The chickens are coming home to roost.
In 2008 the Catholic Bishops were perceived as saying that Catholic voters were “morally obliged†to not vote for candidates who support abortion and yet their parishioners weighed in 52-45 in favor of President Obama, a seven point flip from 2004 when pseudo-Catholic John Kerry was the Democratic nominee.
And then, when ObamaCare was on the line, Sister Carol Keehan, President of the Catholic Health Association, carried the President on her back and assured the Bishops that abortion wasn’t part of OCare.
Catholics fundamentally have defied the Bishops on the issue of life – although I would note that the Bishops have a solid record of being wishy-washy on the issue – and provided the margin that Mr. Obama needed to become President Obama. They also, primarily in the person of Sister Keehan, provided the necessary cover for the passage of ObamaCare.
The President showed his appreciation this week, in his signature way. He spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast and affirmed that Jesus, Moses and Mohammed all affirmed his policies. And his Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sibelius, announced that the so-called “provision of conscience†allowing religious organizations to abstain from providing contraception will be limited to churches. Welfare organizations like Catholic Hospitals will not be exempt and will be required to provide insurance coverage for their employees that covers contraception. That includes a vast number of Catholic organizations like, for instance, Notre Dame. The choice is clear. Provide medical insurance that includes contraception or pay a fine. In the case of Notre Dame, that fine would be $15MM.
Needless to say, the Obama Administration is defending their Jesus/Moses/Mohammed approved policy with vigor. Or arrogance, depending on how you feel about President Obama’s claim of ecclesiastical absolution. Cecilla Munoz a Presidential flack, posted the following on the White House blog…
The Obama Administration is committed to both respecting religious beliefs and increasing access to important preventive services. And as we move forward, our strong partnerships with religious organizations will continue. The Administration has provided substantial resources to Catholic organizations over the past three years, in addition to numerous non-financial partnerships to promote healthy communities and serve the common good. This work includes partnerships with Catholic social service agencies on local responsible fatherhood programs and international anti-hunger/food assistance programs. We look forward to continuing this important work.
In other words, “Damn it, WE bought you. You had better STAY bought!â€
A whole bunch of people are upset about the Administration’s actions and it’s going to be really interesting to see if they put-up or shut-up. Here are some samples…
[Bishop Daniel Conlon, Joliet, IL] “Now, it is no secret that many Catholics dissent from the Church’s longstanding teaching on artificial contraception, elective sterilization and abortion. However, pursuing old arguments on these issues will sidetrack us from the real one at hand,†Conlon wrote in a letter to be read before all Masses Saturday and Sunday.
“The Health and Human Services directive is a violent breach of the wall of separation between church and state. For the government to force a religious body to pursue a course of action that contradicts its beliefs, particularly where no public interest is at stake, is completely unacceptable…
[Bishop David Zubik, Pittsburgh, PA quoted on NPR]++++++ BARBARA BRADLEY HAGERTY, BYLINE: …David Zubik, the bishop of Pittsburgh, was floored.
THE REV. DAVID ZUBIK: We can’t comply, and we won’t comply. There’s no way we can. It’s a matter of conscience.
HAGERTY: Zubik is one of four bishops who have stated they will not follow the new law. On Sunday, scores of priests read letters to their parishioners, asking them to pray, fast and act by contacting Congress and the administration in protest. Zubik says the church has been trying to persuade the White House to loosen the rule. But instead, he says, the administration sent this message…
ZUBIK: We don’t care what you had to say. We don’t care about your religious freedom. We don’t care about your religious beliefs. You’re going to go ahead and do this.
[Sister Carol Keehan]+++ +++ “It’s not about preventing women from buying anything themselves, but telling the church what it has to buy, and the potential for that to go further…”
And the tally is growing by the day, including all four of Massachusetts Bishops, and a statement by Anthony Picarello, general counsel of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops who said…
“The White House information about this is a combination of misleading and wrong,”. Â He said the bishops would “pursue every legal [avenue] available to them to bring an end to this mandate. That means legislation, litigation and public advocacy. All options are on the table.”
