Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Can a government force a Church or individual to do something that violates their principles and convictions? Here are two articles that look at the issue in the USA where Obamacare regulations will force Catholic institutions to provide free contraceptive coverage. Irrespective of the specifics of this issue (birth control) which according to most polls Catholics support individually, it does seem to violate the principle of separation of Church and State. What do you think? Catholics cross with Obama over birth-control coverage - Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com White House denies health-care mandate violates Catholic consciences

It is a continuing mystery to me why women who shun regular produce in favor of 'organic' foods so willingly ingest chemicals designed to alter their body chemistry to prevent fertility. Stories like this one only serve to deepen the mystery for me. Two brands of birth control pills raise blood clot risk | CTV News

If this story is accurate, it reveals an amazing change in public policy. Up to now, governments offered (directly or indirectly) financial support for the procreation of the generation to follow. Now it is doing the opposite. Strange when you consider the requirement of a sufficiently expanding population to maintain pension and other social programs. Demographic trends demonstrate that the past two generations have failed to have enough children to accomplish the task. It makes little sense to implement a policy which will serve to discourage couples having children into the future. Secret Planned Parenthood Memo: Stop Maternity Coverage | LifeNews.com

The Vatican has responded to the installation of a condom machine in a Roman High School. Read about it here. I wonder if the folks who were shouted down as extremists when they predicted this day would happen  when the State would circumvent all parental rights as regards to the regulation of the sexual behavior of their children are still around to see the accuracy of their forecasts. You know the people I mean... the folks from HLI and other organizations who opposed the rights of Public Health professionals to hand out condoms without parental consent in high school. HLI claimed that eventually such items would be offered without any form of adult supervision if parent committees started down this path - and they were ridiculed as being little more than religious fanatics. They were shouted down in many a meeting I attended back in the 70's and 80's when I was a social worker in the public school system. I was among those who were SHOUTING!! Now I PRAY that those who ...