Pro Life in TN

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Pro Life thoughts in a pro choice world through the eyes of a convert. I took early retirement after working in the social work and Human Resources fields but remain active by being involved in pro life education, lobbying and speaking .

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Friday, March 30, 2012

(Prolifer)ations 3-30-12

from Jill Stanek.com

Thumbnail image for blog buzz.jpgby Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
  • Welcome to our newest blog by University of Michigan Students for Life, which is celebrating the group’s first known baby saved in their Pregnant on Campus Campaign. The students used flyers, chalkings, and signage to acquaint students with resources available for them to choose life. Congratulations to them!

  • ProLife NZ shares news of an anti-euthanasia flash mob in France. The secretly planned event was in counter-protest to a public pro-euthanasia demonstration:

    Seven hundred people, young and old, holding red hearts with the slogan “Caring, not killing,” filled the esplanade facing the Eiffel Tower and danced to the sounds of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.”
    …Participants [turned] to show the other side of their paper hearts bearing the words: “Solidarity with those who are the most fragile,” after which they lay on the ground to symbolize victims of euthanasia.
  • Wesley J. Smith writes a tongue-in-cheek response to a recent article deriding the obese for driving up healthcare costs. Smith suggests if this lifestyle is to be punished, then the sexually promiscuous one should be as well:

    If that’s the kind of society we want, if we really intend to unleash the lifestyle police, then let’s also target the promiscuous. After all, under the LA Times’ logic… living promiscuously increases the likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, experiencing or causing an unintended pregnancy, suffering depression and other mental health problems, and so on. In fact, when you think about it, promiscuity leads directly to deadly and very expensive diseases such as AIDS — and in a much faster time frame than either smoking or overeating!
    Maybe this is an issue the First Lady would like to tackle as well. Then again, maybe not.

  • Pro-Life Wisconsin reports that liberal blog Think Progress is shocked – shocked -to find that a conservative summit had a booth that displayed pro-life literature. They write:

    The next room… featured a bevy of literature warning women about the supposed dangers of birth control and telling them that “Chastity is the best choice for single people.” One handout explained that contraception is unnecessary because “Saving yourself for your future spouse is guaranteed to prevent pregnancy before marriage.” Another answered the question “Is it safe?” with a simple “No.” The literature on emergency contraception warned that it could cause cancer before telling women simply, “Be good to yourself. Don’t use the morning-after pill.”

    We are so busted. Informing the public on chastity and on how birth control pills work? Oh the disgrace!
  • Soapbox Five examines abortion proponent Margie Kelly’s claim that fetal health is important – and that pro-lifers aren’t doing enough to address it:

    While glossing over the fact that she supports the idea of mothers killing their fetuses arbitrarily, Kelly blames pro-lifers for not doing enough to make the “fetal environment” healthier through environmental regulations which would lead to better health for mother and child….
    Is death at the hands of one’s mother preferable to being gestated in a potentially less-than-ideal environment? Clean water and air are hugely important for all human beings, but I have to ask: Abortion advocates… do you really want to say that pro-lifers aren’t doing enough to save fetuses because we aren’t focusing all our efforts on eradicating pollution?….
    Apparently Ms. Kelly has no problem with such a claim. Ms. Kelly believes women should be able to have their children scraped and suctioned from their wombs in pieces, but she also believes that fetuses should have the very best possible environment.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Abortion complication....abortionist w/o admitting privileges at hospital can still find humor in the call


 Cross Posted at Stand for Life....just another day in the life of an abortionist....laughing while making a  911 call. Note this dr. does not have admitting privileges at the hospital he is sending her to.  A bill to require this is currently in the TN legislature. So if you don't have admitting privileges you basically ship the patient off for someone else to handle. Having admitting privileges assures that you meet their standards for credentialing.  So how many abortionists cannot meet this standard?   How many drive or fly in for a day of abortions with no follow up or continued care in the event of complications. So this is caring about the health and welfare of women??? Frightening.....


