The USCCB needs to lose their tax exempt status if they are going to continue to meddle in politics.  Most Catholics with any brains know that the USCCB is in Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s pocket because like Romney/Ryan most of the bishops and clergy don’t give a tinkers damn about the “47%”. I’ve seen many bishops and members of the clergy gravitate towards their wealthy parishioners and turn their backs on those in their parishes who are less fortunate.  At least Joe Biden tells it like its.

so if i understand this correctly, and i believe i do, then these organizations are able to deny their employees these services that would be covered by any other employer - effectively using their claim to be free to practice their religion as a guise for discrimination against those who do not share their faith, even though they are employees of the organization.

got it.

It’s a shame Ryan didn’t better take Biden to task on this “blatant inaccuracy”.  Most people will not hear of the bishops’ rebuttal.  (Such is the disinformation the Church is so subjected to in the media.)

I hope Dr. Stephen Schneck, board member of Democrats for Life and director of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at Catholic University of America on the pro-life voices in today’s Democratic Party hears his archdiocese’s shepherd’s voice loud and clear.  You can’t be a Democrat and be pro-life - your party isn’t pro-life, and without a pro-life party culture you have no positive social agenda PERIOD.

CeCi… It amazes me that you even took the time to write that nonsense.  There is no way to even respond to your statement it is so misinformed and irresponsible. 

Taking out a full-page ad in the Washington Post and New York Times would be a good move for the Bishops.  I am glad our Bishops are standing up for the Faith.  In short, the Obama Administration is mandating that the Catholic Church abort, restrict the reproduction of, and sterilize Jews, Hispanics, Muslims, and Catholics.  Since Hitler, there is nothing more heinous than this. 

Joe Biden and the librals are out of touch with the middle class and the believing abortion is between a woman and her doctor.There are other people in vovled like boy friends, husbands, and parents.

CeCi,
The Catholics you refer to may have brains but don’t know their faith. And do some research as to who has been taking care of the poor for, oh, the last two thousand years or so.

@martin
So your argument is that EVERYONE should be forced to support what ANYONE might give as a benefit?
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So if I offer one slave and two virgins to my employees then you should be forced to offer the same even though you are morally opposed to slavery and the ownership of women/men?
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How about baby seal fur coats? Veal? The mounted heads of aborted children?
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Oh that is just being ridiculous? Abortion is the murder of defenseless children and the democratic party demands that I fund that atrocity. 
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Yes, individuals should be free to follow their own conscience and govt should NEVER be allowed to dictate what business offers to other people.  Anything else is immoral and violates the 1st amendment.
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Govt should stick to protecting the rights we have today - like the right to life, not making up new rights that are a direct attack on Catholics.

The bishops are too docile.
Biden is a liar. What he said was a LIE not an inaccuracy.
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Over half of Catholics in this country plan to vote for a party that attacks the Catholic church, and fights for abortion - abortion at any time at any cost.
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Our Cardinal goes to their convention, where the central theme was the glorification of Sandra Fluke, the poster child for their Anti-Catholic attacks and all he can do is make a humble prayer.
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The bishop’s job is to lead the flock and I see a flock run astray.
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Finally I pray for and love our church and our bishops and I realize that changing these things is my responsibility as well, not just the bishops, but I do wish they would be more forceful and direct.
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I do not believe that you can be a Catholic and vote democrat. 

@CeCi
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I have a simpler proposal. The officials in Washington need to resign if they are going to meddle in religion. They are violating their oath to uphold the constitution.
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Joe Biden is a buffoon and has proven he will say anything to lead people astray.
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The priests I see who spend time with the “rich” in the parish are doing it because these “so called rich” are actually the ones who GIVE to the parish and the poor.  I worked on our last building drive and I can tell you those people were not the richest, but they, less than 5%, committed to cover 50% of the cost of a new church. It is the same for the food drives and clothes drives.
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I can almost guarantee there is a person much poorer than you giving twice what you do to feed others. It is quite humbling.
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Finally, the bishops are beginning to move away from the Democratic party because that party is openly Anti-Life and hostile to religion.  If you care about the poor, give to charity.  Christ did not ask us to solve world hunger, he asked us to feed, cloth and comfort those in need.  Voting to give the poor other people’s money does not meet Christ’s demand.

A word for CeCi - Eighty three years ago all Christian churches were pro-life and defended it.  Forty years ago, many were pro-life and defended it.  It was and is a social doctrine and nothing’s changed in the Catholic Church specifically and other Christian churches as well.
Now defending life is political….who changed?

Joe Biden is a Catholic HERETIC and SCHISMATIC by definition in the CCC #2089.
He has not even been permitted by his Diocese Bishop to speak in Catholic Schools.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2068653/posts
If Biden was honest in public it would not be necessary to correct him.
For a search site for the CCC; - Voters Guide for Serious Catholics; - Where the Candidates stand on key issues; - a Comparison of the Democratic and Republican Platforms; - and the short video “Test of Fire” - go to: http://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com
or search ” What Catholics REALLY Believe SOURCE “, and pass the site on to others. (See answer for #13).

Jonathan, you took the words right out of my mount!

Castillo, you have it backwards.
The Obama Administration is medling in religion.  Obama is also violating his Oath of Office to uphold the US Constitution.
Bill of Rights, Amendment 1 “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, etc”.
Obama wants to force Catholics to violate their religious beliefs, and pay for your abortafacient drugs and your contraceptives.  Pay for them yourself.

