you may take some heat for this piece Matt, but I, for one, applaud you.  Keep up the good work.

If you want to feel a bit better about this ruling then read this article: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/06/28/the_chief_justices_gambit_114646-full.html

Things aren’t as bad as they seems, or at least may not be as bad.

Their decision was a legal concluslion, not a policy or political position.

Yeah, I’m just at a loss for words.Another blogger suggested Justice Roberts used his decision for a positive outcome further down the road.I’ve sort of thought of that possibility, too.He’s a good man & prolife.I guess we have to reserve judgement until all the pieces fall into place.Right now though, the water’s pretty muddied & the future’s unclear.

“National Review” online has commentary and analysis on yesterday’s decision.  (One of their articles read “Roberts’s Folly”)
Come Nov., we’ll remember!

I think it would be quite an easy task for St Thomas Aquinas, for instance, to prove that your titular statement is wrong.

I perfectly understand your pain at having to fund and sustain an evil regime (like the US government) doing evil things (like killing the unborn in America and funding the murder of the unborn overseas, but also killing and torturing innocent men, women and children across the globe in unjust war, causing the eradication of Christians in the Middle East by supporting islamist rebellions (like the current islamist rebellion in Syria with the result that Russia is now the only country defending Christian Syrians against an islamist-US-NATO coalition), and so on).

But your choice are between giving this evil US government the money it demands of you, helping it do those evil things, and not giving them the money, leading either to your imprisonment (violating your duties towards your family) or the collapse of government and anarchy if enough people did the same.

So provided you give this evil government the money it demands to prevent the death of your family and/or anarchy and not to help it do those evil things, you are not complicit in those crimes, and you are no more an abortionist than you are a murderer of innocent Lybians, a torturer of Iraquis or responsible for the genocide of Christians in the Middle East.

Bravo, Matt.  Bravo.

An attorney I know said the foundation of the decision, it’s a tax not a penalty, was created by the justices in their decision, and was explicitly argued not to be true by the lawyers during debate.  The justices created the argument for them.  Surely this may be a reason to clear the perpetrators off the court.

Dude…...enough of the pity party on this!  It does little good.  We have all had our day to be angry.  Now is the time to focus on correcting this mistake.  Also, as a Dad, like yourself, these are the moments to show our kids what is right and what is wrong, and to take action for what is right.  It is not the time to sit here and feel sorry for ourselves!

I am very upset about the ruling. Whatever good Roberts may have done - intended or not - he did illegitimately. He imposed a new tax on America, something SCOTUS has no power to do and something the bill itself never once claimed to do. He is and forever will be Redcoat Roberts, imposing new taxes on the colonists.

Nevertheless, not all health care plans, as I understand it, are required to cover abortion (excepting the contraception/abortifacient mandate, which may still be rejected and I think will be). Further, if you rejects health insurance altogether, you’ll have to pay a tax. Our taxes already go toward abortions, but very indirectly. I don’t believe these new taxes will fund them any more directly. We are not sharing in the guilt.

The Register should do a better job assuring that their blog articles reflect theological accuracy.

Yes, our Bishops are standing up NOW, but where were they before? Why did the majority of them and many still do support the Democratic Party? Why did they and still do support a government run healthcare program, knowing that Obama and the Democrats are fanatics about abortion, contraception, and even support euthanasia & assisted suicide (not to mention same sex “marriage”) ? The Republicans are far from perfect, but I will never vote for any Democrat knowing their party platform or how they vote and promote a Culture of Death. Justice John Roberts’ decision to side with the radical liberal judges is a complete shock. So now we have a new tax, our country will be farther in debt (over $1.7 trillion ) and we all WILL be paying for abortions! May God help us all!

I’m with you Matt - keep up the good work.  My head is spinning, the press is making everything “look” positive and not one correspondent has the guts to address religious liberties issues….shame on them….it seems nearly impossible to get the facts discussed…..even my parish priest is burying the topic and ignores the world we live in….Pray for ways for us to openly hear the truth and learn how to form a conscience that is lovingly Catholic, so that we can “look like Christ in the world”....

My comment above, of course, is contingent on a person getting a plan which does not cover abortions, so that he does not pay the abortion surcharge. The surcharge, of course, would make him guilty of abortion.

The “pratfall-fu” began with our bishops, who know zip about economics, less about government, and have the philosophical capacities of 6th graders.  They fell passionately in love with this dreadful law at first sight.  They are still calling for the law to be “reformed” instead of trashed, and have even made the arguement that food stamps magically create more wealth.  Our bishops only stood up “so strongly” when they realized they, through Catholic institutions, would have to PAY something.  Now, all of a sudden, contraception, which never bothered them before, is an issue ( but, you will notice that they haven’t taken this golden opportunity to catechize anyone on the subject).

Follow the money.  The trail leads you to the very heart of the betrayal.

I am REALLY sick & tired of Christians saying, “Come come now. Things aren’t really so bad afterall. Look, we’re all good people here in the greatest country in the world blah blah.”
  Fact is that, thanks to “prolife ” Roberts, we are all abortionists now, as you said. Nice job, USA Citizens

Our justice system was replaced by a legal system long ago. The US Constitution is null and void. Republican-appointed Roberts’ majority position is just the latest example… and now we are called to vote for Romney to fix the problem? Not on his abortion or socialized health care track record. I’d prefer a peaceful act of civil disobedience. How about if all Catholics refuse to pay their income tax in 2013?

When something happens which appears to be contradictory to an expected outcome, look for factors which are not apparent on the surface. And remember, transparency is the new opaque.