Cincinnati, Ohio – Operation Rescue has obtained a recording of a 911 call placed by the infamous late-term abortionist Martin Haskell after one of his patient suffered life-threatening seizures following an abortion.
Haskell was unsure of the patient’s age and described her as 19 or 20 years old. He told an emergency dispatcher that she had experienced “status epilepticus” since coming out of anesthesia. Status epilepticus is a life-threatening condition in which the brain is in a state of persistent seizure lasting more than 5 minutes.
Haskell is heard laughing at the dispatcher when she offered him additional emergency instructions until the emergency responders could arrive.
However, Haskell has no hospital privileges as required by law. He has received a variance from the Ohio Department of Health to continue operating as long as other physicians agree to cover his abortion complications once patients have been admitted. One of those physicians, William T. Bowers II, has been disciplined in two states and is under criminal investigation in another.
“Haskell is a danger to the public, plain and simple. We are urging the Ohio Department of Health to rescind Haskell’s variance and close his dangerous abortion clinic immediately in the interest of public safety,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation.
Please contact the ODH and ask them to rescind Haskell’s variance and close his abortion clinic.
Dr. Theodore Wymyslo, Ohio Department of Health
E-mail: Director@odh.ohio.gov
Phone: 614-466-2253


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

(Prolifer)ations 3-27-12



from Jill Stanek.com

Thumbnail image for blog buzz.jpgby Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

  • If a picture is worth a thousand words, check out Catholic Vote’s photos of how many came out on a working day for their local Rallies for Religious Freedom (like the one in NYC, pictured left) across the country.
  • As the 40 Days for Life campaign enters its final week, participants share inside stories of workers being changed and lives being saved.
  • On the two-year anniversary of an affront to parental rights, Abortion in Washington rounds up their past coverage on the transportation of a minor, during school hours, from Ballard High School’s on-site health clinic to a clinic for an abortion – without parental consent or knowledge. The teen was advised by the clinic that if she did not inform her parents there would be no charge. Though no law was broken, the trust between school and parents was.
  • Bryan Kemper notes the twisted logic of Planned Parenthood and its supporters:

    I am so tired of Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion machine telling me to “keep my rosaries out of their ovaries” or to “stay out of their bedroom and mind my own business,” but then they turn around and expect me to pay for these sexual activities with my tax money. Are you kidding me?
  • Accepting Abundance notes how earlier and longer contraceptive use statistically leads to more unplanned pregnancies.
  • Coming Home discusses the truth, straight from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, about how the Obama Administration intends to pay for free contraceptives for all: by making sure people aren’t born. To top it off, the Congressional Budget Office tells us that Obamacare will now cost twice its originally promised price tag.
    Hear Sebelius in her own words:

Monday, March 26, 2012

Dr. Richard Land and the sisters....Nashville

This is my favorite pix of the Nashville Rally to Stand up for Religious Freedom....Dr. Richard Land gave the concluding speech in this rally attended by 500 people under threatening skies. He called the HHS Mandate Rape of the Soul. What a sweet picture! Nashville rally boasted speakers from several faith groups. Key speakers included Bishop Choby of Nashville Diocese, Dr. Richard Land President of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of Southern Baptist Convention, Congressman Diane Black, Dr. Carol Swain, Dr. Rachel Kaiser, Bobbie Patray, Lt. Col Courtney Rogers, Rep. Terry Lynn Weaver, Pastor Tom Vanderbilt.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Dr. Land calls HHS Mandate "Rape of the Soul"

Dr. Richard Land, President of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention speaks to the Nashville, TN rally to stand up for religious freedom on March 23, 2012.....

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Mother Jones: Mind your own business ....and open your wallet...


