Jay,
I'd like to turn our focus away from Planned Parenthood and on to the Catholic Bishops.
As I'm sure you know, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops persuaded Congress nearly single-handedly this weekend to add an amendment to the House health care bill that essentially bars insurance companies participating in government sponsored "insurance exchanges" from covering abortions. That's right, they've succeeded in their push to interject their religious doctrine into America's health care legislation.
I will be working with many others to try to get this language is stripped from the bill before it makes it to the President's desk. It would be appalling if this fairly modest reform of health care has come at the expense of women's reproductive rights. Last I checked, Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land, which means this bill is cutting off access to a legal health procedure in most of the nation's insurance plans.
But for a moment, let's just put aside the abortion discussion and the horrific fact that the Catholic Church was willing to kill health care for the sick and poor if the Democrats didn't give them this amendment. What many people are now questioning is how one religious group can be such a lobbying powerhouse and not have to abide by any of the same standards and requirements as other tax-exempt organizations do when they operate on Capitol Hill.
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Daniel Webb
November 11, 2009 6:59 PM
"As I'm sure you know, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops persuaded Congress nearly single-handedly this weekend to add an amendment to the House health care bill that essentially bars insurance companies participating in government sponsored "insurance exchanges" from covering abortions."
I'm pretty sure that's not true. They did not do it "single-handedly." Millions of concerned citizens like myself signed petitions. I know the ACLJ was involved in trying to get legislation like that through. It's not Catholics forcing their religious doctrine. It's America speaking.
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PRAISE THE LORD! for your clarity!
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
... I do not think that a religious tradition should have sway or power in the laws of our country.
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It's not the power it wields, rather the power Lib leaders perceive coming down the road next November. Libs did not have to accept what the bishops said. They could've just gone their own, merry way, and taken their chances next November. Those chances don't look very good, anyway.
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
If the adherents do not want to have an abortion, fine don’t have one...
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However, it's not whether WE want one, or not, but whether the unborn person gets the same Due Process all persons get.
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
... but it annoys me that religious groups think that the country should be governed by their religious beliefs...
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That's more Lib propaganda.
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
If abortion should become illegal, I, personally, would assist, in any way possible, to help a woman have an abortion should she choose to do so.
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See? The woman would still have the Right to choose.
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
Abortion was illegal before and many women died as a result of having to perform them either for themselves or have them done by less than reputable people.
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What you mean to say is that they chose to perform their own abortions, or have less than reputable people perform them. They STILL had choice. Their choice, their responsibility, their guilt.
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
The desire, by some, to create a theocracy in the U.S....
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Nobody is trying to create a theocracy in the United States.
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
One of the things I would like to see happen in this country is to have ALL tax exempt statuses of churches removed...
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So, now, to YOUR way of thinking, there's an exception to the so-called "separation of Church and State."
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
If a religion wants to play politics...
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What's "play politics"?
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
... then let them pay for it.
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So, if one wants to "play politics," he should have to pay for it. How much are YOU paying for your Right to "play politics"?
Take away tax emepy status would show you just how unwilling some religious leaders are to pay taxes. They want it both ways: to skirt the law AND maintain their failities tax emept status.
Gwuddion9,
I had to laugh at Mr. Incredible's imbecilic response to you:
Gwyddion9
November 11, 2009 9:05 PM
... but it annoys me that religious groups think that the country should be governed by their religious beliefs...
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(Mr. Incredible's response)
That's more Lib propaganda.
Wow, this is standard for this guy. Instead of putting together some argument that disproves your assertion, he just throws out some overly broad generality. The trouble with that is that, while likely pleasing to the FOX News crowd, it just doesn't have any substance.
But, on the bright side, at least he didn't quote chapter and verse from his cult's one and only book.
Progressives need to remind Senate and House members of two things: 1) The Catholic Bishops DO NOT speak for ALL Catholics, or all people of faith. And 2) The Catholic Bishops have no moral authority on matters related to sexuality. Until they clean up their house, they have no business in mine!
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