How can you possibly follow the Republican party? Your most evil leader George W. Bush and his weapons of mass destruction story in Iraq. Over 100,000 people dead-and you support that-even though the Pope was against. Democrats for Life have had some real impact in the party-which has supported immigrants,the poor and downtrodden for years. While there is a possibility that some funding may go for abortion out of this plan-thousands of lives will be improved or saved because of it. Support women with alternatives to abortion, feed the poor, provide diapers, healthcare and shelter for women in crisis. Not tax relief for billionaires.
off 44

Posted by christine on Friday, Jun 29, 2012 11:00 AM (EST):When something happens which appears to be contradictory to an expected outcome, look for factors which are not apparent on the surface…”
******************
Thanks.That’s what I’m hoping for.

I’ve seen rumbling that the WH called the USCCB yesterday. If so the placer and receiver of that call is quite significant, isn’t it?

BHO: “We would appreciate it if you wouldn’t refer to it as a ‘tax’ until after the re-election”
CTD: “Yeah, no. See, I don’t serve at the President’s pleasure.”

Since the Affordable Care Act is a tax and the Catholic Church is a tax exempt entity, shouldn’t the Church be exempt from the law?

Suzanne from Omaha - justices serve for life - no one is clearing the court in November.  Mike - “...he imposed a new tax” - no, he didn’t.  He simply called it what it is.  Congress imposed it (and is the only branch with the authority to do so).

The question is being bandied about “Is the Supreme Court Politicized?”, which shows the crass stupidity of those asking the question.  From its foundations, the Court has had people of philosophical differences of government; if that means it is “politicized” then it has been since its beginning.

Roberts is in no way a fool.  Obama and the Democrats have all along been denying that ACA was a tax - Roberts called it what it was in a stroke of pure genius.  Rather than siding with the dissenters and being seen as making a politically motivated decision, he has handed back to the voters (2/3 of whom do not approve or want the ACA as it stands) the reality that ACA is the largest tax increase ever to be handed to the middle class.  In short, he just poured gasoline on the fire against ACA, and most people have not calmed down enough to see what just happened.

Yesterday was a very sad and unbelievable day.  We have been fighting since 1973, when the Supreme Court ruled that it is okay to kill a baby in the womb of his or her Mother.  Yesterday, Chief Justice Roberts Court ruled that all of us Must Pay To Help Kill These Little Babies, through Taxation to Us.
God Help Us! 
God Bless The People Of The United States of America and Lead Us To Right This Wrong !

Initially, I was really upset about the ruling yesterday. However, the more I talked to my politically-savy friends and read more and more about the decision, the happier I became.  What Roberts did was reveal the true nature of the ACA: the hugest tax increase evar.  And Obama is on record insisting that it wasn’t a tax increase. At all. Even though many of his critics, before ACA passed, said that’s what it really was. 

So now everyone knows. Obama and his administration can no longer argue about the definition. And now he has the biggest tax increase in history on his record and here comes the election. Good luck.

Also, I think there was a good deal of confusion (lol @ CNNbreaking News alerts) that the ruling struck down the ACA as unconstitutional. It did but only if it fell under the Commerce Clause, which, I’m pretty sure, is what the defense argued that it was. So the Court said, “No you can’t force people to buy something they wouldn’t otherwise, but you CAN tax them.” And taxes make people angry.

I think the ruling was good for the “war” in a galvanizing sort of way.  I don’t see it as a victory for the Dems at all.

I fear that with these last few posts, CMR is jumping the shark.

Constitutionality has never been a standard for good legislation, merely the lowest hurdle that legislation must clear.  The legislation is deeply flawed, with a mix of good and bad intent.  But this is not the end of liberty, not the end of the nation, not the end of the American experiment.  This is bad legislation that needs to either be fixed (as the bishops recommend) or scrapped so that it can be replaced with better legislation. 

This is not a sign of the apocalypse, and treating it as such dilutes the effort of trying to fix the mess we are currently in, it makes the opponents of this bad legislation look not like reasoned opposition but rather like raving loons.

When Joe D’Hippolito is the voice of reason in your comboxes, you know that something has gone horribly wrong.

There’s a lot to debate and criticize with the ACA - how it will be funded, the appropriate state/federal relationship, how it defines what is health care and what is a religious organization, and - as you are pointing out - how it uses everyone’s money to pay for abortion. I am a Catholic. I strive to obey our bishops. I am very unhappy with the policies of the Obama administration. And I don’t disagree with you on the need to fix the legislation or even abandon it if there is a better way to reform our healthcare system so costs are lower and coverage more available.

But, please, help our cause by not starting your essay on such a serious issue with a crude line about Barney Frank and Appletinis. I know you are trying to be funny but it immediately offends many people and turns them off from taking seriously the important points you are making. If we Catholics hate disrespectful and inaccurate one-liners stereotyping priests as pedophiles, then we should not be undermining our own credibility by making jokes about gay men and applitinis.

Jesus Christ, you’re !@#$% insane

Jesus Christ, you’re fkcing insane.

To Thibaud on Friday, Jun 29, 2012 8:22 AM (EST)and bob gallagher on Friday, Jun 29, 2012 11:03 AM (EST) 

You will wait forever for anyone to address your cogent points.

I stood in the streets with signs and chanted my opposition to the invasion of Iraq. I ranted online. I signed petitions. I donated money to the candidates who spoke against it. The pope himself condemned the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Yet I ended up with my taxes supporting activities that ended innocent lives. So did all the other Americans who pay taxes. Yet no bishops brought lawsuits or declared a Fortnight for Peace. Apparently forcing us to fund an unjust war was not taking away our religious freedom.