It sounds like the gauntlet is down. We’ll see.
I’m not a Catholic, but I understand Catholicism, and I understand the implicit power of the Bishops. I also know that for all their bluster for the past several decades, they’ve been more faithful shirking their duties as the moral and religious arbiters of their flock than they have been in enforcing the clear teaching of the Church.
The Bishops have consistently given every high profile Catholic Democrat a pass on their pro-abortion positions, including Nancy Pelosi who frequently argues that The Church is really pro-choice. It’s about time the Bishops stood up and started being Bishops.
President Obama has declared war expressly on Catholics, and by inference on all who practice Christianity and understand that God’s commands through His Son were made to individuals and to His Church (Protestant as well as Catholic), not to governments. The President’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast should be an affront and a warning to all, and the actions of his Administration through Secretary Sibelius should be taken as the proof that this Administration doesn’t give a damn about people of faith.
Oh, and you heard it here first: Abortion will be next. “Bishops be damned”, sayeth the President.
-Michael Becker

Related posts:










“The Bishops have consistently given every high profile Catholic Democrat a pass on their pro-abortion positions, including Nancy Pelosi who frequently argues that The Church is really pro-choice. It’s about time the Bishops stood up and started being Bishops.”
Nail on the head. I’ve been stumped over the years by the open willingness of Catholics to support politicians who rabidly oppose many of their sacred teachings. If you help elevate someone to power, and that individual is opposed to your core beliefs, why would you be surprised when that person turns on you?
Mistakes get made. I just hope Catholics look at this for what it is and work to vote these thugs out of office.
-Eric
Church leaders are historically liberal because they think welfare is a commandment from God. This is because they think the Bible commands such a position .This is actually contrary to biblical teachings. There is one passage that says, basically, “He who does not work, shall not eat.” We are commanded to assist those who NEED assistance but does not require us to support them and their dependents for life. So many church leaders are ignorant of god’s instruction and are guided by personal opinions and church policy, which often reflects their attempts to draw tithing new parishioners. This does include birth control and abortion.
All people of faith should be screaming from the rooftops. This is a clear violation of freedom of religion. It is also a clear violation of separation of church and state. Everything that this Admin. (and I use the term loosely) has been to abrogate our rights given by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. What they are after is complete control of every part of our lives…from cradle to grave. Please folks, look around your homes…try to find something that the government does NOT control or regulate.
We agree with gcgranny that the government wants complete control of our lives. They are taking over our banks, our colleges, our health insurance, our businesses, our home lives, and now, our freedom of religion. Our constitution states that there should be separation of church and state. Our president said our constitution is outdated and should be changed, but there are many reasons that are good that it was written that way and we have been a good, productive country because of it and our Christian heritage. We don’t want a dictator. Our government would be a lot cheaper to run if they’d let the private sectors correct what is wrong instead of the government. The Catholic’s have done a wonderful job of helping people as well as all Christian institutions have.
I will never be subjugated to the will of the anti christ Obama!
Nurtured by his far-left grandparents, by the Communist Party USA Politburo member Davis, by the raving racist-communist Reverend Wright, and by the criminal communists Alinsky, Dohrn, and Ayers, this former citizen of Indonesia and Kenya Obama is implementing a rapid program of communization of America. All the former refugees from various communist hells can easily recognize the signs:
1) Obama is acting as the Secretary General of the Party;
Obama’s Agit-Prop Office, as that organization in communist regimes was known, charged with communist agitation and propaganda, consists of our Main Stream Media: ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, NPR, CNN, NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Marxist university professors, shallow Hollywood actors, TV talking heads, etc.
