Freedom of Religion: Resource Lists

Freedom, including religious liberty, is important: precious. I'll give my reasons near the end of this page.

Reclaiming Freedom

Catholic bishops in America have been working to defend religious liberty - everybody's religious liberty - from a government whose leadership has become increasingly unwilling to allow the exercise of conscience. I recommend checking out the USCCB 'Conscience' home page, and their new release page, for current information:

• Conscience Protection
  (usccb.org/conscience)
• News Releases

I started making 'resource' link lists for materials published by the USCCB in April of 2012:

• "Resources: Conscience Protection (Bulletin Inserts, Prayers, Fact Sheets, More)"
  (April 1, 2012)

This is my current set of 'freedom' resources; which will be periodically updated and revised:

• Fact sheets
• 'Conscience' bulletin inserts (June 2012)
• Background: Why Ethics Matter
  • HHS Mandate, and Why Catholic Hospitals Won't Kill
  • Why Catholic bishops in America are concerned
• Federal publication
• Correspondence

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• Fact sheets
  • "Current Threats to Religious Freedom"
    USCCB Fact Sheet (Summer 2012)
    (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/upload/Current-Threats-to-Religious-Liberty.pdf (July 2, 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)
    (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))
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
    USCCB Fact Sheet (Summer 2012)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/upload/FAQ-on-Religious-Liberty.pdf June 14, 2012))
  • PREGUNTAS FRECUENTES SOBRE LA LIBERTAD RELIGIOSA
    Hoja de datos de USCCB (Verano de 2012)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/upload/FAQ-on-Religious-Liberty-SP-docx.pdf June 14, 2012))
  (back to list of headings)
• 'Conscience' bulletin inserts (June 2012)
  • "Protecting Conscience: Why Conscience is Important" (.pdf)
    color
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/USCCB-Conscience-Bulletin-Insert_ENG-Color.pdf (May 31, 2012))
  • "Protecting Conscience: Why Conscience is Important" (.pdf)
    black and white
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/BW-USCCB-Conscience-Bulletin-Insert_ENG.pdf (May 31, 2012))
  • "Proteger la conciencia: por qué la conciencia es importante" (.pdf)
    color
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/USCCB-Conscience-Bulletin-Insert_SPANISH-Color.pdf (May 31, 2012))
  • "Proteger la conciencia: por qué la conciencia es importante" (.pdf)
    black and white
    USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert (June 2012)
    (from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/BW-USCCB-Conscience-Bulletin-Insert_SPANISH.pdf (May 31, 2012))
  (back to list of headings)
• Background: Why Ethics Matter
• HHS Mandate, and Why Catholic Hospitals Won't Kill
  • "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)
    (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))
  •  USCCB: Six Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate (.pdf)
    (February 6, 2012)
    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)
    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 (.pdf)
    (February 3, 2012)
    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 (.pdf)
    (January 20, 2012)
    from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/preventiveqanda2012-2.pdf
  (back to list of headings)
• Why Catholic bishops in America are concerned
  • "Backgrounder: Is The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act Overbroad?" (.pdf)
    (March 20, 2012)
    (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" (.pdf)
    (January 20, 2012)
    (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" (.pdf)
    (January 20, 2012)
    (from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/upload/preventiveservicesbackgrounder-3.pdf)
    • Inadequate conscience protection in the HHS mandate
    (back to list of headings)
  • "CURRENT FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING CONSCIENCE RIGHTS" (.pdf)
    (February 2012)
    (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 (.pdf)
    (March 14, 2012)
    (from from www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/Admin-Religious-Freedom.pdf)
    
(back to list of headings)
• Federal publication
  • Federal Register /Vol. 77, No. 31 /Wednesday, February 15, 2012 /Rules and Regulations 8725
    (from www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-15/pdf/2012-3547.pdf (July 3, 2012))
  (back to list of headings)
• Correspondence
  • "Re: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Preventive Services File Code No. CMS-9968-ANPRM"
    (May 15, 2012)
    Office of the General Counsel, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    (from www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/upload/comments-on-advance-notice-of-proposed-rulemaking-on-preventive-services-12-05-15.pdf (May 16, 2012))
  • Letter by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, to all bishops in America (.pdf)
    (March 2, 2012)
    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 (.pdf)
    (January 26, 2012)
    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 (.pdf)
    (Spanish) (26 de enero de 2012)
    from http://www.archspm.org/_uls/resources/Gen_Ltr_in_SPANISH_US_Dept_of_Health_decision__1-26-12.pdf
  • Re: Interim Final Rules on Preventive Services, File Code CMS-9992-IFC2
    (August 31, 2011)
    From: Office of the General Counsel, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    To: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services
    (from http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/upload/comments-to-hhs-on-preventive-services-2011-08-2.pdf (July 3, 2012))
  • Re: Interim Final Rules Relating to Coverage of Preventive Services, File Code OCIIO-9992-IFC
    (September 17, 2010)
    From: Office of the General Counsel, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    To: Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Department of Health and Human Services
    (from http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/upload/comments-to-hhs-on-preventive-services-2010-09.pdf  (July 3, 2012))
  (back to list of headings)

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Religious Liberty: 168 Hours a Week

'Freedom of religion' includes the right to go into a building once a week and do 'religious stuff.'

Religious liberty is meaningless, though, if people are not allowed to act as if their beliefs matter during the 167 hours a week that they're not in church.

As a practicing Catholic, I have to support religious liberty: the right to believe; and act as if those beliefs matter; for everyone.

• Religious freedom is vital
  (Catechism, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)

America's 'better sort' don't seem to like religion. In a way, I sympathize. I've explained how rabid radio preachers inspired me to learn about the 'whore of Babylon:' which eventually led to my becoming a Catholic.

I've contrasted America's assumptions about religion with the Catholic Church before:

• "Catholics aren't Calvinists"
  (May 7, 2012)
• "Fulton Sheen, Bias, and the Catholic Church"
  (March 28, 2012)
• "Conservative? Liberal? Democrat? Republican? No, I'm Catholic"
  (November 3, 2008)

Although I think I understand the anti-religious bias of America's establishment, I think they're wrong. As I've said before, "not all Christians are dolts."

Related posts:

• Religious freedom
  • "Conscience, Natural Law, and Religious Liberty"
    (July 4, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Hypocrisy's Out: So is Stupidity
    • Natural Rights, and Natural Law
    • Religious Liberty
  • " '...A Time to Stand Up' "
    (June 27, 2012)
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Overdue For a Change"
    (May 25, 2012)
  • "My Take on the News: Death; Religious Freedom; Resistance; Burned Books; and Saints"
    (February 24, 2012)
• The establishment
  • "A Non-Event That Never Happened"
    (June 30, 2012)
  • "Coney Island School, 'Offensive' Song, and 'Foreigners' "
    (June 10, 2012)
  • "What's With "the Establishment" in this Blog?"
    (September 15, 2011)
  • "Huckleberry Finn, [redacted] Jim, and Making Sense"
    (June 24, 2011)
  • "Pro-Life People - 'Domestic Terrorists and Violent Racketeers:' Who Knew?"
    (June 1, 2009)
• The Catholic counter-culture
  • "College Kids, '100% Organic Sex,' and Me"
    (June 30, 2012)
  • "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes:
    Killing the Innocent; No "
    (June 24, 2012)
  • "Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Health Care, Women, and the Catholic Church: A Reality Check"
    (March 16, 2012)
  • "Sex Selection, Newspeak, and Getting a Grip"
    (August 11, 2011)