Mother Jones tries to be clever with this suggestion. Women should knit  a vagina or womb and send it to the Congressman with a note to chastise or appreciate  depending on how they are voting for the 'pay for my contraception, abortion producing drugs and sterilization.' I wonder how many they will get. Despite giving instructions something tells me this is not a knitting crowd.
"The crochet patterns available so far include uterus and "happy uterus." For knitters, there's a vulva, a womb (pictured), felt cervixes, and (hey, why not?)—a "snatchel."


They have a list of messages to send with the products....not products of conception.... here is my personal favorite....."We do not need government interference with our doctors or our healthcare.

 Ummmm really???? I thought you wanted all of us  ( even the Church)to pay for your contraception, sterilization, abortions????  I guess it is shut up Church but open your wallet!!!
 Personally I like the womb better.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Abortion arm decries that 26 states now solidly pro life....

This is what continuing education and medical advances is doing and causing so much angst in the abortion industry....from Guttmacher Institute.... Take note Washington....


Dr. Charles....."liberal echo chamber elite cocooning'...

Move to 14:47 and hear Krauthammer discuss the "liberal echo chamber elite cocooning " on Inside Washington and  go on to educate the panel to the latest NYT poll (hardly right leaning...) that says just the opposite of what they had been discussing .....saying the opposition of the HHS mandate by religious institutions is a loser for the Republicans etc etc etc. 

Hey, folks this is grassroots and diverse clergy talking to you not establishment R's...... as the doctor says strong letter to follow..... like on March 23rd.....120 cities signed up to Rally to stand up for Religious Freedom.....


 

Saturday, March 17, 2012

How do I get off this love ya list from Barack and Michelle??

Every day Obama and/or Michelle want $$. Every day they want me to help their campaign. Today they want me to go to an address in Nashville and man a phone bank making calls into North Carolina to help Barack in the upcoming primary. Well....there is no one running against him!! They make the plea so urgent! The election this time could be even closer than last election cycle. Well...this is a primary where he does not even have an opponent. I bet he will win on the D side...ya think? 

The plea suggests we will be catching people on the phone as they drive to work??? On Saturday??? They have cell numbers of people??? I thought this was dangerous and in some places even illegal to drive to and talk on their cell??? Each day the name on the plea for my $$ and time is under a different name. Today it is Justin. So Justin are the D voters in NC so turned off that they need to be called on their cell phone on a Saturday to vote where there is no opponent. Even if I was so inclined I have better ways to spend my Saturday.


How you say?? Today I am working on informing people that dear ole Barack who needs me....is taking away our first amendment right of religious freedom. He is so full of himself that he feels that if his dictates conflicts with the religious teachings that we choose to believe in then we should....of course....say Yes Barack and abandon our religious doctrine and tell our pastor/priest/rabbi that they can fall in line or take a hike. 

Schools, hospitals, charities can submit or cede the territory to Barack and Michelle. I think organizing a rally to stand up for religious freedom and conscience rights might just take precedent over calling cell phones on Saturday. 

But wait ....now here is an email from Michelle herself....she says she loves me and wants to have dinner with me.  Jill and Joe will be there .....they only need a yes from me aaaannnnddd a donation. Can't wait to hear from you...Love you back....Michelle.


How did I get on this list. I thought I was only on their watch list because I was pro life. I think I prefer that list to the love ya...list from Barack and Michelle. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

NYT shock poll shows that most opposed the HHS mandate attacking our religious freedom....

Well the NYT ran a poll on how people feel about the HHS Mandate and the results were not what they were expecting.

"A majority of Americans say religiously affiliated organizations -- such as hospitals and universities -- should be exempt from the Obama administration's abortion/contraceptive mandate, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.

The survey found that by a 57-36 percent margin, U.S. adults believe religious organizations should be allowed to "opt out" of covering birth control for their female employees. The poll did not use the word "abortion," although Christian leaders say the mandate would require them to cover contraceptives that can cause chemical abortions."

Along with that piece of news is an update on the Nationwide Rally to Stand up for Religious Freedom on March 23rd at noon is up to 110 locations.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Living Waters: How to get people to watch 180...

