…when will you understand simple logic?
I’d like to respond by saying, “No, you can’t deny citizens of their religious freedom and pretend it’s about women’s ‘basic rights.’ If you like birth control, buy it and use it. Having the right to birth control doesn’t mean you can force others to pay for it – especially when they are deeply, morally opposed to it.“
– CA –
Take for example, the right to bear arms. American citizens have the RIGHT to own guns. But does that mean the GOVERNMENT is the one who provides the money for people to access them? Of course not. If you want to own a gun, you go to a shop, get a permit and buy one with your own hard-earned cash. That’s your right.
Lots of folks in our country think guns are terrible things and they believe society would be better off without them. They have a right to believe that! It is THEIR right to oppose guns, just like it’s YOUR right to own one. Now, would you ever expect someone who is deeply opposed to guns to pay for yours? Of course not, that would be a ridiculous infringement upon his personal beliefs.
Compare this scenario with the right to birth control. Catholics are in no way trying to step on a woman’s RIGHT to use birth control. She can use birth control all she wants! That’s her choice, that’s her right. But it’s also her expense. Having a right to something does not mean it should be handed to you for free, especially not on the dime of someone who deeply opposes it.
Like guns? Great, go buy one. That’s your right. Don’t like guns? Great, don’t own one.
But for the love of sanity, don’t force someone who abhors guns to pay for yours.
The same goes for birth control.
RIGHTS DO NOT EQUAL FREE HANDOUTS.
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reprinted in full with permission from CA, Catholic blogger at Catholic Candid Living. CA is a wife to a youth minister and stay-at-home mama to their almost 2-year old daughter who keeps her sprinting and laughing all day long. She’s a cradle Catholic with a healthy addiction to cooking, drinking water, and pinning. She tutors Spanish, tries to sew, takes way too many pictures, and gets through her days with the help of lots of coffee and prayer::
reprinted in full with permission from CA, Catholic blogger at Catholic Candid Living. CA is a wife to a youth minister and stay-at-home mama to their almost 2-year old daughter who keeps her sprinting and laughing all day long. She’s a cradle Catholic with a healthy addiction to cooking, drinking water, and pinning. She tutors Spanish, tries to sew, takes way too many pictures, and gets through her days with the help of lots of coffee and prayer::
Usually, the most succinct arguments are the most powerful. The logic of this message is both – succinct and powerful! Thanks for stating the ‘obvious’ which gets so twisted in our society.
You are experiencing the setbacks to universal healthcare that we in the UK have seen break our health system so that the present administration is cutting back on doctors, investing more in private healthcare and generally pushing people with true, valid health problems to the back of the queue.
Meanwhile the country paid for 18m abortions in 2011, provides the contraceptive pill on demand and also pays for sex change surgery when the people demanding that the NHS pays for this also campaigns for it to be stricken from the DSM as either a psychosexual disorder or illness. Albeit they are a minority but treatment by hormones and surgery as well as other cosmetic surgery’s often cause lifelong surgical and often mental health problems – just as abortion does – and the cost is met by the taxpayer.
Before I was able to learn what is being opposed in the universal health care bill in the USA I wondered why it was so controversial. These pages have been an education. As I mentioned to my doctor the Health Service wastes millions in treating lifestyle choices.
You know something, I’m opposed to gay marriage, but obviously, they have right to join as they want, because Marriage is not only the union of a woman and a man recognized by the Church, socially, it gives to the couple rights and duties. I can’t, as you say before, force to someone to have a heterosexual union. The state can’t take sides with a religious position or statement, because it could discriminate some citizens, but state must have some moral to propitiate welfare of society.
I am still opposed to gay marriage, but constitutionally I think they have right to do it before the state. What is your position before this?
Sorry because I’m writing about something different from what you wrote in your post, but I related both topics, and I think they are similar.
I’m totally agree with the post. Thank you.
C THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO! We want to NOT have contraseption covered in Catholic insurance options for ALL Catholic run and owned facilities. If you want the pill covered on your insurance simply do not work for a Catholic owned operation. It is really that simple.
Really appreciate all the comments!!
Kim – thanks so much for sharing your perspective of universal healthcare. I had no idea the UK pays for gender change surgeries! Your comment: “As I mentioned to my doctor the Health Service wastes millions in treating lifestyle choices.” speaks volumes to whats to come here in the US if the HHS Mandate does not get reversed. We will surely continue down the slippery slope to covering all kinds of procedures and treatments which have nothing to do with personal HEALTH, but rather, as you said, personal lifestyle CHOICES. And of course, none of this comes for free – the burden of the cost falls onto the shoulders of the American people. And this is where the controversy strikes.
I’ve heard many rebuttals to Catholics’ opposition to the HHS Mandate saying “Well, my tax dollars go to all sorts of things I disagree with but I have to pay my taxes anyway!” The problem with this argument is that paying taxes is one thing. And purchasing health insurance plans are an entirely different thing. This is what makes America different that socialist systems which provide universal healthcare. Our health care is NOT provided by the government. Clinics, hospitals, etc. are all privately owned businesses. Citizens shop around and choose the office or hospital that suits them best and then they PAY for their health care. Now, health care being expensive, we as Americans also have the opportunity to shop around at various health insurance companies and purchase whichever policy suits our needs best. This goes for individuals purchasing insurance policies as well as businesses and companies purchasing policies to provide health insurance for their employees. What Catholic institutions have always been able to do up to this point is shop around and purchase a health insurance policy which suits their company best, and thus having the opportunity to purchase policies which do NOT cover contraception, abortions, and sterilizations, all which are considered contrary to the moral doctrines of the Church.
And now, the government has made it impossible to do that. They have tampered with the insurance market in such a way that Catholic institutions can no longer freely go out into the marketplace and purchase insurance policies which are consistent with Church teaching, because those policies no longer exist!! All policies now cover contraception and the like so what are to do? They have tied our hands. It is a healthcare plan which is completely contrary to the American economic system, and which will surely have far-reaching negative financial consequences as the government has now placed an ADDITIONAL fiscal burden on its citizens. SO not only is is a terrible plan economically speaking, but it is a clear violation of our basic right to practice our religion freely.
Obama has the audacity to say such a thing as “No, you can’t deny women their basic rights and pretend it’s about your ‘religious freedom’.” It is painful to think he is that lacking in logic and reason, as any free-thinking person can easily see this is as a violation of religious freedom. But what disturbs me most is that, in reality, I’m certain he DOES know that it’s a religious freedom issue, but he’s so blinded by his own agenda that he is ferociously riding on the wings of the “women’s rights” movement in order to accomplish his goals, regardless of who gets hurt in the process.
Excellent article, well written. The current POTUS has no clue and is completely detached from mainstream society. Your article was conveyed in pure, simple logic, something he does NOT understand. It’s too “Normal”. We need to insure that this POTUS is not reelected, elect some Government “Servants” who will actually work for us, as they are supposed to do and hope that some of them “get it” as the rest of us do.
My granny always said, “Common sense is Not Common.” So true, she was so right.
We live in Hope…..Pray unceasingly
Peace & Hope
I suggest you all go to your Bible and read ECCLESIASTES, ( chapter 3 ) maybe you will learn something about life and the balance of the of the world which is extremily VITAL