2) Democrat Party has been taken over by the communists under various guises such as social justice movements and environmentalism;
3) Congressional Democrat leaders are in fact the Central Committee;
4) Obama’s White House advisers are his commissars (so-called czars) in charge of all federal departments – all unelected;
5) His Attorney General, a fervent racist and communist, is in charge of legal enforcement of Obama’s dictates, and in executive role of assuring Obama’s re-election, by fraud if necessary;
6) Obama’s program of massive nationalizations of private companies is under way – automobile companies, mortgage companies, many banks, several insurance companies, and pretty soon hospitals, doctor offices, and health insurance companies under Obamacare; then with the help of the global warming hoax will come the nationalization of oil & gas companies, coal mines, electricity companies, transportation companies;
7) Newly established Consumers Protection Agency will dictate business rules for banks, credit unions, mortgage companies – thus putting those under close government control; the newly appointed members of the National Labor Relations Board will favor unions by force of rules and regulations;
9) Under the guise of environmental protection, social justice, sustainable development, and several UN-sponsored initiatives, our government is actively promoting a world socialist government under the direction of enlightened leadership of our intellectual classes; in that effort various domestic organizations such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, Institute of Policy Studies, ACLU, etc. are actively engaged, in collaboration with our EPA and DOE progressives. Our Secretary of Defense Leon Paneta is a former member of the Institute of Policy Studies that used to be directed by the KGB of the defunct USSR.
10) Obama’s system of local soviets, as the community organizations were known in the defunct Soviet Union, consisting of brown shirts and thugs supplied by ACORN, SEIU, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, NEA, AFT, Teamsters, Steel workers, municipal unions, ACLU lawyers, environmentalists, and other local government employees unions, is in charge of assuring the acceptable election results by illegal alien votes, by felon votes, by repeated voting of same people under manufactured names, by transporting illegal voters across voting districts, and by stuffing the voting machines with phony votes – all exactly as in those communist hells well known by us the refugees. These Obama’s striking forces will be financed in 2012 by the still unspent $8.7 billion from his original stimulus bill. AG Holder will make sure that no ID is required for voting. According to the statement by Obama – “We need a domestic military with a budget as large as that of the Pentagon†– these local soviets will soon be equipped with guns and bullets.
11) Fight against individual achievement by the application of new laws such as affirmative action, diversity, multiculturalism, inclusion, hate speech, anti-marriage, etc. – all are aimed at leveling the society at the lowest possible mark. After 40 years of rule by teachers unions we have now 3 generations of unemployable illiterate nincompoops and bottom feeders manning “Occupy Wall Street†protests and voting for our “Democrats†and for “social justiceâ€.
12) Expansion of old and new welfare programs in order to ensnare the majority of population in the net of government dependence, such as food stamps, AFDC, apartment subsidies, WIC, school lunches, handicap payments, unemployment benefits, home mortgage subsidies, health insurance subsidies, etc.
13) Massive amnesty for illegal aliens by executive orders, thus creating a pool of about 15 million new citizens expanding government-dependent classes and voting for a new socialist order.
After Obama’s re-election in 2012 is assured, the progress of communization of America will be rapidly and irrevocably accomplished. Among the Republican presidential candidates there is nobody with the complete understanding of our dire situation, who could properly articulate and define the problem. All of them are unfortunately just run-of-the-mill politicians – all of them more or less normal Americans. On the other hand we have a president who is convinced of his divine origin: he believes himself to be either the second coming of Christ or the appearance of the 12th Imam (as per his friend Ahmadinejad) – just remember Obama’s words when addressing the global warming scam: “Tomorrow the oceans will stop rising, and the planet will start healingâ€. Shall we ask him to re-arrange the planetary system for a more equitable climatic result?
Another sign of Obama’s inflated self-importance is his declaration in a TV interview that his performance so far is among the best in US history, and should be favorably compared to those of Lyndon Johnson, FDR, and Lincoln. He reminds me of the Pinocchio in the children’s literature, whose nose grew longer every time he lied; or of a wound-up marionette when he saunters up the steps toward his teleprompter stuffed with remarks prepared by his White House advisers. The present economic crisis will inevitably worsen, thus demanding constitutional changes – such as eliminating the constitutional limit of two presidential terms; that will allow Obama to continue as President indefinitely, and in effect become a dictator for life, just as in communist countries – say North Korea, Venezuela, China, Vietnam, and Cuba.