Cross Posted at Living Waters.... good idea.... let's tweet to save lives.....tomorrow.... I will sart



How to get people to watch "180."

Recently a 30-minute documentary about a Ugandan rebel leader received more than 100 million views in just ten days. The key to its success was Twitter. Let's make this 180 Wednesday "180 Twitter" day. Please, for the sake of the unborn and the unsaved (on Wednesday14th) tweet:

Make sure you see the award-winning 180movie.com Millions have already. It will rock your world. Please Retweet. #180Movie

We have 162,535 likes on Facebook. If everyone tweets, we can make a big difference.

If you know of people who haven't yet watched "180," have them check out the below upcoming interviews. Each one is designed to stir people to watch the entire movie:

Daystar TelevisionDaystar Television
Monday, March 19th beginning at 6:00 am, 7:30 pm and 1:00 am. All times are Central Time. Ray will be on a panel with three women, discussing abortion and showing clips from "180."

Grounded RadioGrounded Radio
Ryan Dobson (son of Doctor James Dobson) interviews Ray on Grounded Radio--Wednesday, March 14th. You can find the show at
www.GroundedRadio.com


700 Club700 Club
Watch for this LIVE interview about "180" on CBN, Thursday, March 29th at 10:00 AM ET

Watch 180








Saturday, March 10, 2012

Wrongful birth.... $3MM awarded


This is who we have become.....this is a tragedy
"This afternoon, after nine days of trial in a downtown Portland courtroom, 12 jurors began deliberating in a case that gets to the core of how we view and value a life, and asks who should have to pay when that life is less than optimal.
 Several studies show that more than 89 percent of women who learn they will give birth to a child with Down syndrome choose to terminate their pregnancies.


The Levys filed suit against Legacy Health, claiming that Deborah Levy would have aborted her pregnancy had she known her daughter had the chromosomal abnormality."

Friday, March 9, 2012

(Prolifer)ations 3-9-12

from Jill Stanek.com

Thumbnail image for blog buzz.jpgby Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
  • Vital Signs links to a Politico article discussing how the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Internal Revenue Service will all be involved in penalizing churches, businesses, and organizations which choose not to comply with the HHS contraception mandate. Hmm… maybe that’s how they plan to pay off the national debt.
  • Wesley J. Smith notes that President Obama continues to show antipathy toward anything pro-life, now eliminating federal funding for “Snowflake Babies,” which “helped connect women willing to gestate frozen embryos to families wanting them adopted, thereby allowing these embryos to fulfill the purpose of their creation.”
  • Right to Life of Michigan reports that Michigan has introduced legislation in an attempt to nullify the current HHS mandate at the state level.
  • Reflections of a Paralytic explains that the Catholic Church’s stance against IVF does not mean the church is against treatment of infertility.
  • At What Christians Want to Know, Pam Williams shares with teens 10 tips on how to remain sexually pure.
  • Mommy Life shares a Live Action post by Cassy Fiano on the wrongful birth lawsuit brought by Oregon parents against the hospital which failed to diagnose their daughter with Down syndrome in utero.
  • At Pro-Life Action League, John Jansen discusses a victory for pro-lifers in Jacksonville, FL, where police denied a permit to picket a local abortion clinic because of a lack of sidewalks. (A local ordinance had mandated permits for public gatherings of more than three people.) A judge ruled in favor of the pro-lifers and the city ordinance will now have to change. I guess the ACLU was asleep at the wheel on this one.

Breakpoint: Plan B vs. Religious Liberty Not so Fast

 Charles Colson's Breakpoint brings more evidence of the absolute audacity of this administration in their HHS attack on conscience rights and religious liberties....

"How supremely ironic is it that at the same time the Obama Administration is seeking to force religious organizations to offer insurance coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, a federal district court in Washington State has ruled that the state cannot force pharmacies to dispense those very same drugs?

