Religious Freedom: Resources; Backgrounders

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) provides very useful resources for folks who are concerned about preserving religious liberty in America. Their fact sheets, backgrounders, bulletin inserts, and other material, are available online: but not always easy to find. That's been my experience, anyway.

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 earlier this year. This is my most recent updated, reorganized, and (slightly) condensed, set of 'freedom' resources:

• 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)

Related posts:

• "Catholic Bishops & Religious Freedom in America: a Reality Check"
  (July 3, 2012)
• " '...A Time to Stand Up' "
  (June 27, 2012)
• "Fortnight for Freedom Resources; Religious Freedom Backgrounders"
  (June 14, 2012)
• "Evil is Not Nice, Religious Freedom, and Other Radical Ideas"
  (May 4, 2012)
• "Choose: Religious Freedom; or 'Straight-Jacketing Mandates'"
  (March 7, 2012)