http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/01/health-reform-preventive-services-and-religious-institutions
This post has been challenged and refuted by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops and they actually assert that the White House has misrepresented this mandate.
http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-020.cfm
Who do you believe?
Our President and the White House or the Catholic Bishops?
It seems that we have been presented with a serious moral dilemma. We all want to think that our Government is not playing politics and can be relied upon to accurately communicate with the citizens under it's protection. We expect that our Leaders are honest and upright, not manipulators or devious. In Civics class we were taught to look up to the President and take for granted that we could count on everything they said and everything he did was for our best.
My first experience with this was in December of 1968 when I received a personal letter from the President of the United States, Richard Nixon which started: Greetings. The next thing I knew I was wearing Army Olive Green in basic training at Ft Bragg, North Carolina. In barely over 6 moths later I was on a Flying Tiger Airplane landing in Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam. Yes, the President was looking out for me as was the Congress, etc.
From this point on I became a bit jaded and realized that the Government is not interested in me or in my well being unless they wanted something from me; my service, my support or my money. Otherwise they wanted my silence.
Actually, I learned that rather than trust the Government, we needed to watch the Government and we needed to be on guard against the overreaching power grabbing which politicians were perpetrating.
Now we are confronted with a challenge.
People of faith are now presented with a mandate which will force them to subjugate their principals and participate in purchasing mandated insurance or be fined and punished in some manner for not having Government Mandated insurance coverage which violates the morals which we are guided to accept and believe by our Church.
The President and the then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and many proponents for the Health Care Legislation assured those who were concerned and requesting a conscience protection, that they need not worry. There was no intention to force anyone to comply with the legislation at the cost of their moral beliefs. They were promised a conscience protection.
We see here and now that comments made in asking for support are worthless once the vote is cast and the position won.
Shame on you Mr President and shame on us if we don't remember this in November and vote accordingly.
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For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:12~13