That’s right. And this comes close on the heels of what amounted to a 9-0 smack-down of the Administration by the Supreme Court, which insisted in the Hosanna-Tabor case that even in hiring, the First Amendment gives “special solicitude to the rights of religious organizations.”

Wallbuilders builds the case well.... America’s Most Biblically-Hostile U. S. President













David Barton has done his homework and has the facts outlined to back this up. This is a must read.....
" When one observes President Obama’s unwillingness to accommodate America’s four-century long religious conscience protection through his attempts to require Catholics to go against their own doctrines and beliefs, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Catholic. But that characterization would not be correct. Although he has recently singled out Catholics, he has equally targeted traditional Protestant beliefs over the past four years. So since he has attacked Catholics and Protestants, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Christian. But that, too, would be inaccurate. He has been equally disrespectful in his appalling treatment of religious Jews in general and Israel in particular. So perhaps the most accurate description of his antipathy toward Catholics, Protestants, religious Jews, and the Jewish nation would be to characterize him as anti-Biblical."
Amazing...... especially as you read this in chronological order....

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Priest Sets the Threat to Religious Freedom to Rhyme

Newt talks about infanticide votes of Obama...no follow up questions??

Stand for Life posts a video of Speaker Newt Gingrich on  Meet the Press. Watch how David Gregory has no follow up questions  when the Speaker  brings up the past infanticide votes of Obama. Gregory wants to talk birth control but Newt has bigger fish to fry as he stays on message.... of  religious freedom and the past record of the POTUS.





 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Baptist Gov. Mike Huckabee on Obama mandate: ‘We are all Catholics now’


WASHINGTON, D.C., February 16, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Many observers have been buoyed by the stunning display of unity between Catholics and Evangelicals against President Obama’s effort to force religious institutions to cover sterilizations, contraceptives, and abortion-inducing drugs.
The sentiment was on full display at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, when former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee declared: “We are all Catholics now.”
Gov. Mike Huckabee at CPAC on Saturday
Before an enthusiastic crowd, the Southern Baptist pastor opened by thanking President Obama: “You have done more than any person in the entire GOP field, any candidate has done, to bring this party to unity, and energize this party, as a result of your attack on religious liberty and the attack on the personhood of every human being in America.”
“I remember very vividly when John F. Kennedy said that ‘we are all Berliners’.

 Well in many ways, thanks to president Obama, we are all Catholics now,” Huckabee said.

Read rest here.

Cardinal Dolan...."“We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it"

 Read article  by Cardinal Dolan on the attack on religious liberty.
"Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent a letter on Friday to all the Catholic bishops of the United States reasserting the conviction of the Catholic Church that it will not yield to the Obama administration’s command—issued in the form of a Health and Human Services regulation implementing the president’s health-care plan–that Catholics and Catholic institutions must violate the teachings of their faith by purchasing and providing health insurance plans that pay for sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacients."

Pro Choice version of the Bible....
















Bryan Kemper uses pro choice terminology to translate familiar passages of the Bible.
·       John 1:14 The Word became a blob of cells and oppressed Mary.
·       Luke 1:44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the parasite in my womb stole more blood as it continued to invade my body.
·       Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive a potential son, and if you want too, you can allow it to become a human and call it’s name JESUS.
·       Jer 1:5 Before the blob of tissues floated around in the womb, I knew what you might potentially become if your host decided you should be allowed to develop.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

TN Dept of Health: We do not license abortion facilities

You would imagine that a straightforward bill stating that the dr. performing an abortion should have admitting privileges at a hospital in the county or adjacent county in which the abortion is performed would be sail through committee?? The reason is obvious... if there are complications the dr. can treat the patient at the hospital. 

Second part just asks that the dept. of health,  that   already gather non identifying information about abortions  to publish this data on their website  along with their  many other statistics for public consumption. 

