by Sara J
"Government is instituted to protect property of every sort... [and] conscience is the most sacred of all property." James Madison
The current attack against the Catholic Church from the Obama administration is not about birth control. Freedom is under attack across the globe, and has been under attack since long before America's founding. It wasn't until the United States Constitution was written that freedom was sewn into the roots of any nation. America's founding documents protect the God-given rights of the people from an oppressive government.
These Truths that are sewn into the fabric of America allows the individual to correct course when the leaders and institutions around them go astray, not depend on the leaders and institutions to solve all of the problems. This is why America is known for it's people not necessarily it's landmarks or leaders, and why faith and The Church have always played a large role in its history. America has been great, because Americans are good. But, with God being labeled as "taboo" by the media, while the unique religious freedom of America continues to be disregarded by its federal government, people of faith need to take a stand soon or everything could change.
Throughout America's history it has been our people of faith and our religious institutions that have started the movements causing real positive change in the American people and our laws. For example, Martin Luther King, a Baptist Preacher, lead the Civil Rights Movement. Our Judeo-Christian values have set the tone for our country, allowing Americans to better themselves throughout history.
This is not simply an attack on the Catholic Church, reproductive rights, or a push for better “women’s health.” Contraception is not a right. The ability of a church to uphold its doctrine--that's a right, and it's clearly stated in the First Amendment of our Constitution. I women think it's the job of their employer to provide them free birth control pills in the name of 'gender equality,' they can find an employer outside of the Catholic Church. (side note: nothing says strong, independent female like begging for free birth control pills…).
The contraception mandates the Obama Administration is attempting to place on Catholic institutions would force these them to break Catholic Doctrine--a direct violation of their freedom of religion protected by The Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson said, “No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience.” Also stating, “our rulers can have no authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted.”
It has taken progressives over one hundred years to paint people of faith as extremists and blur the divide between good and evil, but they did, and I’m afraid that many Americans either don’t see the battle we’re in or think it’s not their battle to fight. Conservative politicians, political pundits, disenfranchised voters, religious leaders and others are pointing the finger at the White House, outraged that they believe they have the authority to force the Catholic Church to break with its doctrine—but before that finger is pointed at the White House, we all need to pick up a mirror and point it at ourselves.
The church in America has had a weak influence on our culture in recent years. All you have to do is turn on a TV to notice that “God” is used in vane far more than in any other instance. Our music, movies, advertising, and most other tools of messaging have gone completely secular. It’s not rare to hear someone apologize “for all the God talk” or say “I don’t mean to preach, but,” before openly bringing up their faith or God in a conversation. Politically correct is quickly transforming into morally bankrupt.
We have allowed society to remove the church from the mainstream, and have sat quietly in our “appropriate pews” on Sundays while the country continues down its path of self-destruction. The church is not standing up to the evil growing across the country. Should we really be shocked family values have taken a backseat in society when the church is taking a backseat in our daily lives?
How does a nation that proclaims to be ‘one nation under God,’ allow itself to be run by a group of progressives that have such high levels of animosity towards faith and God, and claim that “you can’t legislate morality?” Of course we can, but not until the people move in a moral direction. Morality is always a step ahead of policy. Did we not outlaw slavery and segregation, give women the right to vote, or put an end to child labor? The higher our moral values are the freer we will be.
History has not been kind to countries that have ignored blatant evil and strayed from their values. In Germany little things started happening between the state and the church. It always starts small--a little nudge. Then the state started to bully the churches. They enacted laws restricting religious education and institutions, and no one spoke up until it was too late. Evil always starts small, but history has proven that government overreach will eventually affect every single one of us, if it isn’t already.
It is time for a movement towards goodness. Whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Jewish, etc. it’s our job to protect our rights, not only by speaking out when they’re under attack, but by living them in our daily lives, so they stay in the mainstream. We should hold one another and ourselves accountable to what we say we believe and how we live our lives. If we don’t live our faith in the good times, our faith will be too weak to make it through the bad times.
In 2009 the right of conscience of pro-life doctors and nurses who wouldn’t perform abortions was under attack, today it’s the doctrine of the Catholic Church. If doctors are made to perform abortions that are in direct violation of their beliefs, churches are being mandated to break with their doctrine to comply with the law, and the attack on our faith continues, we will be headed in a very disturbing direction.
Today the battle is against the Catholic Church, but the war is being waged against all people of faith and man’s freedom.
Senator Roy Blunt (MO-R) has proposed an amendment called the Conscience Protection Measure. This is a small battle in a big fight, but holds the power to make a big statement to the country and the globe that we won’t stand idly by while our faith is under attack. Click here for more information on how to help push this measure forward and protect our freedom of religion.