the Obama administration’s new unconstitutional insurance mandate seems to be jolting weary and jaded voters into action. Those who had given up on the political system and weren’t planning to vote, even with a clothespin on their noses—they’re suddenly realizing that it’s imperative to get this power-mad grand inquisitor out of office, no matter who replaces him.Yes. (Her column also makes the necessary point that the Conscience Crusher mandate is not about the Church, it's about America.)
Catholic Vote gets more explicit:
Obamacare was amended to authorize HHS to make this coercive decision back on December 3rd, 2009 through the passage of the Mikulski Amendment (#2791) in the U.S. Senate.Also yes.
Republican Senators Snowe, Collins and Vitter voted for that amendment, helping ensure passage (all other GOP senators voted NO). All Democrat Senators (except Ben Nelson who went on to vote for Obamacare and help it pass) voted YES on the amendment.
The Senators who voted YES on the Mikulski Amendment and voted YES on Obamacare played a special role in authorizing HHS to make this bad decision. When Catholics and pro-lifers warned that passing this amendment would result in precisely this sort of coercion taking place down the road, these Senators ignored us. We should remember that when they all come up for reelection.
And just maybe the bishops should do some soul-searching of their own.
it behooves the Catholic Church in America to immediately, absolutely and transparently refuse any more funding from the United States government. Because the bills always come due, and they always cost more than the estimate.Moreover, Catholicism is the truth. In the public square we are pleaders on behalf of the dignity of every human person, not special privileges for ourselves. I HATE these arguments where we place ourselves in a box and plead like a special interest group to be exempt from the laws that apply to other citizens. If Catholic institutions were to be exempt, that's nice, but what of the millions of Catholics and other pro-life citizens who don't work for religious institutions and would also like clear consciences?
Who takes the king's coin becomes the king's man Free of federal interference, we might start behaving like Christians, creatively caring for each other, like this.
James Lansberry, the vice president of Samaritan Ministries, says the concept is simple. First there's a $170 annual fee to cover Samaritan's administrative costs. His nonprofit group then compiles members' health care bills and tells its 14,000 households where to send their monthly checks.Overthrow the whole dang insurance system and bring costs down, and you'd feel better about it, too, because you know your money is going to John and Mary, not to "the man." It would bond us to each other, build community and fellow-feeling, and free us.
"The money doesn't get received at our central office — it goes directly from one family to another," Lansberry says. "So each month I send my monthly share of $285 directly to another family."
That's all it costs for Lansberry, his wife and their seven children to be in the program. That's a fraction of what a typical health insurance policy would cost.Being a Christian means walking by faith. And we believe that God is ultimately in control of everything, and that things work best when you go his way.
Update: Here's a great piece that argues against me --or at least defends the status quo in a qualified way.