Frightening – isn’t it? I sincerely hope to die before soon one day waking up in the new United Socialist Soviet States of America, to become a refugee again – and go where? Escape to Zimbabwe – or Greece perhaps?
Escape? How about fight? Ozero has to take our weapons and turn our military against us in order to be successful. I believe he will suspend the Constitution over some crisis before the 2012 elections but a military coup will most likely take place to reinstate it. As a combat veteran I’ll bet on our military, American patriots and our Second Amendment any day! If your gonna run…run to the sound of the guns!
I share the outrage at this first step to confine the faith expression of people of faith to buildings where faith communities worship. Our government does not want any of this “way of life” stuff. This really is just a first step, because the objective is to silence all religious expression in public life. Unfortunately, the Catholics and other faiths as well have muddied the waters themselves. For starters, they all contract with the federal government to be the government’s agent providing social services. Yes, they do. When they apply for and receive federal government money, they are contracting to do work that the government wants done and they are contracting to do it the government’s way. Adoptions, for example. When the government said that agencies who use government money will place adoptees the government way, including placements with homosexual couples, they had the right and the power to do it, because the church’s adoption agency did not belong to the church any more; it belonged to the entity that paid the price — the government. Churches need to stop asking for federal money. Churches need to stop accepting federal money. The churches see their social service agencies as extensions of their mission for Christ, and they think they are getting money to do what they set out to do. The government sees the money as the means of contracting with service providers to become something on the order of sub-contractors for the government. They may think they can make their own rules, but as soon as they take government money, that option is off the table. If you doubt where this is going, take a look at some recent legislation. In numerous laws that affect stated, Congress has included a clause that says that if a state accepts any federal money whatsoever, it thereby waives its right to Amendment 11 protection from lawsutis arising out of the state’s compliance or non-compliance with the law. Google Thomas for Amendment 11 references and you will be shocked. The federal government believes that if you take federal money for any purpose, you are a robotic servant of the government. If the Catholic bishops don’t know it yet, they will find out soon. A lot of other churches are thinking they are safe, but get ready. They are coming for you, too.
Part of the Progressives agenda is to bread down the countries morals and attack the religion. The intent is for the masses to look to the Government for EVERYTHING. Obama is a Marxist and they have no room for religion.
I hope all of you saw the respect he showed for a Islam holy day this week. He is not a Christian and has the philosophy of Islam to rid the world of what they consider are infidels.
If he ever gets a chance at getting elected again it will not be for four more years. It will be openly declared by him that the Constitution goes and it is officially a dictatorship and we will abide by his rules. Only a fool would vote for him again. I also warn every Christian that this man is not only evil and opposed to our faith but eventually we could be martyred for it. Think I am crazy? I just pray to God that we will not have to fine out. Vote him out of office.
Actually we have also seen that we have no representatives in the legislature or anywhere else as he is not eligible to be President by his own words in his book of “My Fathers Dreams” (something like that). He confirms his father was not a citizen of the United States. Without the father and mother being a citizen of this Country he is NOT eligible to be President and the Democrats knew this when he was running for office. I do not know if it is true or not but I read from a reliable source that the Supreme Court met with the Dems. behind closed doors, to see how they could work this. ****The only one, as I understand it that would not join this group and discuss it was Justice Alito. He has always shown courage and fidelity to this Country. No wonder Clarence Thomas said, regarding Obamas eligibility, “we have been evading that.” Either they are not trustworthy or have no bakbone. And now Lanny Breuer has obsconded with the Attorney Generals papers which the Congressional Commitee have been asking for. It just goes on and on. You know we will never see those papers again. We have been had and had badly!!!
Ovomit has Jews, Catholics, Latinos, Tea Party, some unions, and members of Democrat party mad at him, but it is Bush’s fault. The Jews over Israel, Catholic over Pro-Life, Tea Party versus OWS and taxes, unions not getting their fair share of the wealth, and Democrats over new wars. All Obummer has done to create the biggest class warfare the nation since Lincoln and Civil War.
