What do Washington Post Columnists E.J. Dionne, Michael Gereson, and Kathleen Parker have in common? Certainly not their politics. Dionne is a steadfast liberal, Parker is a female conservative, and Gereson… well, I think he’s conservative, though he despises Gingrich and the Tea Party. However, each has expressed their displeasure of the Obama administration’s Health Care rules on birth control basically mandating religious schools and hospitals provide contraception coverage. This has particularly irked the Catholic Church, who believes that the mandate violates their religious teachings.
All three Post Columnists agree that prominent Catholics who either supported or wanted to engage Obama’s Health Care push now feel betrayed—notably several high-profile Catholics. First, Rev. John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, who gave Obama an honorary degree that promised a “sensible” approach to the conscience clause. Second, US Cardinal designate Timothy Dolan, who pursued an engagement policy with the administration and who in November was promised by the President conscience protections, only to be told on January 20 that no such concessions to the Catholic Schools and Hospitals would be provided. Third, Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, was left hanging out to dry after defending Obama from Catholic Bishops opposed to the Health Care law. Finally, the highest ranking Catholic in the Administration, Vice President Joe Biden, is now unusually silent on this issue. Of course, since when does the President ever take the advice of Joe, who is, with each passing day, replacing Dan Quayle as the most incompetent VP in US History. Hey Joe, this issue is a “Big F***ing Deal” as you might say! Why so silent? Also, consider 2016. The likely Democratic nominee at this point is either Catholic (Biden, MD Gov. Martin O’Malley, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo) or comes from a Catholic state (MASS Gov. Devall Patrick). If this rule is not revoked now, the Catholic Church will impose a heavy price on the Democratic nominee to reverse the Administrations rulings on contraceptives.
The big loser in this battle is the poor, notably the inner city poor who depends on the Catholic Church for food, shelter, health care, and education. With the Catholic Church potentially being forced to pay to cover contraceptives or be fined, there is less money for Catholic charities, schools, and hospitals to provide for those in need. Already, Catholic Adoption Agencies have left Illinois because of disagreements over gay couples adopting children. Forced to choose between obeying the law and obeying God, many Catholics will choose God, eliminating a lifeline for poor people, and forcing the government to intervene—at the taxpayers’ expense.
Many will use the classical separation of Church and State argument to justify removing religious symbols from public spaces. But Separation of Church and State is a TWO-WAY street. If the Church is told not to interfere in State matters, the opposite MUST hold true as well—meaning, the State cannot impose their will on Church matters. Need any proof? Look at a recent unanimous Supreme Court decision which affirmed the rights of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod against the Obama administration’s rules. If the Catholic Church pushes the issue into the Court system, I would expect an equally decisive ruling in favor of the Church. And columnists from across the political spectrum realize the serious of the issue and most are coming out in support of the Catholic Church.
And don’t think for a minute that the contraception is the end of it. Abortion is the next logical step. So, if former Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak thinks he saved America from a potentially volatile situation when he got Obama to sign an Executive Order stopping the mandate of abortion to be covered as Health Care—he should realize that an Executive Order from the President could reverse that. Then he would join prominent Catholics allies of the President who are currently seeing the underside of Obama’s Bus. Don’t think it could happen? Just ask many of the President’s (potentially former) Catholic allies.
The likely outcome is that the President will reverse course in the next few weeks and provide for religious exceptions. The unfortunate thing is that it didn’t have to come to a potential election year issue.
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