Religious Freedom

 I am interrupting my recent analysis of the document "Affliction of Cancer" for what I believe is a serious attack on our religious freedoms.  Below is the letter I wrote to the newspapers in this area.  You know me this would have been longer but I had to keep it to 300 words or less.

Dear Editor and Citizens of these United States:

I am writing to express my deep concern about recent discussions between the Catholic Bishops and the Obama Administration.  As many know the Obama Administration has decided to mandate that Catholic institutions provide contraceptive pills, abortion-producing drugs and sterilization through their insurance companies to their employees.  

Within the last two weeks the US Bishops sent representatives again to meet with the administration to discuss these matters.  The following paragraph is from a letter by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, President of the Bishops Committee, to his fellow Bishops.

“At a recent meeting between staff of the bishops’ conference and the White House staff, our staff members asked directly whether the broader concerns of religious freedom—that is, revisiting the straight-jacketing mandates, or broadening the maligned exemption—are all off the table. They were informed that they are.  So much for “working out the wrinkles.”  Instead, they advised the bishops’ conference that we should listen to the “enlightened” voices of accommodation, such as the recent, hardly surprising yet terribly unfortunate editorial in America.  The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Catholic teaching and so, taking a cue from its own definition of religious freedom, now has nominated its own handpicked official Catholic teachers.”

The Obama administration now believes they can proclaim Catholic doctrine.  Whether you are a member of the Catholic Church or believe what the Catholic Church teaches you should be concerned.  This is about religious freedom and who has the right to teach, proclaim and follow their faith.  

There is only one answer to all of this, vote.  Please vote in the upcoming primary and general elections for religious freedom.

Sincerely,

Aaron Pfoutz