No wonder other Christians think the Catholic Church is unduly preoccupied with sex.

A vote for Obama is a vote for evil - the intrinsic evil of abortion. Every person who votes for him will have to justify that before God, and won’t be able to plead ignorance.

@cowalker - thank you for speaking the truth. The truth is something seldom seen on this site.

@Rick, cowalker, Thibauf, and bob gallagher
—
Please explain to me why folks such as you lump doctrines of the Faith that must be believed with papal judgments.  JP II was not happy with the war, but he never made a papal announcement on par with dogma.  Yet the mandate in ACA (Obamacare) demands that Catholics be complicit in what the Church does indeed teach is always illicit.  The teachings on abortion and contraception are dogmas that must be believed.  So, what we are talking about are teachings that MUST be believed, not teachings with which one can decide to agree or disagree.  I myself am against the death penalty, yet I realize that those who support it are not going against Church teaching.  The Church makes clear that in matters of war it is ultimately up to those in charge to decide if it is prudent to engage, it is not up to the Church or her leaders.

By the way, the population of Iraq is about 32 million.  You may want to look up how many people have been killed via abortion since 1973.  Let’s just say it’s higher than 32 million.

And as to your tax dollars, mine currently go to support abortion overseas thanks to the current president and the prior Democratic president.  So whereas my tax dollars (and yours) have gone to kill innocent people, people killed in a manner explicitly condemned by the Church as always illicit, your dollars (and mine) have gone to a war that the Church herself says is the responsibility of our leaders.  I’m not, by the way, saying I supported the war, but I am saying I recognize it wasn’t the pope’s call to make.  He gave his opinion, but nothing more.

I should note that I do not wish to pooh pooh papal announcements, they are very important for Catholics.

It’s looking more and more like we don’t have enough friends in the federal government.  What about looking to the State governments?  I think they’re able to nullify federal laws—I’ve heard that a bill passed in the Missouri legislature, although the governor hasn’t yet signed it into law, that will nullify this thing.  This country was founded as a federation anyway, it’s about time we remembered that.

We are all licking our wounds, and feeling disbelief at the outcome yesterday.  But…don’t give up hope.  Like Tim (above) many are saying that it’s not the last decision, just the first.  There are still many more hurdles to cross, and bearing the true title of TAX (21 taxes to be exact, to the tune of nearly 4 trillion over the next 20 years,)is a heavy burden to bear.  2/3 of the people do not like Obamacare (for a variety of reasons.)  This is not the end.  We need to remain vigilant with prayer, public witness, contacting our representative, and grass roots conversations with those around us to explain our position.  DON’T LOOSE HOPE!

Memories tend to be very short.  Remember back to the Gore/Bush decision about Florida.  If we were not a thoroughly divided country before that, we certainly were after that and the Democrats have long memories.  They felt (and not a few others on the other side also felt) that decision was a political one instead of a decision of law.  Roberts was facing the same sort of perspective - four conservative justices, one swing (Kennedy) and four liberal justices; if it came down 5-4 to overturn the law, we would have an already divided country, political system and legislature that would be even further damaged.  It is not the court’s duty to make political decisions, or to unwind bad ones; it is the duty of the court to speak to the legal issue.  Take the time to read his opinion - it is extremely interesting.  He knew exactly what he was doing - he gave it a very limited reach (tax instead of Commerce clause, which the liberals wanted and which would have been an absolute disaster) and he gave the issue, with a spin that would resonate with conservatives, back to the public to clean up.  And if 2/3 of the populace is not happy with the bill, that is where it belongs.

“Congratulations, you will soon be complicit in the death of the unborn.”

I dont agree with this at all. I had nothing to do with this mess. As a Catholic who has voted pro-life for as long as I can remember, it is not the fault and intent of us who voted and prayed with the unborn in mind since 1973. It is not my fault that our society has been overrun with people who don’t care about life—or put their politics before their religious beliefs. I am not held to their ‘collective damnation’ because I follow the Lord—He protects each and every one of us from that evil. I don’t recall Him saying anything about throwing the sheep out with the goats, because the goats stole from the sheep and performed evil.

All one can do is pray for them and tell them the truth. If they don’t listen, nothing we can do except entrust them (amnd ourselves) to the mercy of God. That didnt change with yesterday’s travesty. And, those 54% of Catholics that were smitten by Obama 4 years ago probably now realize what they have created. More than half are probably too proud to admit it—so let them answer to God for it at their judgement.

I will continue to donate to pro-life counseling centers, I will attend pro-life masses and pray the rosary once a month in front of a clinic—I will continue to pray to God to send relief to our ailing country for this 40 year plague. I will continue to pray the Divine Chaplet of Mercy asking Jesus to end abortion in this country. And, I will continue to vote for any candidiate who is pro-life only.

If I am forced to buy health care insurance at the threat of going to jail, and my evil governemnt chooses to do evil with the proceeds, this is not within my control. It’s as if I am counseling a woman considering abortion not to do so, when suddenly a bunch of thugs rob me and take the woman directly into a clinic to have an abortion and use my money to pay for it. And, then they come back out, seek me out and say I share the responsibility - those are man’s laws, not God’s.

The Catholice Church stands on the principal of Jesus saying whatever sins you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And whatever sins you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Will they reign in the faithful by saying that we should not purchase HC because others choose to do evil with the money? I don’t think so. Did St Joseph still have to pay taxes to Herod/Caesar working as a carpenter? Knowing a few years earlier that Herod killed the first born son of every family in an attempt to get to his Son? It is not the fault of the good-hearted what evil people choose to do with taxes—same principal here.

