Obamacare Poses Major Threat to Religious Freedom

With strong leadership and massive media coverage, 63,000 people of all faiths and denominations, in 145 cities across the U.S. hit the streets for the "Rally for Religious Freedom," on March 23rd 2012. This event, designed to peacefully protest the proposed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate, commonly referred to as "preventive" health care or "Obamacare," was, by all accounts, a step forward in the fight for religious freedom.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Eric Scheidler, Executive Director of the Pro-Life Action League and co-sponsor for the event, together with Citizens For a Pro-Life Society, excitement continues to build across the nation, as plans are well-underway for the next "Rally for Religious Freedom" scheduled on Friday, June 8th .

These wide-spread protests sent a strong message to both the Obama administration and US citizens alike, about the importance of respect for, and preservation of, religious freedom, human rights, and personal conscience. This event was also helpful in raising awareness, from coast to coast, about this controversial mandate that President Obama is trying to push through.

For many people of faith, the HHS mandate is viewed as far-reaching, and a major threat to religious freedom in America. Clearly, the HHS mandate could, indeed, profoundly affect generations of people on both sides of the issue, for decades to come.

Though statistics vary, according to eMedicine.com website, there are currently some 1.2 million abortions per year in the United States. Implementation of the HHS mandate would likely see a sharp rise in that statistic, as the HHS mandate would put aside any concern for building a "Culture of Life," while promoting what instead what some call the Culture of Death." Under the HHS mandate, abortion would be covered by health care insurance without even a co-pay.

Another serious caveat to this urgent social issue involves the procurement and use of highly valued stem cells from aborted human fetuses for stem cell research. If it becomes health care policy, the HHS mandate will likely significantly also increase fetal stem cell availability, presenting yet another health care challenge to human rights: The human trafficking of the products of abortion.Ineffect, the use of human body parts. Every child killed by abortion is a human person and deserves the dignity which every human person deserves, no matter what age or stage in life.

However, the issue at the center of the controversy over the HHS mandate is that, if implemented, it is a primary threat to the fundamental human right to religious freedom. It will  force all employers, including religious organizations, businesses and even universities, to fully cover abortions, abortion-inducing drugs such as RU-486, sterilizations and contraceptives.

More specifically, if passed, the HHS mandate would not only promote abortion, it would over-ride personal conscience and violate religious freedom. Among other things, this mandate would threaten the continued viability of many faith-based businesses such as Catholic and other Christian colleges, universities and especially hospitals, forcing them to close their doors.It would levy severe fines for non-compliance.

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The only other option they would be offered is to violate their Church teachings, including the 10 Commandments clear admonition, "Thou shall not kill". They will not - they cannot- do so.

This mandate would compel people and institutions to violate conscience. It would seek, under threat of the police power of the State, to force them to deny the undeniable truth of the sanctity of every human life. Finally, it would violate the the most basic First Amendment civil right, as well as the fundamental human right, the Right to religious Freedom. .

Adele M. Gill .

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