Well, that wasn’t hard to predict.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) vowed today that she will join with the Obama administration in standing up against the Catholic Church in defending a new regulation that will require Catholic individuals to buy, and Catholic institutions to provide, health insurance plans that cover sterilizations and artificial contraceptives, including those that induce abortions.
There’s video at the link, but CNSNews gives us the heart of the discussion:
At her Wednesday press briefing, CNSNews.com asked Pelosi: “The administration has issued a regulation that will require all health-care plans to cover sterilization and all FDA-approved contraceptives, including those that induce abortions. This would force Catholic individuals and institutions to act against their consciences. All across the nation, Catholic bishops are saying:–
Pelosi responded: “Is this a speech, or do we have a question in disguise as a speech?”
CNSNews.com continued: “‘We cannot–we will not—comply with this law.’ Catholic bishops are saying they will not comply with this law. Will you stand with your fellow Catholics in resisting this law or will you stick by the administration?”
Pelosi: “First of all, I am going to stick with my fellow Catholics in supporting the administration on this. I think it was a very courageous decision that they made, and I support it.”
“Stick with my fellow Catholics in supporting the administration,” Nancy? What planet are you living on? Bishops across the nation are saying that they oppose this, with one bishop going so far as to call HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius “a bitter fallen-away Catholic (who) now requires…coverage for evil and grave sin.” And it’s no wonder, given what Sebelius is reported to have said last November:
“We are in a war,” Sebelius told a recent pro-choice meeting. Opponents of the administration, she said, are trying to “roll back the last 50 years in progress women have made in comprehensive health care in America.”
It may not have been a war in November, Secretary Sebelius, but you sure seem to have started one now.
(Image of Pelosi from bioguide.congress.gov. Cross-posted at Conservative Wanderer)
I read this article with my jaw dropped. I dont know why, I was not surprised to see Pelosi supporing the decision, but to see her say that puts her further out of touch than I believed possible. Fellow Catholics in supporting this? Huh???
I am an athiest and no fan of the Church, but this is beyond the pale. I lean pro-choice but I understand and respect the arguments on the other side. To me it is unconscionable to force someone to act against their conscience, especially on this issue.
This isnt about abortion, this is about just that, forcing people to act against their conscience. What a horrible, despicable person she is. What an insidiously, evil agenda.
We need to get the roaches under control by some means before we end up having to burn the house down to get rid of them.
This isn’t surprising to those familiar with Pelosi with regard to such matters.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/princess-nancy-pelosivows-to-do-for-child-care-what-we-did-for-health-care/2011/11/15/gIQACzY1VN_story_1.html
Catholic health-care providers in particular have long said they’d have to go out of business without the conscience protections that Pelosi says amount to letting hospitals “say to a woman, ‘I’m sorry you could die’ if you don’t get an abortion.” Those who dispute that characterization “may not like the language,’’ she said, “but the truth is what I said. I’m a devout Catholic and I honor my faith and love it . . . but they have this conscience thing’’ that she insists put women at physical risk, although Catholic providers strongly disagree.
It is “interesting” to see how the subversives want to impose their religion of the nothing, in violation of the Constitution, to compel people to kill babies.
A law that makes murder compulsory. Wow.
We can’t say anything more against them, they say it all.
Excommunicate.
i doubt it will ever happen but if the catholic church truly decides to get its act together and advocate the similarities between catholicism and “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..” i might start going to mass again
Good News for the Romney and Republicans! Translation – little chance the Democrats are going to back down on this for a while. And the longer this stays an issue, the more chance this will be a huge motivator in November.
It is hard for me to see how he has not lost the Catholic vote already. He is losing the Jewish vote, ticked off the Unions, many in law enforcement…..
I predict a landslide in November. I will eat my hat if I am wrong.
Not just the Catholic vote. In talking with my fellow small-p protestants (admittedly a highly unscientific sample), we’re nearly as outraged about this naked power grab as the Catholics I know are.
I am completely offended by the administration’s view on this. I also lean pro choice however the Catholic Church has been pretty consistent in their view on when they believe life begins. This sets up another interesting challenge for the Supremes, on separation of church and state (and yet another mandate). Obama and Pelosi want to bully Catholics and yet they seem to be OK with a certain other religion that must not be named. Why do I think they are just fine with another procedure that maims young girls, all in the name of religious tolerance? No doubt everything and anything is fine with Pelosi as long as they don’t ban botox.
The hubris of this administration is an ongoing source of wonder.
How many divisions does the Pope have? That was Stalin’s rquestion when he was told the Pope opposed him.
And where is Stalin now? Where is the Soviet Union now?
The Church stands.
St. Bernard: “When the world rages, when the wicked become furious, when the flesh turns against the spirit, I will hope in Him. Who ever trusted in Him, and was put to shame?”
– there is no god, then hers is a life well-lived.
there is nothing this female thing won’t do for her politics.. she’s lower than whale shet…
This is an astounding blunder by the administration. It really could be a game-changer.
Oh what ignorance is displayed by the author and those who are responding here.
I hate to clue in the clueless but close to 98% (that’s a big number) of Catholic women in a recently released survey have used birth control at some point in their lives:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/us-contraceptives-religion-idUSTRE73C7W020110413
and prior research has shown that close to 70% of American Catholics disagree with their church’s teachings on birth control
75% of Catholics disagree with the Church’s own position of whether insurance companies should cover birth control.
Now I understand most here have no clue what the administration did but they did the same thing in NY, California, and Oregon without all this protest by the holy bishops. No one is forcing any Catholic to but birth control. No one is forcing the church to get into the insurance business. But if they do and they insure many who are not Catholics then they like all other insurance companies need to comply. They do in many states today.
Most Catholics have already parted ways with the Pope on this matter a long time ago.
I keep hearing about how many Catholics have used birth control and how many Catholics disagree with church teachings, but I have yet to hear how many Catholics agree that the force for changing their church’s position and practices should be the US government. According to anecdotal evidence, the majority seem to be against government coercion of the church into changing practices.
But where oh where are they changing anything? It already is that way in 28 states today. Where were the Bishops then? 8 states have no exemptions for religious beliefs like the administration had included. I suspect most here have not idea what they are discussing and are only talking to the headline.
No one is trying to change the Catholic church – heck I think they just apologized to Galileo – lol – they don’t make quick decisions. What the administration is doing is setting the rules for large employers. Catholic doctors are not forced to issued birth control if they choose not too. Catholics do not have to get birth control. The morning after pill is not covered.
Red herring. Nice try, though.
– birth control with methods used.