Religious Freedom; Fortnight for Freedom: Make a Difference

I think religious freedom is important: the right to practice my faith, the freedom to act as if God matters: not just go into a building once a week and do 'religious stuff.'

Every Catholic bishop in America has said that Catholics should get informed, write Congress, and end a particularly bad HHS mandate. Today, Catholics who are in medical professions must kill very young people: or pay someone else to do the job.

Business owners, all but a small minority, aren't forced to do the knife work: but they are required to pay the assassins. That's not a very nice way to put it, but forcing folks to pay for 'women's health coverage' isn't nice, either.

Resources: We Can Make a Difference

I've posted links to these resources before, but not all in one post.

The most urgent item is the June 19 deadline for submitting comments to Congress. These links send you to the NCHLA (National Committee for a Human Live Amendment) website:

• Take action
  • Write to Congress & HHS opposing the mandate and calling for conscience protections. Deadline = June 19
  • Read the latest Action Alert

Also coming soon (June 21-July 4):

• Fortnight for Freedom
  • "Fortnight for Freedom"
    (www.fortnight4freedom.org)
    Religious Liberty, USCCB
    • Prayer Resources
    • Reflections
  • Diocesan Activities
  • Graphics and Downloads
  • Religious Liberty FAQs
• "Baltimore, Washington Liturgies To Bookend National Celebration Of Fortnight For Freedom"
  USCCB news release (May 18, 2012)

These are 'current' resources:

• 'Conscience' bulletin inserts for June
  • "Protecting Conscience: Why Conscience is Important" (.pdf)
    color
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
  • "Protecting Conscience: Why Conscience is Important" (.pdf)
    black and white
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
  • "Proteger la conciencia: por qué la conciencia es importante" (.pdf)
    color
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
  • "Proteger la conciencia: por qué la conciencia es importante" (.pdf)
    black and white
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
• "Twelve Things Everyone Should Know About the 'Contraceptive Mandate' " (.pdf)
  Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) (May 17, 2012)
  (archived from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/Twelve-Things-Everyone-Should-Know-About-the-Contraceptive-Mandate.pdf (May 23, 2012))

Background: Why Ethics Matter

You may already have seen these items. They were released earlier this year. If you haven't, I recommend reading them - and passing along what you learn:

• February USCCB HHS Mandate Bulletin Insert
  • Bulletin Insert (English)
    (February 12, 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/HHS_Mandate_English-Bulletin-Insert_Feb2012.pdf)
  • USCCB's HHS Mandate Volante Para Boletines (en Español)
    (12 de febrero 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/HHS_Mandate_Spanish-Bulletin-Insert_Feb2012.pdf)
• HHS Mandate, and Why Catholic Hospitals Won't Kill
  • USCCB: Six Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate
    (February 6, 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.archspm.org/_uls/resources/USCCB-six-things-HHS-regulations-english-2012-02-06.pdf
  • USCCB: SEIS COSAS QUE TODO EL MUNDO DEBERÍA SABER SOBRE LA REGULACIÓN DE HHS
    (Spanish) (6 de febrero 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.archspm.org/_uls/resources/USCCB-six-things-HHS-regulations-spanish-2012-02-06.pdf
  • USCCB: White House Misrepresents Its Own Contraceptive Mandate
    (February 3, 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.archspm.org/_uls/resources/USCCB-Response-to-WH-Blog-on-HHS-Mandate-2012.pdf
  • "The HHS Mandate for Contraception/Sterilization Coverage: An Attack on Rights of Conscience
    United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    (January 20, 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/preventiveqanda2012-2.pdf
• Why Catholic bishops in America are concerned
  • "Backgrounder: Is The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act Overbroad?"
    (March 20, 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/Backgrounder-Is-the-Respect-for-Rights-of-Conscience-Act-Overbroad.pdf)
    • Why some are concerned that the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act may be overly expansive
  • "The High Costs of 'Free' Birth Control"
    (July 28, 2011)
    Column by Richard Doerflinger
    • Will contraception really be "free" under this coercive mandate?
  • "The HHS Mandate for Contraception/Sterilization Coverage: An Attack on Rights of Conscience"
    (January 20, 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/preventiveqanda2012-2.pdf)
    • Two pages
    • Quick summary of what the HHS edict involves
  • "BACKGROUND: THE NEW FEDERAL MANDATE FOR CONTRACEPTION/STERILIZATION COVERAGE"
    (January 20, 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/preventiveservicesbackgrounder-3.pdf)
    • Inadequate conscience protection in the HHS mandate
  • "CURRENT FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING CONSCIENCE RIGHTS"
    (February 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/Federal-Conscience-Laws.pdf)
  • "United for Religious Freedom"
    A Statement of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    (March 14, 2012)
    (PDF)
    (from from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/Admin-Religious-Freedom.pdf)
    