Those that support abortion and have done everything they can do support it and add it to this HC bill are responsible to God for their evil actions—not those devoted to God and the unborn. Let them pay their ‘tax’ to God should they be too proud to repent. This is what I ‘choose’ to believe until my Church tells me different..

If so we have also been complicit in preparing to use nuclear weapons on non-combatants and funding unjust wars and overthrowing elected leaders the government didn’t like for some time now.

I hope those who are outraged by this are also outraged by the above - unless they are cafeteria Catholics as far as the social teaching of the Church is concerned.

I agree, Leo, that there have been some unjust wars.  However, too often some Catholics play cafeteria Catholics, while ignoring the 5 non-negotiable voting issues.  Too often war is the ONLY issue to them, while some ignore the top 5 issues, and this is an extremely narrow view many on the Left hold. They seem to be listening more carefully to—and obeying—their Left-wing media sources and Democratic politicians than to the Church.

  So yes, let’s look carefully at the war issue, but let’s look more carefully still at the 5 non-negotiable issues.  As true Catholics, we can’t ignore these issues!

About time we all realize we are living in the era of the “New Robert’s Rules”.  Logical reasoning has vanished and morality with it.  Let us remember JPII’s words in Central Park 1995 about our country’s future if we fail to destroy the culture of death, “Woe to you, America!”  Well, here we are 17 years later.

Mike:
“He imposed a new tax on America, something SCOTUS has no power to do and something the bill itself never once claimed to do. He is and forever will be Redcoat Roberts, imposing new taxes on the colonists.”
-
They didn’t impose the bill in the first place.  This was the Obama legal team’s fallback plan.  Now he has to defend it as a tax, which is (I believe) an unenviable position.
-
“Not all health care plans, as I understand it, are required to cover abortion (excepting the contraception/abortifacient mandate, which may still be rejected and I think will be).”
-
In Connecticut they will be.  There was a unanimous vote of a panel of five individuals, whose names I still do not know, to make it an “essential benefit.” And they did this like cowards, holding the not-so-public comment period the same day as the rally which was expected to draw basically all of their likely opposition.  Then they had the nerve to brag about how “easy” it was.  We really, really need this thing repealed.

So Christ was wrong for saying we should render to Caesar within a brutal Roman Empire.  Double effect must have been on his mind.  The US government structures, unlike Pakistan, protects us from Sharia in the far future.  The US government covers most widows with children through Social Security which action in the NT is listed as “religion pure and simple”.  Worse comes to worst….we shut down our institutions that are not purely religious and move them to Catholic Latin America where their help is probably more needed.

Libertarian laws and attitudes towards abortion as well as poverty etc. are at the root of the abortion problem not health care funding.

I imagine most abortions in the US are funded by insurance companies. If you buy insurance from a company which also funds abortion are you complicit? An employer who provides health cover which includes abortion or via a company which also includes abortion is complicit. The health insurance payments made by employers are effectively in-lieu of pay. If my employer indirectly funds abortion am I complicit? as my work goes towards this funding. If I buy goods and services from a company which funds abortion for ts employees am I complicit? - should I boycott them?

Taxpayers fund Medicare, Medicaid the VA and the generous tax-funded healthcare of Senators and Congress-members (some of whom hypocritically do not want their constituents to enjoy the same publicly-funded healthcare). No doubt some of these legislators and their families have availed themselves of abortion - taxpayer funded.

The use of nuclear weapons on civilians is always wrong - yet the US government spends thousands of times more on nuclear weapons than it ever will on abortion.

I give these examples of how most Americans have been funding abortion and other anti-life measures for decades. If you are now troubled by funding abortions but have not been troubled by the above similar issues has it increased your awareness of the wider issues? or is there some inconsistency?

Yes abortion-funding is an issue but the supply and demand for abortion is the bigger issue.

The US Catholic bishops have been in favour of single-payer healthcare for all - as does Catholic Social Teaching. Republican Catholics are opposed to this aspect of the Church’s social teaching and cynically use the genuine issue of abortion to oppose healthcare for all.

Right On!! This was posted on our blog before the SC ruling. With your passion in your post we need to get fired up.

“I’ve been listening to and reading many different sides of the “Fortnight” program by the American Bishops. I’m still developing my thoughts on this hot topic. Usually,  I like to stay on the spirituality end of issues, transcending the politics. However, at some point, we all need to get off the fence and stand on one side or the other, and venture out of our comfort zone.  This is certainly one for me.

I have heard some say that the Bishops are just trying to present a smoke screen, and create a conspiracy to take the pressure off the issues that have been plaguing the church lately. I don’t buy that argument for one second. I believe that the Bishops and leaders of the church are acting responsibly to weed out the bad apples and build back the church.  Anyone believing in the smoke screen theory, to me, is just down right missing the boat. 

From where I sit, at the present time, I am looking at the bigger picture, again as I see it. I have heard the argument that the US has more freedoms than any other country in the world, and that history shows that certain Saints and others have given their lives to promote our beliefs and develop our freedoms. So this theory says that we are just reaching for more entitlements. Again, I don’t buy that argument either.

Yes, we should stay focused on spirituality and developing a closer relationship with our God. However, there are instances when we must stand up for the very freedoms and ways others, those same Saints and others, that have given the ultimate in getting us to where we are today. Sitting back and allowing a step backwards can open a door to more. Where would it all end? We cannot let the lives, pains and struggles of those that got us to where we are today be for not.