Further Martin and Castillo in the USA no one is forced to work for a Catholic employer.
If they don’t like it they can always go elsewhere to work.
Faithful Catholics won’t mind if Catholic heretics and schismatics work elsewhere.  In fact we can help show them the door, if they so desire.

CeCi trolling again, sad.

“so if i understand this correctly, and i believe i do, then these organizations are able to deny their employees these services that would be covered by any other employer - effectively using their claim to be free to practice their religion as a guise for discrimination against those who do not share their faith, even though they are employees of the organization.” got it”

So, if I understand this correctly, and I know I do, you are professing that people of faith pay for abortion and contraception—to assist them in the bedoom. The very same government that you want to keep out of peoples bedroom. Got it..

Sadly, but expectedly the bishops reply as such.  However, the insurance companies have deemed that it is less expensive to pay for contraception than it is to pay for birth.  As such the insurance companies have taken it to themselves the burden of contraceptive expense. Throughout, the bishops have been disingenuous in this regard. e.g. if an insurance premium happened to be $50 monthly, with the mandate for contraception it would continue to be $50.
There is no anti-religious freedom in the HHS mandate, rather there is religious intolerance in the bishops position. As Biden clearly states this country is diverse and pluralistic.  Whose opinion prevails, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim…fortunately none of them with separation of church and state.  That the Catholic Church enters the secular domain with its charities, hospitals, housing, it must respect and oblige the civil rights of all;  not cherry pick its way as it interferes with the civil rights of the citizens in its employ.

Joe Biden knowingly lied because both the ‘media’ and ‘church’  through the thousands of Catholc pastors throughout our country,  will not attempt to balance with the truth.  How many Catholic church’s even fail to have 501-C approved literature available in the vestibule or a bulletin insert;  outlining the grave differences between Obama and Rommney?  (see Priests for Life website for sample of truth seeking citizenship )

I am amazed that Freedom OF Religion has been so ingrained as Freedom FROM Religion. In this case several of the above post object that people are discriminated against because a Christian employer is exercising his right of Freedom of Religion.
Let’s get this straight. Freedom OF Religion does not mean Freedom FROM Religion. If you do not like your employers beliefs, go find another job. If you do not like someone’s expression of their Freedom OF Religion, remove yourself until they are through practicing THEIR freedom. You were not guaranteed Freedom FROM Religion.

Martin When people accept jobs at Catholic institutions,  they know what the insurance covers.  They can decline the job and find a job at another institution thta covers abortion, sterilization and birth control (IUDs potentially lead to a monthly abortion of an embryo).  Religious freedom is a right that needs to be protected on moral grounds but also its erosion leads to the loss of other rights.

CeCi

You miss the whole point.  We have a right to religious freedom.  The bishops, Catholics, Christians and all people of faith should be speaking out to protect this right that is guaranteed through the Bill of Rights to our Constitution.  The Catholic church does tremendous charitable work in our country and the world. Loss of this support would have far reaching impacts on the poor, starving and homeless.

CeCi

Should have read Jonathan’s comment before entering my own. He is right about your comment being nonsense.

God gives everyone everywhere free choice. In the human condition there are consequences for every choice, good, bad or indifferent. Still God remains faithful and steadfast to free choice. Here we have Bishops decideing to eliminate free choice of what people can ask for in their PERSONAL health insurance! And then we hear nothing about an oportunity to finally help POOR people to get health insurance. It would appear that the bishops think they are holier, wiser and smarter then God and not a great fan of Jesus.

I suggest that anyone with a comment first go online and watch silent scream or any other videos about abortion and then tell us how you really feel about infanticide! Say the truth MURDER, MURDER, because the truth will set you free.

The disinformation people were obviously ready to pounce on this article as soon as it was posted. According to the first commentator, the bishops have no right to set the record straight on the Vice President’s deliberate lie about the HHS mandate. Defend the truth and you should have your tax-exempt status taken away.

What I find so interesting is that those who posted their criticisms and threats did so with an expectation there would be a response from the bishops, so they must also have known a lie would be told to mislead Catholic voters.

Anyone who has followed politics for any length of time knows quite well that the bishops as a group have always leaned toward the Democrat Party, so the accusation that their defense of this blatant attack on religious liberty is due to some pro-Republican bias is designed to shut them up. It reminds me quite a lot of the tactics used when Susan Komen Foundation decided to stop its grants to Planned Parenthood and was rewarded by its former beneficiary with threats and extortion.

Please stand up for the truth, dear Shepherds, and let not the tactics of the enemy cause you discouragement. You owe your allegiance to God alone and not to any earthly power.

Why does this suprise anyone? That’s what democrats do…..they lie. Just look at the first two comments to this article.

Is it OK for Catholic Paul Ryan to now support abortion in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. That is going directly against the teachings of the Catholic Church.  We all know Biden is a hypocrite, but I want to feel good about supporting a REAL pro-life candidate.  What is the Church’s position on this?  Thanks.

CeCi - you must work for Obama….Your comment is as anti-Catholic as that administration is.  Linda - I agree - what a fantastic idea.  A letter in all Catholic church bulletins would be another idea.  If I (which I absolutely do not) wanted contraception or abortion (God help us), why would I work for a company that does not provide it?  Let those employees move to another secular company and open up those jobs for Catholics who want to follow the faith as Jesus intended it.  I will follow Jesus, not this culture of death.  Jesus came to us in our Blessed Mother’s womb…does anyone see the correlation with babies in the womb today?