Interesting that the dept. of health rep. acknowledged that there is no "teeth" in the law currently and only reminder letters are sent out to abortion providers requesting this required data from abortion sites.  She also acknowledged that they do not license abortion facilities.

Once again, listen to the angst expressed  and twisting of the bill's language and intent to obstruct.  What are they afraid of? ?? Surely everyone wants the woman's health to be protected and asking the dr. performing the surgical procedure to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital is not out of line !!!!   Is it????




(Prolifer)ations 3-6-12

from Jill Stanek.com

Thumbnail image for blog buzz.jpgby Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
  • The Teenage Life Club is hosting a 2012 Pro-Life Letter Campaign with the goal of having 1 million letters sent to the White House and the Supreme Court this month.

  • The Abolitionist Society points out a severe lack of decorum at an Oklahoma anti-personhood rally in February. Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre (pictured left) of Tulsa happily posed holding a vulgar sign.
  • Abortion State outlines the hard fought victory with the Washington Supreme Court for conscience rights for pharmacists:We applaud the court’s decision because it was the right one…. We provided the only public reporting on the incestuous business relationships between Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, the UW School of Pharmacy/Don Downing, Barr Labs, the Board of Pharmacy and the governor of Washington. ALL of them colluded against pharmacists (and others) who said, “Plan B kills and we don’t want to be part of it.” Specifically, they targeted Christians and people of conscience.
  • Coming Home believes the only solution to the war against the Church over the HHS mandate is to vote the Obama Administration out of office.
  • Culture Campaign has several links discussing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ comments on how the contraception mandate will be funded – by saving money on childbirth. FoxNews has video:
  • Live Action says China is attempting to use kinder, gentler words to enforce its barbaric One-Child Policy:Similar to Planned Parenthood in the U.S., the Chinese government wants to promote the murder of children by making it sound more interesting, advisable, and good. They try to excuse away their promotion of death with upbeat words. Neither one of these abortion giants have any desire to stop abortion. They simply want to not sound like the bad guy.
    So now maybe China can just add “please” to the end of former statements like, “If you escape… we’ll hunt you down; if you want to hang yourself, we’ll give you the rope.”
  • In other news out of China, Big Blue Wave points to a Chinese study showing a link between abortion and mental health issues.
  • Bryan Kemper uses pro-choice terminology to translate familiar passages of the Bible. For instance, John 1:14 might read, “The Word became a blob of cells and oppressed Mary.”
  • Americans United for Life highly recommends the upcoming film, October Baby:

TN Bioethics & Culture...State of the Union -On Hormones

Excellent article from Dr. Joy Riley of Tennessee Center for Bioethics and Culture.

THE STATE of the Union — On Hormones

February 9, 2012 • Posted in Blog
By D. Joy Riley, M.D., M.A.
A few days ago, I received an unsolicited e-mail from “Stephanie Cutter, BarackObama.com” <info@barackobama.com>.  It read in part,
Here’s some big news that’s going to affect millions of women.

On Friday, the Obama administration announced that soon women won’t have to pay out of pocket for birth control: Starting August 1st, many insurance plans nationwide will be required to fully cover contraception without co-pays or deductibles. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more women can make health care decisions based on what’s best for them — not their insurance company — all while saving hundreds of dollars every year.
Think about how different that is from what the candidates on the other side would do. They’ve all vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Mitt Romney even said he would have signed a constitutional amendment in Massachusetts to define life as beginning at conception, similar to the notorious state-level ‘personhood’ amendment that could ban many forms of contraception, and even IVF. . . .

