Shame on me! I forgot to mention that EWTN is taking a legal case against the US government with regard to the HHS mandate. I'm sure you already know about it, but just a quick post to give you the links so you can read all about it. So as you keep the Network between the gas and the electricity, please also keep it in your prayers and as they challenge Obama's swipe at religious liberty.
Speaking with a lawyer friend of mine last evening, he said that such challenges will probably be successful: given that the mandate is a direct breach of the US Constitution, the Supreme Court will probably finish off the mandate. From his lips to God's ears!
UPDATE: Thomas Peters over at American Papist is on one of his compiling lists missions again, this time noting the number of bishops who have responded to Obama's HHS mandate, and now the institutions who are taking action, considering action or have issued statements defying the mandate.
Of the 29 Catholic organisations (so far), three have initiated legal proceedings against the US government - our own EWTN, Priests for Life and Belmont Abbey College. Another is presently looking into the possibility of legal action: Ave Maria University in Florida. Of the 9 other religious, non Catholic, groups and denominations (so far), one has initiated legal action against the government, Colorado Christian University. Among these we find Christians of various traditions and Jews, all opposed to what is not a Catholic issue, but one of freedom of religion.
For your information, here is the list (as of posting - it is sure to grow):
The Catholic Institutions:
•1. EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) – filed lawsuit
•2. Belmont Abbey College – filed lawsuit
•3. University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN – issued statement to press
•4. Christendom College in Front Royal, VA – issued statement
•5. Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL – considering legal options, “will not comply”
•6-9: Aquinas College in Nashville, TN (joined by three other Dominican schools) – issued statement
•10. University of Dallas in Dallas, TX – issued statement
•11. Priests for Life in Staten Island, NY – filed lawsuit
•12. Nashville Dominican Sisters in Nashville, TN – issued statement
•13. Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD – issued statement
•14. Benedictine College in Atchison, KS – issued statement
•15. The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC – issued statement to the press
•16. Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities - issued statement
•17. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA - issued statement
•18. Knights of Columbus - issued statement
•19. Catholic Medical Association - issued statement
•20. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, NH - issued statement
•21. Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio - issued statement
•22. Holy Cross College in Indiana - issued statement to press
•23. Sisters of Mercy - issued statement
•24. Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, WY - issued statement
•25. Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - issued statement
•26. Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH – issued statement
•27. New Hampshire Catholic Charities – issued statement
•28. Saint Anselm College – issued statement
The Non-Catholic Institutions/Denominations:
•1. Colorado Christian University (nondenominational) - filed lawsuit
•2. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – issued statement
•3. National Association of Evangelical Protestants – issued statement
•4. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – issued statement
•5. Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops – issued statement
•6. Anglican Church in North America – issued statement
•7. Reformed Theological Seminary – issued statement
•8. American Life League – issued statement
•9. Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission – issued statement
UPDATE: Thomas Peters over at American Papist is on one of his compiling lists missions again, this time noting the number of bishops who have responded to Obama's HHS mandate, and now the institutions who are taking action, considering action or have issued statements defying the mandate.
Of the 29 Catholic organisations (so far), three have initiated legal proceedings against the US government - our own EWTN, Priests for Life and Belmont Abbey College. Another is presently looking into the possibility of legal action: Ave Maria University in Florida. Of the 9 other religious, non Catholic, groups and denominations (so far), one has initiated legal action against the government, Colorado Christian University. Among these we find Christians of various traditions and Jews, all opposed to what is not a Catholic issue, but one of freedom of religion.
For your information, here is the list (as of posting - it is sure to grow):
The Catholic Institutions:
•1. EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) – filed lawsuit
•2. Belmont Abbey College – filed lawsuit
•3. University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN – issued statement to press
•4. Christendom College in Front Royal, VA – issued statement
•5. Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL – considering legal options, “will not comply”
•6-9: Aquinas College in Nashville, TN (joined by three other Dominican schools) – issued statement
•10. University of Dallas in Dallas, TX – issued statement
•11. Priests for Life in Staten Island, NY – filed lawsuit
•12. Nashville Dominican Sisters in Nashville, TN – issued statement
•13. Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD – issued statement
•14. Benedictine College in Atchison, KS – issued statement
•15. The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC – issued statement to the press
•16. Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities - issued statement
•17. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA - issued statement
•18. Knights of Columbus - issued statement
•19. Catholic Medical Association - issued statement
•20. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, NH - issued statement
•21. Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio - issued statement
•22. Holy Cross College in Indiana - issued statement to press
•23. Sisters of Mercy - issued statement
•24. Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, WY - issued statement
•25. Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist - issued statement
•26. Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH – issued statement
•27. New Hampshire Catholic Charities – issued statement
•28. Saint Anselm College – issued statement
The Non-Catholic Institutions/Denominations:
•1. Colorado Christian University (nondenominational) - filed lawsuit
•2. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – issued statement
•3. National Association of Evangelical Protestants – issued statement
•4. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – issued statement
•5. Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops – issued statement
•6. Anglican Church in North America – issued statement
•7. Reformed Theological Seminary – issued statement
•8. American Life League – issued statement
•9. Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission – issued statement
From the lips of another lawyer, Father - the HHS "health" insurance mandate is blatantly unconstitutional. It is not just a direct attack on the freedom of conscience of employers who find contraception, early chemical abortion or sterilisation morally repugnant, but against all persons, who could possibly ever be an employer, regardless of his or her actual moral position. This is because the natural law and constitutional principle of freedom of moral reason, and of religion that has been contravened, is much broader, than the particular application of the employee health insurance mandate itself. If this can be forced on employers, then other things that are reasonably morally objectionable to others, could likewise be forced on them. This is a fundamental breach of the constitutional rights of all persons in that jurisdiction. And the people cannot waive or compromise their natural and constitutional rights - they are inherent, inalienable. The SCOTUS can err, though, as it has, for example with Roe v Wade and ensuing judgments.
ReplyDelete