Martin—Organizations that are opposed to covering contraception are not practicing “discrimination” against employees who would want the coverage. All employees of these organizations are given the same scope of coverage and non-coverage, and all are free to seek employment elsewhere (i.e., at the 95%+ of organizations that do not share this objection) if they so wish. If the government wants to be certain that everyone who wants contraception can get it for free, it must fund the coverage on its own. It has no right to force private organizations and the people who work for them to violate their consciences by financially supporting its availability.

Whoa there USCCB, HOW ABOUT TWO SO CALLED CATHOLICS WITH OVER 20 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING STATING THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW WHEN LIFE BEGINS STILL CAN MAKE EXCEPTIONS IN ORDER TO MURDER?  THAT IS A MILLION TIMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT DAMN MANDATE!!!!

I am totally flabbergasted at some of the preceding comments. This is a very simple issue, Vice President Joe Biden deliberately spread the false information that the believers in the Catholic religion could maintain the tenets of their religion without government interference. He even emphasized that this was a “fact”. It is not. See the USCCB position, which is “NOT” a political position but a religious one.
Thank you.

I shall tackle CeCi. The US Catholic Church’s agenda is the Gospel and is neither GOP nor Democrat nor Independent. It transcends every ideology, politics and party in every nation, not just in the USA. Historically, the Church was more comfortable with the Democratic Party as the GOP was more favourable to the wealthy and the new immigrants to the USA were welcomed and more at home with the Dems. But all that changed, topics such as war, weapons instead of development, infrastructure, welcoming immigrants, fairness in public assistance, opposition to the death penalty,  drop long prison sentences, stop adding more prisons instead of College and university foreign aid that promotes clean water, air and food production. Add NOT using tax money to kill unborn children in the USA and overseas (Mexico City protocol, vetoed by Obama) and Government trying to change the Natural Law by twisting the meaning of marriage and ignoring the rights of unborn babies is right now a most prominent concern, as are insurance programmes that are a threat to the vulnerable elderly,  but by no means its only subject. Check with Jesus and His Beatitudes MT 5-7 and LUKE 4-6, and MT 25- You did not do it to me-food, clothes, sick, prisons- go to hell. You did, come in and relax for all eternity.

Paul Ryan let a missed opportunity go by when he didn’t fire back at Biden’s bold face lie.  CeCi, It appears that you forgot that we have a “Constitution” with a “1st Amendment”.  Obviously you are against Free Speech and the Free Exercise of Religion.  Much to your delight, your Marxist-in-Chief has done a great job shredding that great document called, “The Constitution”.

I have seen several letters written by Bishops condenming the HHS mandate.  I have also seen some of these same Bishops appoint President Obama supporters to educate the people in their dioceses who is the best candidate.  This is really sending mix signals to the laity.

Let me get this straight ... the USCCB has published a statement that says Biden mis-spoke!  Where?  So now they are off the hook, how convenient.  How many people will hear of or read their statement?  How many Catholics have already got the wrong message from Biden’s statement?  WHEN is the USCCB going to stand up for their religion and pin the ears back on the Bidens, Kennedys, Kerrys, Pelosies et al of the world when they go against her teachings?  Silence is approval.  My Church used to stand for something, and she was respected for her stance.  We didn’t have to explain to anyone why we did or did not do specific things.  Now many of us have no idea what is and is not sin.  Still waters run deep.

@ martin

There’s a difference between a negative aspect of a job and discrimination. If a position at a Catholic hospital paid $2000 less than an equivalent job at a secular hospital, that’s not discrimination: that’s a negative aspect of the job that you know up front and that factors into your decision to accept or reject employment there. The same goes for contraception: if you want your contraception covered in your health plan, just work for somebody else.

Ceci, the Catholic Church and its bishops still have the free exercise of religion, which includes correcting Catholic pols when they misrepresent current events affecting the Church.

The USCCB in the back pocket of Romney? Not accurate. They challenge the policies of both candidates, from homosexual marriage to the death penalty. Church teaching is neither liberal nor conservative in the end- it’s based on TRUTH.

I’ve seen the same thing with some priests gravitating towards the rich, but they are the exception. Look at our great saints- Mother Teresa, St. Vincent de Paul, John Paul II and Mother Angelica, and you’ll see those who provide for the poor.

BTW, providing for the poor isn’t always in the form of a welfare check that promotes dependency.  Providing for the poor is also done by bringing JOBS. 

I support the Bishop’s unified effort to combat this obvious attempt by my government to replace God in the life of it’s citizens. The blatant attack on the Church and it’s deceptive attempt to characterize it as a moral benefit to the citizens it overpowers is disgraceful. It is social engineering almost at it’s worst, supported by those who have no idea what freedom means.

Those who think faith and recognition of God and the practice of morality are suppose to be completely separated from our government should refer back to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the bill of rights, our social history and the historic use of our government building known as the “capitol building” to start with. The rights of the people are protected from having government dictate the practice of one religious system of beliefs against all others. This is the true reference to the separation of Church and State before it was so profoundly distorted. Ignorance calls for the removal of God and morality from our government and from public expression. prior to the last 30 years, this country flourished upon that moral and God acknowledging mindset. Look at our history and the social foundation of our country. It is todays abandonment of God and moral practice that has led us into this twisted prideful greedy self-indulging crisis with our country now on the verge of collapse we see ourselves in today. Yes, this country was founded and flourished upon the moral and religious recognition of God and it is for this abandonment we will in fact collapse if we do not return to the principles that the founded the United States of America. By the way; the Capital building was used to present Sunday Christian services before we had separate Churches available. Those who reject others the rights to publicly express their faith and want God removed from Government do not realize this is the foundation of our country that enables them to express their rejection of God without being persecuted or beheaded as in other countries. They should be thanking God for Christian tolerance.