The Catholic church is reaping what it sowed over the past 60 years. You bishops sold your soul, now there the devel to pay. What ever the government can give you it can take away to include freedom.
Mr. Obama is delusional at best if he thinks he can speak for Jesus and Moses. And his administration is Marxist Communist if they think they have the authority to order the church to do anything! Obama always talks about scripture and WWJD like a has the spiritual authority to do so! He has proven time and time again that he thinks like a Muslim, talks like a Muslim and acts like a Muslim. He doe NOT have the authority or position to speak for the church or it’s members anywhere in the United States! Only a Marxist dictator thinks he can order ANY church to do anything contrary to their beliefs and practices!!! Arrogance is certainly an understatement when it comes to this so-called President!!!
Obama ???? LOL ?? he is a text book narcissist, Hears the good news,, Dictators ,, an wana-be dictators have one thing in common,,they always fall and fall hard. God hates a prideful heart and always brings them to an end. I hope that the Obummer stretches his power alot this year in his prideful stupidity  so that when he is gone the people,, WE THE PEOPLE will never let it happen.
Will never let it happen again.
Calling the Kettle Black
On average our government ran up annual deficits of $625 billion over the eight years of the George W. Bush administration. Beginning to position himself for the office of President as early as 2006, Senator Barack Obama addressed the burgeoning debt thusly:
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.â€
Obama was so right. Americans do deserve better. Obama’s logic is a powerful argument for his being a one term president. Out of his own mouth he equates rising deficits with reckless fiscal policies and a failure of leadership. In keeping with his own logic of 2006, he made his promise to cut our deficit in half in his first term a cornerstone of his stump speeches in 2008. How quickly his hollow promises evaporated. Since taking office Obama has failed to lead us to even one balanced budget and has increased each of four annual deficits by over a trillion dollars. In keeping with his own words Obama’s failure of leadership and reckless fiscal policies have weakened us domestically and internationally in proportion to the unprecedented increase in our debt under his watch.
Obama has fooled the American people once…shame on him. If the American people are fooled by him in his bid for re-election…shame on the American people.
We all have a moral obligation and constitutional authority to disobey this unlawful edict.
(794.11)
70:9.16 The weak and the inferior have always contended for equal rights; they have always insisted that the state compel the strong and superior to supply their wants and otherwise make good those deficiencies which all too often are the natural result of their own indifference and indolence.
obama … HAS ONLY ONE BELIEF and LOYALTY and THAT IS TO islam GET USE TO IT ! ! !
I can understand contraception as an issue of social policy . . . but what is the _healthcare_ ramification of, specifically, the morning-after pill? I don’t see _any_.
Cylon,
Please produce a link that substantiates that claim. I’m not arguing the point, but an inflammatory claim such as yours really needs a link or two to add perspective to your comment.
Thank you.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/06/-obama-tells-egyptian-foreign-minister-i-am-a-muslim-stealth-coup-on-the-white-house.html
“I am a Muslim,” Obama Tells Egyptian Foreign Minister Gheit
Islamic Coup on the White House
This was a statement by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Nile-TV. It was made on the «Round table show».
This is the statement recorded:
Adul Gheit said he had a one-on-one meeting with Obama, where the US President told him that He was still a Muslim, the son of a Muslim father, the step son of Muslim stepfather, that his half brothers in Kenya are Muslims, and that he was sympathetic towards the Muslim agenda.
Adul Gheit claimed Obama told the Arabs to show patience. Obama promised that once he overcame some domestic issues, like the Health care reform, he would show the Muslim World how to deal with Israel.
Source: Israeli magazine, Israel today.
This is akin to an SS officer getting elected president during WW II. Every country in the free world must be cognizant of such a catastrophic sea change in the leadership of the free world (as witnessed by events over the past year). This changes everything. He took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and yet he has gone around the world promoting Islam, the sharia (Islamic law).
The alleged exchange between Obama and Gheit would almost certainly have happened in early January 2010, when Gheit was in Washington, D.C. regarding “Mideast peace talks.”