April 26, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Conservative observers of the Obama scandal at the University of Notre Dame in 2009 immediately felt the event went beyond faux pas: it was a sign of our new president’s revolutionary attitude towards the Catholic Church and its teachings. For others in the Catholic world, this new attitude took a little longer to discover.
Though many downplayed the abortion-friendly speech by pointing to Obama’s pitch for “open hearts, open minds” and a “sensible conscience clause,” others could only watch as their worst fears played out over the next three years. The irony by now is too unbearable to miss.
Robert Mylod, the vice chairman of the Board of Directors at Christendom College, offered a contemplation of Obama’s Notre Dame address in light of what has fallen out since then: the courting of high-level Catholics to pass a health care bill that contains an assault on Catholicism so unprecedented that even Obama’s dedicated Catholic supporters (including a shocked president of Notre Dame) have at last discovered to their dismay that they have been thrown under the bus.
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Obama Quote: “When we open our hearts and our minds to those who may not think like we do or believe what we do – that’s when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.”
– Comment: The words are soothing but his actions leave little room for common ground. His concept of ‘common ground’ leads to persecution of those whose religious beliefs clash with his agenda.
Obama Quote: “So let’s work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies.”
His solutions:
– Rescind the Mexico City Policy instituted by President Reagan and supported by the presidents Bush which blocked U.S. funding for any foreign private organizations that provided abortion services or counseling, referrals or information on abortion.
– Force by Federal mandate all health care programs, including private health insurance, to carry birth control technologies (some of which are abortifacients) at no cost to the ‘patient’. Heavy fines for those (both insurers and individuals) who fail to comply.
– Fully cover without co-pay all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.
– Deny federal funding to organizations that aid trafficking victims: The USCCB Office of Migration and Refugee Services was denied Federal funding for its highly regarded services that aid trafficking victims after the Department of Health and Human Services opted for grantees that provide ‘family-planning services’ (read abortion and contraceptives).
– Force Catholic colleges to provide coverage for contraceptives in their health insurance programs. In 2009, Belmont Abbey was accused of gender discrimination after eight faculty members filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over Belmont Abbey’s decision to eliminate coverage of contraception in its health insurance.
Obama Quote: “….and making adoption more available.”
His solutions:
– Support for the radical expansion of parental eligibility to include homosexual couples. In states where this has already been passed, it has become very difficult for faith-based agencies that believe that marriage is between one man and one woman to function according to their beliefs.
– Reversal of the Justice Department’s commitment to defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Justice Department is now actively attempting to bring the law down in court.
Obama Quote: “Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause.”
His solutions:
– The only religious exemption in the new law (commonly labeled ‘Obamacare’) is so narrowly defined that it prompted the USCCB to note that even Jesus’ ministry would not qualify since He fed, healed, and taught non-Christians.
– The HHS interpretation of Obamacare offers ‘conscience protection’ if entities meet the following conditions:
(1) The inculcation of religious values is the purpose of the organization;
(2) The organization primarily employs persons who share the religious tenets of the organization;
(3) The organization serves primarily persons who share the religious tenets of the organization;
(4) The organization is a church, an integrated auxiliary of a church, a convention or association of churches, or is an exclusively religious activity of a religious order, under Internal Revenue Code 6033(a)(1) and (a)(3)(A).
Obama Quote: “….and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science on embryonic stem cell research altogether.”
His solutions:
– Overturn President Bush’s proscription on Embryonic Stem Cell Research by Executive Order.
– Defend the executive order in court. A federal judge upheld President Obama’s position in a long-running battle over the scope of federal funding for human embryonic stem-cell research. Stephanie Cutter, an assistant to Mr. Obama, called the judge’s ruling “another step in the right direction.” “We know that stem-cell research offers hope to millions of Americans across the country,” Ms. Cutter wrote on a White House blog.
– Provide funding for immoral and economically unviable embryonic stem cell research. The Obama Administration has funded embryonic stem research with some $434 million on since he took office.
– Push Federal expansion of embryonic stem cell research. NIH head Francis Collins has approved 135 human embryonic stem cell lines for taxpayer funding.
– Disregard the economic and biological inviolability of embryonic stem cell research. Geron, the largest private stem cell researcher has discontinued further development of its stem cell programs and is seeking a partner to take over its work because it is economically less viable than other of its research efforts. It eliminated a full 38% of its workforce in the process.
Obama Quote: “Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game.”
– Comment: His actions suggest that he actually sees the world as a zero sum game and seeks to keep the pie from expanding, particularly the population ‘pie.’
His solutions:
– Aggressively promote abortion, sterilization and contraception (for adolescents without parental knowledge or consent) both domestically and abroad. Population growth is a fundamental building block of any healthy economy.
– Limit access to medical care for seniors.
– Aggressively advance the myth of global warming. John Holdren, presidential ‘czar’ of science and technology and a radical population control advocate pursues this misinformation even now. This hamstrings the economy.
– His energy policy is classic ‘zero sum’ thinking and restricts expansion of the economy.