Let’s face it, CeCi is not alone. Those comments are shared by many, perhaps even a majority, in our neo-pagan society. The Church should be preparing the flock for possible persecution. If the HHS mandate stands, then we had better be ready to go to jail for our faith.

Vp Biden is not unlike many so called"Catholics"here in the north west. They go to church but do not believe catholic teaching. I call them traitors to our faith. It is absolutely impossible to be a sincere catholic of faith and vote the democratic ticket at this time in history.

CeCi,
Exactly how does refusing to pay for and/or provide contraceptives and abortifacients make one “in the pocket” of anyone? The Church has always, and will always, Teach that that such are immoral.

This is not about free contraceptives, that is seen as a wedge issue to divide.  This is about the government having a “totality” of control over health care. Totality as in a soft “totalitarianism”. And this is really about abortion. What Obama and his kind want is for abortion to be a part of “health” care. Present your government health card for a free abortion. There is a lot of money for PP to be made here, especially for late term abortions.

I’m a bit outraged at Ceci’s comments.  I would say there is not way Ceci is Catholic but unfortunately he/she very well could be.  How anyone could approve of Biden’s rediculous behavior not to mention his embarrassing admitance / assertion that his Catholic faith defines him is beyond me.  And why does “faith’ have anything to do with killing the innocent?  Have mercy on our country Lord.

Why don’t they just flat out say he is lying?

Yes I am very glad our bishops stood up against Vice President Biden on the HHS Mandate, but what I can’t understand is why they don’t excommunicate him publicly. It is a scandal to have a Catholic man in that high a position say he agrees with his Church on abortion but he doesn’t want to impose his personal views on other people. He actually influenced the thinking of a number of weak minded pro-lifers. I heard them on the radio later. The Church needs to make clear that Joe Biden is not a Catholic. He is a relativist. I don’t want to impose my view on you. Go ahead murder me, rob from me, take my wife and children. I don’t care. I don’t want to impose my viewpoint on you. 53 American lives have been stolen from them in the last 30 years thanks to us not imposing our viewpoint on other people. This means no weddings, no hugs, no first car, no first date, these American were robbed of their lives. And the American Catholic Bishops can’t say anything about Mr.  Joe “so-Catholic” Biden’s cowardliness. God bless America, and please forgive us. Susan Fox http://christsfaithfulwitness.blogspot.com

This is to martin, who said:  “
so if i understand this correctly, and i believe i do, then these organizations are able to deny their employees these services that would be covered by any other employer   “

Yes, that is the point. Not because they are discriminating against those who do not share their faith,  but because it is their deep belief that these actions are morally wrong that they are against life and not a benefit to life.  Why would anyone fund something they believed to be intrinsicaly wrong, even if others disagree.  Those employees who chose to work for Catholic institutions are already aware of this so if it is an issue I would wonder why they didn’t look elsewhere for employment.  The Church today is under fire due to some terribly evil actions on the part of it’s members.  This issue shouldn’t be looked at as something bad.  It is exceptionally good. Beside trying to protect the unborn the church is considering the spiritual welfare of the adults involved in what they consider immoral actions. The Church has some issues to resolve, but martin, I don’t think this is one of them.

Where’s Biden’s bishop???!!!
Nevermind this group mentality. His shepherd should be shepherding!

Archbishop Lori succinctly hits the nail on the head with his comments, so typical of his manifest intellectual abilities through the years since being a curate in the Washington Archdiocese.  What comes through equally clearly is his love of the Church. How blessed we are to have his leadership!  I was fortunate to be able to attend his installation as the Archbishop of Baltimore.  EWTN please take notice of this new archbishop.

Mr Biden lied through his false teeth on the Mandate; and then this old stale ritual of “imposing one’s views on others”; disgusting!

I am astonished that the Bishops have issued this “unsigned” statement. I agree with the previous statement: The USCCB needs to lose their tax exempt status if they are going to continue to meddle in politics.  Most Catholics with any brains know that the USCCB is in Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s pocket because like Romney/Ryan most of the bishops and clergy don’t give a tinkers damn about the “47%”. I’ve seen many bishops and members of the clergy gravitate towards their wealthy parishioners and turn their backs on those in their parishes who are less fortunate.  At least Joe Biden tells it like its.

Seems to me that Biden’s statement was dictated by the Father of Lies (Satan, not Obama, although there are similarities).  It’s not for the laity to say who should be excommunicated, or for what acts.  I will say that I’ve always believed formal excommunication, properly applied, merely recognizes the fact that the one excommunicated has already separated himself from the Church in some significant way.  I think anyone capable of reading these blogs (even a bishop) can figure out where that leads for pro-abortion, nominally Catholic politicians!

Divide and conquer is President Obama’s specialty. The Catholic Church has pounded Social Justice into the conscientiousness of Catholics to the extent, they buy into Obama’s doctrine. They deserve what they get.