I wish to be clear: contraception is not a new subject to me, as a physician married to an obstetrician/gynecologist, or as a woman.  What is new is the involvement of the state to such a degree.
Consider that in 1965, the United States Supreme Court heard a case against contraception.  That was the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, in which Griswold, the Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, and Dr. Buxton, a Yale Medical School professor as well as New Haven’s Planned Parenthood Medical Director, brought suit against the state of Connecticut.  Griswold and Buxton contested the constitutionality of the Connecticut law under which they were arrested and fined for assisting married couples in preventing conception.  In that decision, they questioned
Would we allow the police to search the sacred precincts of marital bedrooms for telltale signs of the use of contraceptives? The . . . very idea is repulsive to the notions of privacy surrounding the marriage relationship.
In that decision, in which the Connecticut law was struck down, the Court had this to say about marriage:
We deal with a right of privacy older than the Bill of Rights — older than our political parties, older than our school system. Marriage is a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred. It is an association that promotes a way of life, not causes; a harmony in living, not political faiths; a bilateral loyalty, not commercial or social projects. Yet it is an association for as noble a purpose as any involved in our prior decisions. 
 
Almost 47 years later, we find a different landscape.  Now, not only is the “state” — in this case, the United States — allowing sale and use of contraceptives, the citizenry is being told they must provide it free for all women who desire to use it.  In 1965, it was anathema (to the Court) that the government should police bedrooms for evidence of the use of contraceptives; in 2012, it seems anathema to the federal government that persons of conscience would not wish to provide and/or pay for others’ use of contraceptives.  “Contraceptives” are broadly defined, and include abortifacients in some cases.  Indeed, religious institutions which object to contraceptive use have one more year to figure out how to divest themselves of their consciences, and comply with the federal requirement.  Some refer to this a “the rape of conscience.”  I cannot disagree.  On what basis can a government insist that private organizations and citizens provide hormonal treatments to its citizenry?  Such a strong centralized state is itself a state on hormones; in this case, steroids: “THE STATE.”  Such provision for its people is really the STATE’s iron hand in its “Nanny” glove.

Monday, March 5, 2012

NRO: Debunking HHS Mandate myths....

Cross Posted from National Review Online
March 5, 2012
Myth #1: “28 states — more than half — in the country have laws with contraception coverage mandates.”
Truth: The federal mandate actually goes much deeper. In states where there are mandates religious organizations can simply opt out by self-insuring or dropping prescription drug coverage. The federal mandate does not allow any of these alternatives, and does not protect our religious liberty.

Myth #2: “If you receive federal funding you have to comply by federal rules. You can’t have your cake and eat it too!”
Truth: The mandate forces every group health plan in America to cover these drugs whether the group gets federal funds or not. There is no opt-out. The government is making religious groups choose between offering services they believe to be immoral or closing their doors. That would have the terrible consequences of withdrawing charitable religious organizations from our country’s social safety net. Who will bear the brunt of this backwards policy? The poor, the homeless, the sick and the hungry.

Myth #3: These drugs don’t cause an abortion! Catholics should learn a little bit about biology.
Truth: Biology does not dictate theology. Reasonable people may disagree about when a pregnancy begins, but for individuals who believe that human life begins at the moment of fertilization, not implantation, these drugs destroy innocent life. More specifically, the mandate requires religious organizations to cover Plan B, the morning after pill, and Ella, the week after pill, both of which can terminate a human life after fertilization. Also, RU486, A.K.A. the abortion drug, is currently being tested, and if approved by the FDA as an emergency contraceptive would automatically be mandated as well.


Myth #4: Employees who do not share the same faith of their religious employer should not be deprived of health care because of their employer’s religious beliefs.
Truth: Religious groups believe in promoting the well-being and health of their employees and students, which is why they provide health insurance; but as part of their religious commitment, they cannot cover services that are inconsistent with their religious faith. Employees are free to purchase these services even if they are not covered under a religious employer’s plan. And employees and students at religious organizations know — when they accept a job or enroll as a student — they do so at a religious institution that takes seriously its faith commitment.

Myth #5: The federal mandate actually protects women’s health because it increases access to free birth control.
Truth: Access isn’t the issue. 9 out of 10 employer-based insurance plans already cover these services. There is no need for the government to force religious groups to provide these services against their religious convictions.

Watch the videos Becket has created to further illustrate the truth here.

Followers