BISHOP OF SIOUX CITY (IA) CALLS FOR VIOLENT OPPOSITION TO CONTRACEPTION

VIOLENTLY OPPOSE WOMEN USING BIRTH CONTROL?

As part of a webcast held last week by a conservative political organization, the Most Rev. Walker Nickless, the Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, warned that contraception was a grave moral evil and that Christians "have to stand up and violently oppose this."

It is very clear that with 98% of women using birth control, the democratic process does not offer much hope in efforts against contraception.  But does the closing of that door mean that violence is the only alternative?  What's your view, peaceful or violent means of opposing contraception?  Or like many Catholics, do you think the Church should focus on other issues entirely?

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/christianity/catholicism/video-bishop-walker-nickless-calls-contraception-coverage-plan

A Good Compromise on Contraception

Our friend E.J. Dionne offers this very insightful analysis:

[The President] was right, finally, to reach a compromise that respected the legitimate concerns of each side. He should have done this at the outset, but far better late than never....

Liberal Catholics were proud to stand with conservatives in defending the church's religious liberty rights in carrying out its social and charitable mission. Now, we'd ask conservatives to consider that what makes the Gospel so compelling -- especially for the young, many of whom are leaving the church -- is the central role it assigns to our responsibilities to act on behalf of the needy, the left-out and the abandoned.

And we'd ask our non-Catholic liberal friends to think about this, too. Many of us agreed that broad contraception coverage was, as a general matter, a good thing, and we shared their concern for women's rights. But we were troubled that some with whom we usually agree seemed to relish a fight with the church and defined any effort to accommodate its anxieties as "selling out."

Read it all here:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/13/contraception_and_the_cost_of_the_culture_wars_113099.html

WHITE HOUSE COMPROMISES ON HHS RULING

From Catholics United.  Their views represents ours as well:

The White House today announced a compromise on the recent Department of Health and Human Services decision regarding contraceptive coverage for religious institutions. The religious exemption clause has been expanded to include non-profits, universities, and hospitals that object to including contraceptives in their coverage.

These institutions will not be required to provide insurance with this coverage nor will they be mandated to give referrals to women who wish to receive contraceptives. Instead, insurance companies will contact employees individually about contraceptive coverage. This will not cost insurance companies or employers more because the cost of preventive care is almost always less than the cost of treatment.

We at Catholics United see this decision as a win-win for both religious institutions and women’s health advocates. The compromise will remove the obligation from religious institutions to violate their conscience while giving their employees the opportunity to have access to comprehensive care.

This solution is a positive development as it will protect the Catholic identity of religious institutions and individual religious liberties. Women, including non-Catholic employees, will be able to obtain comprehensive health services through their insurance with no co-pay. We hope all sides will accept this ruling as a win to religious liberties and an indication that government is willing to work with all sides to come to a solution.


http://www.ourdailythread.org/content/white-house-compromises-hhs-ruling


UPDATE:  Representatives of most of the impacted Catholic agencies have signed off on this accomodation. 

BREAKING NEWS

It seems that the President is moving to a fair and reasonable resolution to the issue of the HHS contraception mandate, which this blog has said we feel he has taken the wrong position.  Under discussion is the Hawaii model in which a religious employer is allowed to exclude contraceptive coverage.  However, in Hawaii the employer must inform the employee that they can obtain contraceptive coverage directly from the insurer, if they want it, and the insurer must offer coverage at the price difference between what if offers insurance with and without contraception (since the market price is rarely more, the employee usually pays nothing).  The plan that is under discussion further tweaks the Hawaii plan so that it is the insurance company and not the religious employer that informs the employee of this benefit. 

The Catholic Church in Hawaii has accepted the Hawaii plan when it was enacted in 1999.  Given that reality, it seems that the even more accommodating proposal being discussed solves this problem.

MORLINO AND OBAMA -- DISAPPOINTED

As Catholics and as supporters of President Obama, we are disappointed in our leaders over the issue of contraception in health care plans offered by parachurch organizations. Contrary to the advice given to him by many of his Catholic supporters, the President allowed the Department of Health and Services to only grant an exemption to the Church herself and not to organizations independent of the Church but who have a Catholic identity such as universities and hospitals. We think this is a mistake and urge the President to reconsider. We also urge our Bishops to use the judicial and legislative process to reverse this rule.

We are also disappointed in one of our bishops, the Most Rev. Robert Morlino of Madison (WI). The State of Wisconsin passed a similar mandate several years ago, but with some exceptions. While Bishop Morlino rightful protested the Wisconsin law, once it was passed, he looked at his options to provide health care to employees with or without contraception. He found it would cost him more money to exclude contraception and therefore took the path of fiscal conservatism rather than Catholic doctrine. 

Actions like this undercut the efforts of lay Catholics to protest the HHS mandate. Morlino did not even make an appeal to the lay faithful of Madison to help cover the higher costs (this was before so many of the Catholics of Madison who are public employees lost pay, benefits and bargaining rights under Governor Walker).

It is our hope that both President Obama and Bishop Morlino would move to a place where they do not disappoint us.

CATHOLICS FAVOR OBAMA

In a new poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, Catholics favor Barack Obama over either Mitt Romney or New Gingrich.  In a match up between Romeny and Obama, 48% of Catholics favored the President and only 40% for Romney.  Obama did even better among Catholics if Gingrich were the GOP candidae.  This continues the strong support Obama received from Catholics in the 2008 Presidential race.  Protestants were less inclined to support the President, with mainline Protestants closely divided, 41% for Obama and 43% for Romney.  Evangelical Protestants favor Romney over Obama 60% to 22%.  Members of African American denominations, Jews and others favored the President by strong margins.

PRESIDENT AT NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

"When I talk about making sure insurance companies aren't discriminating against those would are already sick, or making sure that unscrupulous lenders are not taking advantage of the most vulnerable among us. I do so because I genuinely believe that it will make the economy stronger for everybody, but I also do it because I know that far too many neighbors in our country have been hurt and treated unfairly over the last few years. And I believe in God's command to love thy neighbor as thyself."

"When I talk about shared responsibility, it's because I genuinely believe that in a time when many folks are struggling and at a time when we have enormous deficits, it's hard for me to ask seniors on fixed income or young people with student loans or middle class families who can barely pay the bills to shoulder the burden alone. I think to myself, if I'm willing to give something up as somebody who's been extraordinarily blessed and give up some of the tax breaks that I enjoy, I actually think that's going to make economic sense. But for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus' teaching that for 'unto whom much is given, much shall be required.' It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who have been blessed have an obligation to use those blessings to help others or the Jewish doctrine of moderation and consideration for others."

"When I talk about giving every American a fair shot ... it makes economic sense. But part of that belief comes from my faith and the idea that I am my brother's keeper and I am my sister's keeper. As a country, we rise and fall together."

"It is our hope that people of good will can pursue their values and common ground and the common good as best they know how, with respect for each other. And I have to say that sometimes we talk about respect, but we don't act with respect towards each other during the course of these debates"