The real shame is that the USCCB doesn’t take their job of teaching, governing and sanctifying seriously.  They should have instructed Americans point by point what was fallacious in Biden’s and Ryan’s statements regarding abortion. They didn’t even have the courage to call out Biden by name or sign their name to the unsigned statement that they issued. Cardinal Dolan, step up to the plate!  Are the successors to the apostles going to allow Catholics to believe that Ryan has a prolife view when he believes abortion is permissible in the cases of rape, incest and life of the mother??? Abortion is wrong in all cases because it is an intrinsic evil.  Is slavery wrong only in certain states?  Certainly not!  WHERE ARE THE BISHOPS???  They have lost their credibility because they lack fortitude! Except for Bishop Paprocki. Thank God for one good and holy bishop that has a spine!

Joe Biden lied about the HHS mandate.  The USCCB does need to lose their tax exempt status so they can preach the Truth.  Catholics with any brains and a conscience are naturally gravitating towards Romney / Ryan.  Catholics cannot vote for anyone who supports murdering children.

CeCi Castillo, and Jesus Christ must be crucified all over again for Divinely declaring Human Life is God-Given and He is the Author of Life and only He has the right to take life away and no one has a right whatsoever to interfere with the Sacrament of Matrimony, the Family and the right of Parents to bring up their children as His Agents. Obama has no right to force mass genocide of the unborn, destroy the Reproductive God-given Gifts to women to be mothers by sterilizing girls as young as 14 years

How messed up is our language that no one uses the words lie or liar unless someone is actually telling the truth and they don’t like it.  You see it in the media all the time and now in the Bishops press releases.  How many degrees of less thant accurate are we to learn?  3, 4 or perhaps everyone will start using a color code but will never use red. Nope red can’t be used because we know its “code” for “pants on fire”.  VP Biden lied with tongue of a serpent ad does our president and far too many in the media.  Pontious Pilot asked “What is truth?”  That should give us a hint.

CeCi… You don’t CeCi so well… because it appears that your head is in
another place than on your shoulders…

Seemingly most people have missed the fact that the Romney/Ryan position on abortion is not aligned with Catholic Doctrine.  Ryan clearly lays this out during the recent debate in that they make an exception in instances of rape and incest. Please, Please people wake up and listen clearly. Both candidates views are not aligned with our faith.

While I too have witnessed a few parish priests “gravitate towards the wealthy”, I have also witnessed first hand the local good that the church has done (in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and so on).  That said, I don’t think a vengeful attitude towards the bishops as noted by the previous comment is in order.  Clearly, Catholics should not be forced to support practices they consider immoral much less pay for them; and they are well within their right to confront their government on it’s own (judicial) terms.

How convenient that the Bishops are overlooking the sudden turn-about by Paul Ryan, who for many years proclaimed at great length how his philosophy was formed by the influence of Ayn Rand. He claimed even last year as he released his budget that “Atlas Shrugged” so inspired him that it was required reading for his interns.
I read “Atlas Shrugged” in the late 1950s, about the time that the “National Review” published a devastating review of the book. I agreed with William F. Buckley when he would later say “I had to flog myself to read it”.
The final paragraph of “Atlas Shrugged” is a summation of the book and of Rand’s philosophy. The book ends as Galt and his minions emerge from the “Gulch” and return to the world they have brought to its knees:
“‘The road is cleared,’ said Galt. ‘We are going back to the world.’
He raised his hand and over the desolate earth he traced in space the sign of the dollar.”
Rand has replaced the “Sign of the Cross” with the “Sign of the Dollar”.
If Paul Ryan was incapable of seeing this when he spoke with such admiration of Rand, and if he now suddenly has discovered that Rand’s version of Capitalism is antithetical to his religion, what kind of intellectual and moral leadership can we expect to see coming from him?

Joseph Curtin,  to say that Paul Ryan bows to Ayn Rand and to try to scare people that he’s replaced Catholic thought with her atheistic drivel is ridiculous.

Paul Ryan is part of the JPII generation, as am I. We will not betray Catholic teaching like many in the so-called “Greatest Generation” did, who might have helped to win WWII, but couldn’t come home and pass on the faith to their children.

Faith and reason are compatible, and we will not drop one at the expense of the other.

My pastor stands ready to shut down our Catholic School next year if necessary because of these mandates. We have a huge Church, huge Church. I went to one of the daily Masses with the kids, and there was no room for the adults, it was just a sea of red sweaters. I was so impressed by these children. They were incredibly well-behaved, and handled all the liturgical actions themselves. This from a home-schooling mother who pulled her son out of Catholic school in another diocese because they weren’t teaching the faith. Believe me if we get stuck with these mandates, it’s going to be awful.