So, to me, this is not about the sub-issues, birth control, abortion, women’s’ rights, , etc. All important issues but,  from where I sit, not the real issue here. Instead they should be debated separately.  This is about a government telling a religion what to do; totally against what our Constitution provides each of us”.

re: albert: “Republican Catholics are opposed to this aspect of the Church’s social teaching and cynically use the genuine issue of abortion to oppose healthcare for all.”

Approximately 2/3 of the population is against ACA - that includes Republicans, Democrats and Independents.  That does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that Republicans are opposed to changes in health insurance (which is what this is actually about). 

There is health care for all, and it is being given every day of the week.  People without insurance go to the emergency room.  It is not about health care; it is about paying for health care and how we will go about that.  And so far, I have yet to see the Republican Party weigh in on the issue of mandated abortion coverage - the lawsuits were all filed by Catholic entities, not Republicans.  How you get to your point appears to have no logic unless you are saying that Democratic Catholics are not opposed to abortion - and maybe that really is your message.  Certainly some Democratic politicians would fit that mold, but how you get from that to a universal statement is certainly not clear.

The most recent decision by the Supreme Court had nothing to do with the abortion provisions; it had to do with the constitutionality of the whole act.  and the lawsuits by the Church are not about the constitutionality of the whole act, but about the implementation of part of it.  Let’s stay on topic.

Good article. But it does not go far enough. The Obama administration and all of their ongoing subsequent abuses of power, regulations and laws were predictable. Obumer et al is nothing more than the logical conclusion of more than 50+ years of horribly weak teaching and leadership by US Catholic Bishops. They forgot their role as teachers of truth and shepherds of the faithful. Instead, although well-intentioned, they rationalized and traded them in for positions of hack politicians at the table of government handouts and grants justified in the name of “social justice”.
The dreamworld of diversity and political correctness resulted in the election of BHO by a margin provided by 54% of the cafeteria “Catholic” vote. All ignorant in the One True Faith aided and abetted with the full cooperation of blinded US Bishops. Now the monster and it’s catholic elected “leader” has turned on them.  Predictably, the USCCB are complaining about Freedom of Religion for which they should. However, just as predictably, they are still not addressing the underlying truth of the immorality of contraception which is the lynchpin of abortion and the culture of death. They danced with evil disguised as “social justice” and the results are not surprising….absent truth…evil wins every time.  You would think that Bishops would know this more than anyone…
But EnoughAlready!  Their is still one more chance to begin righting the ship this November. It won’t happen unless the Bishops wake up and lead, shout, and speak clearly the truth in plain English….No Catholic or responsible citizen can vote for Obumer or any politician who is pro abortion. If they don’t say it now.. they never will!  If Obumer is defeated…it won’t matter. If they don’t and Obumer is reelected he is coming after the Church anyway….no matter what the Bishops say now.  Pray for them and all of our leaders.

@Matthew Archbold: Please tell me why this Catholic paper blog site, would allow people like “JJ” above use profanity.  It should not have been published. I found it offensive….no one else said anything…so possibly I am taking it wrong…but I did not like it.

“Libertarian laws and attitudes towards abortion as well as poverty etc. are at the root of the abortion problem not health care funding.”

No, it’s whats in people’s hearts—knowing something is wrong and refusing to change ones attitude toward it - to even care. Not being in spiritual shape. This hc law will result in the funding and elevated deaths of innocent unborn children - does anyone care?

The fact of the matter is that the Catholic Church and the Democrats have always been for Social Justice. Now the CC is suffering.  Remember the old adage “God helps those who helps themselves”  If people were more responsible, this whole thing would not have happened, but too many love having freebees, including the President and Congress.  I can say this because I live on SS $1,058 dollars a month. How? After my husband died [I am still a widow]I made sure that I paid off my house in less than two yrs., living on our savings as I was only 58. So with owning my own home and my car now 12 yrs. old, I am able to do this. Don’t go out to eat, don’t go to the horrible movies but enjoy my life doing volunteer work and enjoying my family and friends.  It can be done but even though the CC teaches sacrifice, people just won’t do it. So because they are too tight to buy their own health ins., and would rather spend in on something else, we are in this spot.  I am not saying there are not deserving people who need healthcare, what I am saying that there are too many freebees in this world. By the way I also pay supplemental health and RX. I take nothing from the government. Medicaid was offered to me and my answer was: I would never go on Medicaid and be treated like a bunch of cattle. Our Government just wastes and wastes money, they handle finances just like the people do, spend, spend, charge, charge!

@Leo I didn’t vote for Obama (or McCain) but when he was elected I was hoping that the one good thing he would do is get us out of the unjust wars and foreign entanglements that are bankrupting our country. I’m guessing anyone who voted for Obama because he claimed to be anti-war must be pretty disappointed. Obama lied to the American people about bringing the troops home. With the Thursday’s Supreme Court decision, he also lied about Obamacare not being a tax hike and, of course, the whole HHS lie. I was hoping Ron Paul would win the Republican nomination as he supports the Just War Doctrine and is anti-abortion. I don’t see voting for either Obama or Romney as each has a track record of violating the 5 non-negotiables. Yes, Obama is by far worse and considered anti-Catholic by his own actions but I just can’t bring myself to vote for Romney as the lesser of two evils.

