravo!! Well put, succinct, no-spin!! I especially like the "money laundering" label. Never thought of it like that, but absolutely true. May I use your post as part of my letter when I write to my bishop and congressional reps?
It's a bit like hospitals that cost shift. You go to the ER for a simple blood test but part of the high cost has to do with the availablity of the MRI machine down the hall you are not using but which is "available" in case you needed it. That's why an independent lab across the street from our hospital is able to do the same panel of blood tests for about 35% to 40% of the hospital lab and in less time.
Assume that I may always be quoted, unless I indicate otherwise. Today was an interesting day. Father Joseph read Bishop Nicholas' letter on the subject, adding some pithy comments of his own--not the least being that the bishops themselves deserve some of the blame for failing to exercise their pastoral oversight of the colleges and universities, the homilies being delivered in the parishes, and the false teachers being allowed to receive communion.
Meanwhile, in a Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish several hundred miles away, the priest was reading the letter of Archbishop Stefan, to which he appended the following comments, relayed by a friend:
Quote
[He] then delivered himself of a discourse on the subject of the iniquities of the Democratic Party and Obama (he actually named them both) as propagators of the "culture of death" and as "enemies of the Catholic Church," comparing them to the Italian Fascists of the 1920s and Mussolini, respectively (and he actually termed O "a Communist"). He urged people to protest, write to the Congressmen and Senators and, above all to vote against "these evil men" in the fall. He added that the Catholic bishops had only themselves to blame for this, having cozied up to the powerful for so long and preferring to sponsor and endorse "social programs" rather than disciplining "false teachers" in the Church.
It must be something in the water. Though note--Obama's economic policies reek more of fascism than communism. Not that there is much difference in the ultimate outcome, as far as human freedom and dignity is concerned
I think part of the problem has to do with the fact that both the Catholic Church and the supporters of Obamacare talk about "health care," but they both have separate assumptions behind the same words.
The Church sees health care as an evolving human right but does not include contraception and abortion in the definition of what constitutes health care.
Obama and the leftists see both these latter things to be part of same.
And the Church let itself be co-opted by political assurances that what has now happened never would. When will they get over being so naive?
Reagan had it right. Never trust; verify. The discussion about what constitutes health care should have preceded this draconian bill that now threatens to do so much damage to us as individuals and as a society. Pregnancy is not a disease and a child is not a problem.
Death panels were also things that were denied. Let's wait to see what happens when this thing really gets going.
“It turns out that our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes.” The President on Matt Lauer 2/6
Every now and then, the Devil shows his hand, but only when he knows he has already won the pot.
Everybody who reads comic books knows that supervillains are always done in by the inability to resist "monologuing". With the superhero in his power, the supervillain just has to explain to him just how much smarter, cleverer, stronger, and better looking he is--which usually gives the hero time to get free and send the villain to his well-deserved reward.
Everybody who reads comic books knows that supervillains are always done in by the inability to resist "monologuing". With the superhero in his power, the supervillain just has to explain to him just how much smarter, cleverer, stronger, and better looking he is--which usually gives the hero time to get free and send the villain to his well-deserved reward.
Can't help mentally hyperlinking to the second verse of "A Mighty Fortress is our God"
Did we in our own strength confide Our striving would be losing. But now our champion comes to fight, The Man of God's own choosing. You ask who this may be? The Lord of Hosts, 'tis He: Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God's only Son adored; And He must win the battle.
Last edited by Thomas the Seeker; 02/12/1211:26 PM.
While I am happy to see this sudden burst of concern for individual liberty within the Church, I think it is sadly of the temporary kind.
Everybody loves government mandates as long as they think it's something they also want. But once you agree to give it that power, it's only a matter of time before something like this happens. The words of the bishops ring hollow to me because they invited this on all of us. It'd be nice if they got a wake up call from this, but I'm dubious.
It's why I warn people to think twice before begging the government to define and enforce marriage.
You really want the Department of Health and Human Services involved in "protecting" marriage because you think it will always enforce things the way you want it to?
Our tenuous situation was given a strong boost when the Church began begging the government for help in Education and welfare. What the state gives always comes with strings attached. JJP is right in his analysis. Now our cries of "foul" seem hypocritical and duplicitous.
Still, we must start the roll back someplace...if that is even possible.
Last edited by carson daniel "Metta Physical" lauffer; 02/13/1210:36 AM.
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