Re: Abortion in the case of rape, etc. No the church doesn’t go along with that, and I don’t think Paul Ryan does either. I think he used the language that the Romney-Ryan ticket supported it. I suppose he believes it’s the best he can do given the state of this country. Rick Santorum/Michelle Bachman would have been better Republican candidates from the pro-life perspective. I sent them a lot of money. But they got knocked out of the race.
Re: voting. Don’t be afraid of voting for the Romney Ryan ticket because of this statement. Read Pope John Paul II’s The Gospel of Life. Incredible document. He said clearly, when it comes to voting take the lesser of two evils. Although the Romney Ryan position is not perfect from a Catholic perspective, it is a lot, lot better than all the Catholic hospitals and schools, and a soup kitchens being shut down because of the HHS mandates. Once that happens, they can bring in forced euthanasia, and there will be no place for poor people to go to avoid execution. That is the design of all this. Make it impossible for the poor to continue to live— just don’t pay for their health care. Rich can afford health care privately, poor can’t.  I have two friends that just died of cancer. One had insurance. She had to stay at home and die rather painfully because her family thought the insurance company wouldn’t pay for hospice.  The other was not even American, she was Filipino, not a citizen. She didn’t have insurance. She got the best health care, 100s of thousands of dollars paid, weeks free in the best hospital in Phoenix trying to save her from ovarian cancer, which is almost always a death sentence. And she died. No cost to the family. I know that the other people who use that hospital had to pay her bill, but given that the poor and non-citizens do get health care now, why change the system? If Obama Care goes through, these poor people won’t get health care. Death panels in Washington D.C. will say, oh, you can have $10 for that procedure but no more, and the doctor/hospital will say to the patient, “Go home and die. I can’t afford to help you.” And if there are no Catholic hospitals, your goose is cooked. In Oregon, where they have legal euthanasia, that’s what’s happening. Poor woman needed medicine cost $4,000 a month, and she was on the state insurance system. The medicine would have cured her disease, but the state of Oregon offered her pills that would end her life instead of medicine to cure her disease. That’s what we face if Barach Obama is reelected. Romney Ryan may not be perfect but it is the lesser of two evils, with the other ticket spelled “Evil” with a capital “E.” I really am discouraged when I see all these liberals claim they care about the poor when they clearly don’t. Joe Biden himself gave less to charity last year than I did, and I certainly don’t make as much as he does.  I know really, really poor people, and they really suffer from having to go to the government for health care, food stamps and everything else. They’d much rather have a job.
Re: abortion to save the life of the mother. Don’t think the Church is cold hearted and wants mothers to die. If you are pregnant, and found with cancer, you are free to have your cancer treated, and if it causes the death of the child indirectly, the Church will allow that. But many mothers heroically chose the life of their child over themselves, “Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friend.” Look at St. Gianna Molla, Catholic pediatrician, in the 1960s, who found herself in that situation, would not have an abortion, refused treatment for cancer and died a few days after her daughter’s birth. But the church will allow a pregnant woman to get treatment for cancer even if it indirectly causes the death of the child. The key is “Indirectly.” Abortion is not necessary when you have cancer. It actually harms the health of a woman. And it isn’t necessary to cure rape or incest either as on top of the suffering of the rape, the poor girl must suffer the lifetime guilt of having allowed the murder of her child. The child didn’t rape the mother, and shouldn’t be executed for the father’s crime. God bless you.

Sorry Ceci, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Sebelius and others aggressively promote their anti-life agendas, here and in other countries and it is up to the Bishops to stand against them, it’s up to us all. You can talk all you want about helping the poor but if you’re not permitted to live, if you are, in fact, killed in the womb of your mother, no benefits will be coming to you. And Obama supports killing the baby up to and including the ninth month of gestation where the baby is partially delivered and his little skull is crushed and then his brains are sucked out. Obama was the only Senator who voted against the born alive infant act which mandated that a baby who survived an abortion must be comforted and cared for…I was a Democrat all my life and I know well that there are good and noble men and women in both parties…so I am an Independent and will vote for that good man or woman - but I will never, ever vote for someone who stands for the extermination of human babies by the million…

What is your primary allegiance - to Christ and His Church or the Democratic Or Republican party? Are you capable to say “I will not leave my party but I will bring the Christ in who is the Light?” by not voting for representative who is openly fighting with the Church you are not turning away from your party - you are bringing light to it!

Christ has said “I will build my Church.” If you are not with Him then you are against Him. I will repeat after Him: “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Be honest! If you do not believe this is the Church Christ builds - leave! In the place where there is weeping and grinding teeth you can keep attacking Her. It may be beneficial for you when you suffer out there, and you realize that there is nothing there.

I understand that the Bishops did not mention Biden’s name…just that the statement was incorrect. I hope they remedy that omission…Biden is aggressively anti-life and this ‘personally I’m against it but…’ is a coverup for a coward.  Would Biden stand for pedophilia or slavery if they were to be made legal? Would he be against incest personally but aggressively promote that disgusting practice?  He is not a Catholic, nor is Pelosi, nor is Sebellius or any of the other ‘Catholic’ politicians who rabidly promote the extermination of unborn human babies…this is the genocide of generations of humans and it’s time the Bishops stood up and declared that those who not only accept this but promote it aggressively here and abroad are not Catholics and should not be receiving Holy Communion. This could be a catalyst for conversion; not to do it is to affirm them in their sin - their public sin. And meanwhile, millions of human babies continue to be slaughtered in the wombs of their mothers…

The 1st Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

 
Pope Benedict XVI “The spirit of our age is profoundly secular and secularism accepts religion - if it accepts it at all - only on its own terms. Under this view, religion is subordinated to the political interests of the secular state and it is precisely this subordination of religion to the state that the First Amendment seeks to prevent.”

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput,Philadelphia “While Americans presume that the Constitution guarantees their rights, in practice our rights survive or disappear based on how firmly we defend them.”

Why do Catholics protect child molesting Priests?  Bishops just move those molesters to your neighborhoods. They lie and cover up, and then more children are abused. Come on get real.  If you don’t want to use that coverage don’t. How many of you have used condoms, contraceptives, any other type of birth control, or were a virgin when married, or divorced, etc.? The list goes on.