@Gary: Well, I am voting for the lesser of two evils, which will be Romney, even though I didn’t like his healthcare in Mass. If everyone thought as you do, Obama could get in, and we have had enough of him. Possibly Romney can get us out of this mess and since he has a strong religious background he will be more understanding of the Catholic Faith.
IT IS OUR RIGHT TO VOTE AND I ALWAYS WILL.

Roberts is just being made out as a convenient scapegoat. Your anger should be directed at everyone who voted for Obama. As Roberts himself said, it’s not his job to protect Americans from their own political choices. They made their bed, time to lie in it.

Unfortunately for the misogynists in the Church, American female citizens DO HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL/LEGAL RIGHT OVER THEIR OWN BODIES—including, but NOT limited to—practicing BIRTH CONTROL over whether or not to have yet ANOTHER unwanted child—and/or whether or not to terminate an unwatned pregnancy….ESPECIALLY, IF THE FEMALE’S LIFE IS IN THE BALANCE.
OBVIOUSLY, THE MISOGYNIST-FEMALE-HATING clerics who make the Church’s policies DON’T want to be confronted concerning their TOTAL VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW CONCERNING ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF—ESPECIALLY, WHEN that NEIGHBOR IS A FEMALE.’

Historian—I must begin at the bottom of your post in order to address the beginning. “OBVIOUSLY, THE MISOGYNIST-FEMALE-HATING clerics who make the Church’s policies…”: Policies are not doctrine. The fact that procured abortion is intrinsically evil is doctrine. Church doctrine comes from God - not the male clerics whom you so hate. Doctrine also tells us that when we human beings have sexual relations we must be open to new life. Sexual relations are for the purpose of participating in the creation of new life—not for our short-lived personal excitement and pleasure. Do you want to avoid “ANOTHER unwanted child…”? Don’t engage in the physical activity which, by design, creates them. Historian, perhaps you could learn a little from studying history.

bob gallagher:“While there is a possibility that some funding may go for abortion out of this plan-thousands of lives will be improved or saved because of it.” It appears you struggle either with statistics or prudence. You suggest it is worth killing 1.2 million children in the womb because thousands may benefit? This argument does not come close to passing a small test. Then you declare, “Support women with alternatives to abortion, feed the poor, provide diapers, healthcare and shelter for women in crisis.” We have nation-wide organizations in the Catholic which do precisely that—investigate the Gabriel Project. If you are Catholic, you surely must be familiar with the statement, “Do no evil that good may come from it.” God gave you a rational mind…use it for critical thinking…not to be critical.

@Sue (old): You’re entitled to your decision, but I personally cannot bring myself to vote for Romney either.  He’s already said that he doesn’t intend to involve Congress if he pursues the military option on Iran (do we really need another war at this time?  Really?  Especially a pre-emptive war?  Isn’t war also anti-life when it’s unjust, which is most wars?), even though only Congress has the right to declare war according to the Constitution.  And that means that Romney intends to break his oath of office, and he hasn’t even made it!  I believe that to vote for Romney will be leading him into sin, as well as potentially bringing upon us another illegal war that I hardly think we can afford at this time.  Call me defeatist if you will but I don’t like ANY of the Presidential candidates who seem to have a shot at winning, not even Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate.  We can’t compromise with grave evil at this time—voting for the lesser of two evils is going to incrementally give us worse and worse evils.  I can’t say what anyone else will do but I’m not voting at all in the Presidential election this year.  Someone wrong for us is going to win no matter what I do, and I don’t intend to contribute to it.

To Historian,

Wow!  Where to begin?  Your statement:
American female citizens DO HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL/LEGAL RIGHT OVER THEIR OWN BODIES—including, but NOT limited to—practicing BIRTH CONTROL
Of course they do.  Some women really like to pierce and tattoo their bodies.  It is their right to do so, HOWEVER, do not tell ME that I have to pay for it!  Birth control is cheap, and readily available.  They can buy it themselves if they want to.  No one is stopping them.
And then you went on to say:
OBVIOUSLY, THE MISOGYNIST-FEMALE-HATING clerics who make the Church’s policies DON’T want to be confronted concerning their TOTAL VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW CONCERNING ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF—ESPECIALLY, WHEN that NEIGHBOR IS A FEMALE.’
Wow, I can certainly feel the burning hatred in that sentence.  I can’t help but notice how people in the far left are so judgmental of anyone who has a differing opinion, and then scream “tolerance” in the other persons face.  You are categorically WRONG on all counts in the above sentence.

Kathy, you are obviously burying your head in the sand…..... the Roman church, IS, in fact, waging war on American female citizens—trying to take away the constitutional/civil liberties of American female citizens—whether through state and/or federal efforts at trying to get a woman’s rights over her own body declared ‘illegal.’
Since WHEN is a religious institution that OPENLY REFUSES to ordain females into ANY DECISION-MAKING POSITION ‘supportive of women?PLEASE, PLEASE NAME JUST one female-priest/bishop/ cardinal, etc.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN’T….DUH…...
WHY CONTINUE TO DENY THAT CATHOLIC CLERICS ARE, in fact, MISOGYNISTS WHO HATE FEMALES?ESPECIALLY FEMALES WHO do HAVE THE GUTS TO STAND UP AND MAKE A POINT OF WAVING MISOGYNIST HATRED OF AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FEMALES IN THE BIGOTS’ FACES…......

