Comments on: Why Is It So Hard to Debate Religious Freedom?

By: John Hinshaw

John Hinshaw — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 03:52:50 +0000

Indeed, I would say the Bishops’ response to the religious freedom issue is far more perceptive and realistic than their muted and fragmented response to Roe v. Wade. It probably has to do with the quality of our Bishops now. And the growing realization that what pro-lifers warned about some 30 years ago has come upon them.

By: Ed Colbert

Ed Colbert — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 02:05:50 +0000

Describing the problem as “not mature” is thinking not as God does (Mt 16:23). If we embrace the fullness of truth and seize this teachable moment to explain why the Church has a problem with considering abortifacients as birth control, we would obtain the graces to win too this pocketbook freedom issue that we seem to regard as the more important.

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:15:08 +0000

One of the problems is that the three topics that one tries to avoid lest fights break out are sex, politics, and religion, and the contraceptive mandate is all three rolled into one.

Another problem is that while some people feel very strongly about the contraceptive mandate, to many others it seems to have little to do with religion. The people who are objecting seem too far removed from the actual use of contraception to be reasonably asking to be permitted to opt out. Plus few people, including few Catholics, actually object to contraception.

It is a lot easier, at least for most people, to make an emotional connection with a Native American who is penalized for using peyote in a religious ceremony than it is to make an emotional connection with an organization that will have contraception coverage tacked on to the insurance they provide for their employees.