• Letters
  • Letter by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, to all bishops in America
    (March 2, 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/Dolan-to-all-bishops-HHS.pdf
  • Archbishop Nienstedt's Letter Against Health Coverage Mandates
    (January 26, 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.archspm.org/_uls/resources/Gen_Ltr_re_US_Dept_of_Health_decision____1-26-12.pdf
  • Carta del Arzobispo Nienstedt contra los mandatos de la cobertura de salud
    (Spanish) (26 de enero de 2012)
    (PDF)
    from http://www.archspm.org/_uls/resources/Gen_Ltr_in_SPANISH_US_Dept_of_Health_decision__1-26-12.pdf

Isn't it Illegal for Religious People to Get Involved?

The First Amendment involves freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. (October 5, 2011, September 2, 2011)

I'm not trying to 'force people to believe what I do.' On the other hand, I do want to help reverse the HHS mandate. I also want to help and make the murder of very young people illegal in America.

This would interfere with the rights of adults who are currently able to kill inconvenient people - provided the job is done before the kid is born.

On the other hand, if abortion is recognized as legalized murder: folks who would otherwise be killed before they can vote will get a chance to make decisions for themselves. I think that's a good idea.

I've been over what I have to do, as a practicing Catholic, before:

• Support religious freedom
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)
• Take an active part in public life
  (Catechism, 1915)
• contribute to the good of society
  • In a spirit of
  • Truth
  • Justice
  • Solidarity
  • Freedom
  (Catechism, 2239)
• Submit to legitimate authorities
  (Catechism, 2239)

That last item, submitting to legitimate authorities, isn't as cut-and-dried as it may seem. I can't just follow whatever harebrained, destructive, order the nearest authority gives: and then say 'I was only following orders.' (March 12, 2012)

---

More posts about forcing Catholics to violate our conscience:
The Department of Health and Human Services vs. Conscience

---

Related posts:

Religious freedom
• "Overdue For a Change"
  (May 25, 2012)
  Particularly
  • In Defense of Religious Liberty
    • When "Health" Coverage Kills
    • Defending Life and Conscience: Online Resources
    • Judging, Arrogance, and Trusting God
    • Faith: Worship AND Practice
    • Power Grab?
    • Catholics Vote
• "Evil is Not Nice, Religious Freedom, and Other Radical Ideas"
  (May 4, 2012)
  Particularly
  • Religious Freedom: Beyond the Church Doors
    • Acting as if God Matters
    • America, Ethics, and a Reminder
    • Catholic Bishops and Doing the Right Thing
  • Political Responsibility: Online Resources
    • Voting Smart: Here's Help
• "Conscience and Religious Freedom: Fact Sheets; an Open Letter; More"
  (April 20, 2012)
• "Being Catholic: Within Reason"
  (April 5, 2012)
• "Health Care, Women, and the Catholic Church: A Reality Check"
  (March 16, 2012)
• First Amendment
  • "The Establishment Clause; Religious Freedom; and Getting a Grip"
    (October 5, 2011)
  • "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
    (September 2, 2011)
  • "Fugitive Safe Surrender: My Take"
    (November 5, 2010)
  • "Living in America and Living a Catholic Life"
    (April 29, 2010)
  • "Freedom of Religion, or Freedom From Religion?"
    (June 1, 2009)
• Government
  • "Obedience, Yes: Blind Obedience, No"
    (March 12, 2012)
  • "The Spirit of Resistance"
    (February 26, 2012)
  • " 'Legislating Morality' - My Take"
    (June 28, 2011)
  • "'Disagreement' is not 'Treason,' 'Protest' is not 'Terrorism'"
    (April 19, 2011)
  • "Is Government Really Necessary?"
    (March 12, 2011)