It is simple, many people cling to the Democratic party for the reason that underlies all the abortions, contraceptions, and sterilizations that is population control.  Surely they don’t think we believe they do it for women’s health, since when is being pregnant a disease. If they really cared about women they would place motherhood as the ultimate in womenhood. They hate women, or at least the fact that they can give birth.  Pro-Lfe is in fact Pro-women.

There is one critical point missing from the USCCBs rebuttal - they NEVER identify WHO made the false claim that Catholic hospitals, charities, etc. are not subjected to the HHS mandate. In their statement released Oct. 12 they merely say that “the following statement was made” and then go on to refute in. The staff of the USCCB can’t bring themselves to have Obama/Biden unelected. They are keeping in line with their announcement from a few weeks ago that no churches can distribute voter guides that actually identify the politicians positions. What use is that!??! Until the USCCB realizes they cannot serve two masters, the Catholic church in America will remain in it’s current state of confusion on moral issues.  Sorry, I’m struggling to have a charitable view toward American church leadership at this point.

Many here have tried to made something about an unsigned statement. Any press release coming out of the USCCB is a statement from the bishops as a group. Let me remind you that the bishops are unanimous on the HHS issue. The Democratic and Republican platforms are clear on their position on the issue of abortion. As voters we will always, and have always, picked the lesser of evils as compared to our faith. Nitpicking by anti-Catholic voters is a sport but should not be one by unified Catholics. Joe Biden’s fake morality and fake sincerity has kept him in politics for decades thru the patronage of his party and his shallow supporters. The bishops do not need to point out his depraved personal character, it is obvious. Next step is to the confessional.

I think that Mr Biden thinks he IS Catholic, but like most of the people - not only Catholics - misunderstands what faith is.
I heard about a woman who said that, as doctor, she hangs her faith on the door knob, and leaves it outside of her office not to conflict it with other people opinions.
She simply does not think what she talks about. Period. It is like telling that when I enter a bar, I leave my faith for my wife outside, so it does not conflict with other women I meet there. It simply shows that I wasn’t faithful to my wife at all. That doctor does not hang her faith on the door knob. She has nothing to hang there. So Mr Biden, who does not have faith, and who mistakenly interprets “belief” as “faith”. Satan also believes in God. He actually knows Him. It does not make Him a Catholic. His unfaithfulness leaves Him a fallen angel - For eternity.

Dear Dee,
It isn’t a matter of not using contraceptives, it’s a matter of not wanting to pay for somebody’s else’s contraceptives. If you want to use contraceptives, grow up and buy them for your self. I understand they are cheap.
As to virgins, yes, my husband and I were both virgins when we married 28 years ago and have never used contraception. He was 26 years old and I was 29 years old. Although, he says he was an accidental virgin. I was a deliberate one. But regardless if some poor Catholic didn’t do this in their lives, if they went to confession, then God bless them. God certainly has “forgotten” anything they confessed.
Re: Child molesting priests. I apologize for their behavior and the Catholic bishops who allowed this behavior to continue. We are all hypocrites in the Catholic Church, Dee, but there’s room for a lot more hypocrites. You are welcome to join us. The only One perfect in the Catholic Church is Jesus Christ our founder.

The President and this administration is deliberately chastizing our freedom of religion.  They know exactly what they are doing.  We are losing our freedoms little by little.  I, as a Catholic, am glad that the Catholic church has taken a stand on this issue.  It is remarkable that this regime will bend over backwards for the Islamists by coddling them while they have infringed upon the Catholic religion stance.  Joe Biden is a Catholic in name only and speaks with forked tongue.  We must continue to fight Obama on this issue.

This Sunday a pamphlet entitled “Religious Liberty and Catholics” published by Our Sunday Visitor was available in the narthex explaining the position of the bishops of the United States on religious liberty in health care. A number of grievances are identified and a number of Catholic resources - books and pamphlets and websites - are cited explaining Catholic teachings. No references, however, are provided i.e., the actual legislation, government publications, or a link to the Department of Human Services (DHS) website. I think we Catholics can do better to inform ourselves.

P.S. to Dee,
Natural Family Planning is free. No money. No doctor. No expensive teacher, just couple to couple explanations. I lobbied the UN a few times for the pro-life cause, and I met the delegate from Jordan, who complained to me that under President Bush, the United States was no longer sending millions of dollars to Jordan to pay for their contraception! In the first place, why would the people of Jordan want the people of the United States to limit their family sizes? But I explained to him that Natural Family Planning was free, didn’t require a doctor, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta developed a system of explaining it to poor (uneducated) people. He was very surprised that it worked. But Larry and I used it our whole married life, and we could attest that it actually was more effective than artificial contraception, which is really at this point another form of abortion as the woman still ovulates, but the child is rejected by the contraception from the womb, and killed thereby. We have an epidemic of breast cancer and that it directly related to using contraception and abortions earlier in life. Artificial contraception is anti-woman. God bless you.