@Michael:“Someone wrong for us is going to win no matter what I do, and I don’t intend to contribute to it.”
Okay: it is your right to vote or not, but if you don’t Obama will get in and in will be much worse. Read his background…he has Marxist ideas, he was mentored by them, and 21 yrs in Wrights Church. It took him that long to decide to leave? At least with Romney, he is a decent person and though I do not like the fact that he also had healthcare in his State, he is better that Obama who is squeaking through all sorts of Socialistic laws. Oh, now I hear on TV it is not a “tax” the way the Supreme Court said, it is a fine, the way the White House says. By the way, by not voting you are contributing to it. Give it more thought.

To Historian,

Please list your proof of the Church “trying to take away civil rights.”
If you mean birth control, since when is it a civil right to make SOMEONE ELSE by your birth control?
If you mean killing babies, what about the civil rights of the girl babies? (Not to mention the boys.)  What about the right to life and the pursuit of happiness?  Do you see any civil rights ripped apart (literally,) for those female babies?

As far as your “outrage” that women are not ordained Priests…you might as well shake your fist at God, and be outraged that Men cannot be mothers.  He made us all with certain natures, and the Priest takes on the nature of Christ.  Jesus was a man.  It’s that simple.

@ Kathy: Right on Kathy:  “Historian” forgets that it is God’s Law that you do not kill babies. If you are following the Catholic Religion, then you do not do it. Period, the end. Remember that baby also belongs to the male who provided the sperm. So it is the men who have no say in the matter as far as lib women are concerned.

TO Kathy, etc.

UNFORTUNATELY for you supporters of male misogynists, AMERICAN WOMEN do HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES what to DO ABOUT CRIMINAL ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FORCED ON THEM BY MALE FEMALE-HATING MISOGYNISTS.
A FEMALE, OBVIOUSLY, is NOT just a so-called ‘incubator’ FOR THE !@#$% OF A MALE MISOGYNIST RAPIST WHO COMMITTED A CRIMINAL ACTION BY RAPING SAID FEMALE AGAINST HER WILL. UNFORTUNATELY FOR you, RAPE IS A CRIMINAL ACTION COMMITTED AGAINST WOMEN. LET ME TELL you AGAIN:  RAPE IS A CRIME.  PERIOD. INCEST IS also A CRIMINAL ACTION COMMITTED AGAINST A WOMAN- BY A MALE RELATIVE. INCEST IS also A CRIMINAL ACTION PERFORMED AGAINST A WOMAN AGAINST HER WILL.
AT LEAST, AMERICAN FEMALE CITIZENS do HAVE THE CIVIL/LEGAL/CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO just say NO! TO THE MISOGYNIST, FEMALE-HATING CLERGY OF THE CHURCH WHO would LIKE TO IMPOSE CATHOLIC SHARIA ON all AMERICAN FEMALE CITIZENS—regardless OF RELIGIOUS/NON-RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS.

Historian,
Rape and incest are terrible, violent crimes.  The perpetrators of these crimes need to be locked away.
However, does killing the innocent child take away the violence of the rape?  No, it adds to the violence, in the shedding of innocent blood.  The baby is not the criminal, and should not have to pay for the crime of the father.

TO L C RICH:

WHETHER OR not YOU happen to like it or NOT:  RAPE IS A CRIMINAL ACTION PERFORMED AGAINST A WOMAN against HER WILL. LET ME REPEAT THAT FOR YOU:  RAPE IS A CRIME.  RAPE IS A CRIMINAL ACTION PERFORMED BY A MALE against THE WILL OF THE FEMALE THAT HE IS ATTACKING IN A CRIMINAL MANNER. INCEST IS also A CRIME.  LET ME REPEAT THAT FOR your BENEFIT:  INCEST IS also A CRIMINAL ACTION BY A MALE PERFORMED against A WOMAN BY A MALE RELATIVE.  FYI, BOTH OF THESE CRIMINAL ACTIONS ARE SEVERELY PUNISHED IN many, if not MOST states —including, BUT not LIMITED TO—INCARCERATION IN PRISON, FINES, ETC—AND WORSE….
MISOGYNIST, FEMALE-HATING CATHOLIC CLERICS WHO demand THAT VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INCEST must BEAR THE RAPIST’S !@#$% NEED TO BE INFORMED THAT legally THEY DO not HAVE A FOOT TO STAND ON….THESE MISOGYNIST, FEMALE-HATING CLERICS SHOULD BE legally FORCED TO ACCEPT THEIR OWN ATTITUDES OF MISOGYNY/HATRED TOWARDS THE VICTIMS OF MALE INSTIGATED CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES.

Wow, I am telling this site to stop sending me updates for this thread.  Why anybody would respond to Historian and his ilk is beyond me.  Absolutely ruining the thread, and that’s his intention.

Kathy,  a woman has the constitutional/civil/LEGAL right to DECIDE FOR HERSELF whether or not to BEAR AN UNWANTED CHILD—especially IF THE WOMAN HERSELF HAS BEEN MOLESTED/RAPED., ETC.
YOU don’t SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT FOR CENTURIES THAT RAPE HAS BEEN USED AS A VIOLENT ACT against THE WOMEN OF THE SO-CALLED ‘ENEMY’ AND/OR THAT women HAVE BEEN THE THE VICTIMS OF BRUTAL/VICIOUS ATTACKS OF ARMIES BENT ON DESTROYING CERTAIN CITIES, COUNTRIES, ETC.
HOW else WOULD you DESCRIBE THE BRUTAL ATTACKS ON FEMALE JOURNALISTS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHO HAVE BEEN CAPTURED AND/OR RAPED AGAINST THEIR WILLS? DO you SUPPORT VIOLENT, MISOGYNIST MALES WHO ATTACK/MOLEST/MAIM INNOCENT CHILDREN/FEMALES?  IF SO, why?
WHY DO you SUPPORT MISOGYNIST, FEMALE-HATING CLERICS WHO insist THAT VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INCEST must CARRY TO TERM THE FETUS OF THEIR RAPISTS?

