I was shocked when I heard that so many Bishops had come out in defense of the Catholic faith. Yeah, I know it’s their job and all, but how many times have they actually stood up, especially together, against the government here in the states? Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely proud of our Bishops for everything they’re doing to stop the HHS mandate and outright attack on our first amendment; I’m just a little surprised is all (in a good way).
The Bishops won’t give in, they won’t compromise.
“Never give up, never surrender!”
Giving in to the mandate would certainly signal to the world, not to mention the typical cafeteria Catholic (whether in the pew or not), that the Church has no moral ground/authority to stand on; perhaps worst of all, that the Church has no cajones. Ok, ok, I guess there would be something worse, by giving in, the American Bishops would be telling the world that Obama is greater than God, if not God himself, because in acquiescing to the current administration, they’d be saying, “Obviously this is against God’s law, but that’s okay, cause Obama makes more sense, and women’s rights are WAAAY more important than all that natural/divine law mumbo-jumo.” Because… you know… not having kids is a God given right.
Obama won’t give in to bishops
The administration will not be giving into the Catholic Church, they can’t. In doing so, they would really be saying (as far as their concerned, because this is about ‘womens rights’ and not about the first amendment), that the Catholic Church can tell us what to do. All the USCCB needs is to flex their muscles and Obama will bow down. The administration can’t and won’t allow this to happen. Can you imagine what PR nightmare would come about because of this? “What’s next?! A Roman Catholic King of America?” Obama is definitely in an interesting predicament.
However, does Obama really have reason to think the Church will actually take a stand? Look at the other states that have adopted the same kind of healthcare policies; the Church hasn’t gotten into an uproar about any of those issues. Not to mention the fact that some catholic hospitals ignore the Church and her teachings anyways and do as they please. Also take a look at the moral degradation, and pedophilia scandals, and all the other things that have popped up over the years. There hasn’t been this much movement in the USCCB since… well, before I can remember (maaaaaybe Roe v. Wade? I don’t know, that was before my time).
I honestly hope that Obama doesn’t back down, and before you condemn me for saying this, hear me out. I understand full-well the consequences of this mandate; it will surely lead Church run/sponsored/idealized schools, universities, hospitals, etc to either stop offering healthcare, or completely turn their back on the Church and give in to the Administration under the guise of it being “for the good of those they serve.” In short, this will serve to further polarize the Catholic Church, and really the entire country. We can finally step out of this annoying fog of relativism we’ve been standing in for the past 50-ish years, and start moving towards truth. We’ll be able to see the edge of the cliff and walk right up next to it instead of being afraid of venturing past our front door. As we’ve seen since its announcement, many Catholics on the left have condemned the mandate; whether or not they’ll still be on our side once they realize it’s going to pass is yet to be seen, but never the less, this is a perfect time for the Bishops to start preaching truth in its entirety and not just what “feels good.” It’s the perfect time for the Bishops to start acting like the leaders they were ordained to be.
All of this, if Obama doesn’t give in, will lead to persecution, more than just the Department of Health and Human Services mandating we violate our conscience. What will come next? No clue, but it’ll come, and traditionally during times of persecution we see the rise of a great many saints.
In the end, it’s good to realize that we will win; we always win. The Catholic Church has out lived every government on earth, America is no exception. The Church will carry on, regardless of what happens here. What’s important, is how we conduct ourselves, and shoulder the crap the administration is bound to throw at us.
The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, “To hell with you!”
- Bishop David Zubik
My response to that is, partly because of my military background, partly because of my Catholic upbringing, but mostly because I’m stubborn, “bring it.” If it’s a fight they want, it’s a fight they’ll get.
We also have something coming up soon but y’all will have to wait to see just what it is. Yeah, I guess you’ll have to come back and check this blog more often.
