Let me start by saying that I know not everyone is going to agree with what I say in this post, but so be it. The Obama administration and their new "Obamacare" (our president's attempt at universal health insurance), have grossly violated the first amendment of the Bill of Rights. Last week brought about a different issue regarding the First Amendment, but in an attempt to keep everyone up to date with what is going on, I will re-state the part of the Amendment with which we will concern ourselves now. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." This clause of the First Amendment separates church from state, keeping the churches affairs within the church and the state's affairs (federal, state, and local) regarding only the state. This right, or freedom of ours within the United States is slowly being stripped away by the federal government. As part of Obama's universal health care initiative, which is complete B.S. in my mind, every employer must provide health insurance to their employees and that insurance must cover contraceptives, morning after pills, sterilizations, etc. These mandatory coverages are in direct opposition to the beliefs of Catholics (I speak about Catholics here because they are the group most affected by this particular mandate.) The only possible exemption that the Catholic Church has is if it provides coverage to only those claiming to be Catholic. Therefore, any Catholic institution, lets say hospitals and schools, that cater to individuals not Catholic, they must forego their moral beliefs and adhere to the mandates of the government. The federal government needs to be held accountable for their violation.
For the federal government to mandate this as part of the health care law is to say that the personal beliefs of a given religion don't matter. It is to say that what the federal government believes, trumps that of any religion, and as such strips away the barrier between church and state. The founding fathers held personal beliefs, including those belonging to a certain religion, to be sacrosanct, to be untouchable. Yet a few centuries later and it seems as if the efforts of the founding fathers are going to be flushed down the toilet with this assault by the federal government. The founding fathers of our country believed that every citizen should have the right and the freedom to believe what he/she wishes, adhere to whatever religion they wish, and worship accordingly. By the federal government mandating that every institution, including the Catholic Church, to adhere to their rules, citizens beliefs don't matter anymore. Only the beliefs that the federal government says we should have are the ones that count. And while the Catholic Church may be under fire this time, this health care law and its accompanying mandates opens the door for other religions and institutions to be affected in the future. This is only the start of what is sure to become a heated battle over religious freedom in this country. While most people might not see this as that big of a deal, it has the potential to greatly alter the way that people worship in this country. (To see a few articles on this topic, click any of the following links; NYTimes, Op-ed, Wall Street Journal.)
Just when we thought the government was upholding some of our freedoms, they turn around and strike at other freedoms that we have held dear for centuries. Religious freedom is one of the main reason that people first came to the United States and still do to this day. What Obama is doing is tantamount to what the Chinese government does on a daily basis; dictate what people can worship, how they worship, and where they worship. We are slowly becoming a communist country under Obama and anyone with any sense of freedom and what it means should be outraged. Everyone should have the opportunity to get health care, but for the federal government to mandate it is to strip away certain freedoms that we espouse so dearly. We can only hope that with enough of an uprising, and if it comes down to it, a lawsuit against the federal government, that we can retain our freedoms and rights as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and our Constitution. If for some reason, nothing is done and Obamacare (I almost vomit when I say it) is allowed to flourish in all its forms, we will be greatly worse for the wear. Our country will slowly lose its standing as a bastion of freedom and we will regress towards communism. The freedom to worship as we see fit, believe as we see fit, and live as we see fit is one of the great strengths of the United States. Obama, that dog, wants to strip our freedoms away, all for the cause of universal health care. Yes, I am angry, and I feel I have a right to be angry. What we need is for people to stand up for their beliefs and take on this ridiculous federal government. OK, enough for today, but don't let it eat away at you for too long. The stakes are too high, and we do not have time on our side.
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