Romney is certainly not my idea of an ideal candidate, but I would say anyone who says they won’t vote for either Romney or Obama has already given Obama another vote. I don’t think I need to even mention what a horrible choice that would be—it’s become glaringly obvious. No—Romney isn’t ideal, but at least there are some positive signs he’s on a much better road than the current administration.

Unfortunately, despite the absolute fiasco and nightmare the past few years have been, there are still people who either don’t want to see how bad things are, or who are so glued to their Left-wing news(?) sources that they nod right along in agreement, as the news anchors assure us everything in the U.S. is just hunky dory! I just wish the American people would stop listening to the propaganda and take a good hard look at where we’re headed—and the brakes are failing fast, folks, making us all victims—not just a religious group or other sector of society.

Another thing:  I can’t believe the incredible posts here about abortion—with absolutely no mention or sympathy for the defenseless, innocent little one who is killed, or about all the money going towards abortion, or a word about the immense emotional and spiritual pain post-abortive women feel.

  I suggest a poster or two here read Abby Johnson’s book UnPlanned and also visit Live Action’s website.  Both will tell you the truth about the abortion industry, and believe me, you won’t hear any of this from a Left-wing ‘news’ source. Abby is a former abortion clinic manager, I believe, and has completely turned her life around.  Her story should inspire everyone. It certainly opened my eyes!

Hi, Helen!

I can’t believe that you would actually SUPPORT MISOGYNISTS WHO BELIEVE THAT RAPE/INCEST AND/OR OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES AGAINST FEMALES BY MISOGYNIST/FEMALE-HATING RAPISTS ARE, ah, ACCEPTABLE! 
MAYBE you ARE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO SEE A MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT!

To Bibbit,

I do indeed see your point…....I’m all done.

Normally I really enjoy this column but on the health care issue…wow..the idea that the Supreme Court has made everyone an abortionist is no more true than the notion that if you pay taxes you support all wars and executions regarless of your sense of the rightness or wrongness of wars and capital punishment…we need to get a grip…

Members of that organization do not have to be the ones performing in the actual physical destruction of that life, others will do that; but, continued large membership in that “organization” IS THE prerequisite in assuring that those children’s lives will continue to be taken from them.  Therefore, joining such an organization is sinful according to Life IN Christ - Instructions In The Catholic Faith. 

Abortion remains legal only due to the large numbers of registered Democrat voters electing their party candidates who carry out the party policies.
Therefore, such membership in that organization bears major “cooperation in evil” and is a serious sin.

Justice Robert’s ruling puts the responsibility of ending legal abortion back into the hands of Catholics.  All Catholic Democrats have to do is register out of the Democrat Party and become Independents or whatever, and stop voting for the pro-abortion party candidates - all of them.  They will soon get the message and support Supreme Court nominees who would over turn Roe v Wade, or their party will cease to have the power to prevent such justices’ conformation.  That is the only action Catholics need to take to resolve this issue, and I am referring to Catholic Democrats.

Opps, copy and pasting error in my post above.  Here is what it should have been.

No, not all of us are abortionist.  Only Democrats are denying “a fundamental human right,” the right to life.  “It is a sin to join any organization that promotes the denial of a human right,” according to Church teaching.  How serious is the sin?  “One commits sin depending upon how close is one’s cooperation with the sinful act (e.g., performing an abortion).”

The Democrat Party is an “organization,” and they support and “promote” abortion.  The power that organization has to deny unborn human beings their right to life comes from the large numbers of registered voters who have freely “joined” that organization.  Members of that organization do not have to be the ones performing in the actual physical destruction of that life, others will do that; but, continued large membership in that “organization” IS THE prerequisite in assuring that those children’s lives will continue to be taken from them.  Therefore, joining such an organization is sinful according to Life IN Christ - Instructions In The Catholic Faith. 

Abortion remains legal only due to the large numbers of registered Democrat voters electing their party candidates who carry out the party policies.
Therefore, such membership in that organization bears major “cooperation in evil” and is a serious sin.

Justice Robert’s ruling puts the responsibility of ending legal abortion back into the hands of Catholics.  All Catholic Democrats have to do is register out of the Democrat Party and become Independents or whatever, and stop voting for the pro-abortion party candidates - all of them.  They will soon get the message and support Supreme Court nominees who would over turn Roe v Wade, or their party will cease to have the power to prevent such justices’ conformation.  That is the only action Catholics need to take to resolve this issue, and I am referring to Catholic Democrats.

I agree, Bibbit and Kathy l6670!

Great Article. Can it be any more clear to people that elections have consequences? We have an election this November where we can get it right. Let’s vote out Obama and the Marxist Democrat Party.

@Vance: Agree, wonder if anyone has thought of this: We have four Justices between 78 & 81.  The next President will surely choose at least one. Some people don’t want to pick “the lesser of two evils” and not vote. ...A lot more depends on whether we vote or not.

MAY ALL BABIES SAVED FROM ABORTION GROW UP TO BE HOMOSEXUAL ATHEIST LIBERALS! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

Gloria - all life is precious and a gift from God. God also gives us free will. What each individual choses is their own doing. My prayers for the unborn are not conditional. I’m a little confused by your last statement as most modern-day “liberals” in power tend to be statists. That conflicts with advocating power to the people. It may be more appropriate for you to say, “power to the state!”