My letter below to Governor Mitt Romney via Ann Romney outlines the case for Governor Romney to attract Independents, most of whom are not atheists or otherwise non-religious. If we allow ourselves to be frozen in fear of losing Independents, then such fear can mute God’s Warning as well as Formula-for-Success Messages found in Psalm 127, verse 1 for building safe,successful societies. The letter shows that we don’t antagonize; we simply show Independents that some of the same goals they seek are what we seek without generating religious disputes. The helpful role of the Church is sketched in the last paragraph and fleshed out in a subsequent comment.
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10/15/12
Dear Ann Romney, please consider and pass this on to Mitt in time for Tuesday’s debate.
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Because most Independents are of one of the four faiths noted below, they will see good sense-and-intent in what is said herein, for it does not promote doctrinal disputes.
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Introducing the proper-role of verse 1 of Psalm 127 (just below) will not offend that large majority, for “Psalm 127:1” simply emphasizes the necessity of cooperation amongst the various “builders of society” (divine & human).  Indeed an America that is receptive to 127:1’s call to accept God’s guidance in the rebuilding process will surely find the path to SECURITY & SUCCESS – which are two main goals important to Independents. And intellectually, for the large majority who believe in God, it is truly common sense to heed the Warning in Psalm 127:1:
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“UNLESS the Lord builds the house (i.e., society with its many human-groups, from family onward), the builders (today, often the politicians we HIRE as on Nov. 6) labor in vain” (i.e., THEY FAIL & WE SUFFER for unwisely hiring them!).
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Given that “elections have consequences”, consider the existing advantage of Mormons, Protestants, Catholics and Jews BEING IN AGREEMENT that the interpretation of Psalm 127, verse 1 is that God is indeed the MASTER BUILDER while we human builders (striving to be “living stones”) need to do the practical work consistent with God’s ample guidance. Then, Success will develop to thus spare us the threatening disaster of a second term Obama presidency.
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If we help convince *enough others* to vote on Nov. 6 with “127:1” in their minds and hearts, stable job creating confidence will rev up once again in America and our families will have a much more promising future of personal independence *with opportunity and true hope*!  The truly poor and afflicted will not be neglected while policies that accommodate and motivate their seeking personal-independence are put in place. Otherwise, fiscal failure will take us down for ignoring that far-reaching area of governmental fiscal responsibility.
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In evaluating whether President Obama’s policies and actions are consistent with “127:1”, we need only cite his record as one who facilitates God-disrespecting abortions, tramples (!) on sacred human conscience via his HHS mandates and supports gay marriage. Hence it is the Psalm itself which accuses President Obama; we need only *highlight* those dangerous faults.
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Here is a partial summary-list of advantages in embracing Psalm 127:1 to restore the American Experiment:
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1)  Emphasis on “127:1” can get the Romney-Ryan Team a filibuster-proof Senate AND solid control of the House. Avoidance of gridlock is crucial to Romney’s plans because economic growth depends on cooperation in Congress especially regarding taxation and entitlement reforms, restructuring deductions & loopholes and defusing the “fiscal cliff” crisis threatening the next four years. The degree of success will be proportional to how many turn back to respecting God, for God is no patsy.
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2)  Psalm 127:1 EXPOSES the error, vanity and disbelief-in-God’s-power so evident in former President Bill Clinton’s giving a pass at the DNC Convention to President Obama, saying ‘no other president could have done better with the economy, given what Obama inherited’. But God elsewhere advises “Taste and see the Goodness of the Lord”. Clinton’s ‘sureness’ is actually rooted in the Democrats’ twisted views of the God-ordained role of self-interest (not selfishness!) in human nature – for indeed proper self-interest grows the economy through entrepreneurship and risk-taking. Capitalism with reasonable regulation and oversight is NOT some evil! 
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3)  Having found that Psalm 127, verse 1, has similar interpretations across the Jewish, Protestant, Catholic and Mormon faiths, that kind of consensus means we can join together on its message that the only way on November 6 we can have realistic hope for a better future is to elect the Romney-Ryan ticket with attention to avoiding Gridlock via either House. America cannot be great without following Psalm 127, verse 1.
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Let us remember: to enable stable job-creating economic growth, we must embrace “127:1” in sufficient numbers in the rest of this campaign. Seriously ask your Church leaders to “talk up Psalm 127:1” in these remaining three weeks—and write letters to editors.
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Sincerely,
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William F. Folger

I was out of town at an extended family function when the law was passed that allowed for abortion. All the family members were Democrats. The adults were shocked and horrified. I knew something was going on, when I got a chance, I asked. At age 8 I knew it was wrong too. I think we should defer to the children in this country!! Just because someone has knowledge doesn’t make them intelligent. LET’S ASK THE CHILDREN!!

Dear Graduate. Please show the documentation for your statements regarding insurance company premiums. Is this something the companies voluntarily took upon themselves?
Cherry picking? You must know that Catholic moral theology does not teach that all pronouncements made by the Church on moral issues are of equal weight. It is not a level field, it is hierarchical. Some teachings are of greater weight than others. The right to life is central.
The Church welcomes pluralism “provided always that pluralism is a further enhancement of the doctrine of faith already well and clearly determined and in constant reference to it.” CCE 68. Your understanding of “secular” reflects the contemporary view favouring a highly restricted area of religious influence, a “Naked Public Square”, and is not reflective of the history of this nation.

RJ I suggest we use the comparison of feeding babies. We have to spoon-feed them until they can handle it themselves. Same goes for official Church documents, use the internet or government sites to find out what the dispute is about. A danger of official Church papers is they can choke one with too much detail. I wish all well as these topics are not sadly just about this administration and this 2012 election.  JESUS is LORD and with Him we must needs take the long-term view. Slavery took time to be defeated but the Confederate flag is still used to antagonize.