The Catholic Bishops want their views imposed by force thru the Federal government. Imposed, meaning by force, on everyone. Bishop Loverde ordered a letter be read from the pulpit in all of his Virginia parishes reminding Catholics of the moral imperative to vote against abortion. Bishop Loverde’s letter said: “The party platforms and political advertisements we see and hear each day confirm that the lives of the unborn, the weakest and most innocent amongst us, are still squarely in the public debate, and our votes do have consequences with respect to this ‘unspeakable crime,’ both here at home and in nations abroad,” His Excellency instructed his flock. “If we do not defend life at its beginning at conception, then there is no life for us to develop and protect thereafter. It is the first right.”
His instructions, his Rules of Engagement are directly related to the violations of conscience intrinsic to Obamacare. “The ability of the Church to live fully its mission as Christ’s Church is directly infringed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate requiring Church institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs. To date, there has been no change, solution or accommodation to the policy announced in January, thereby forcing Church institutions, and indeed all Catholic business owners, to provide reproductive services that violate our conscience,” Bishop Loverde explains. “The Church’s charitable, educational and healthcare ministries are and continue to be clearly threatened by this draconian requirement that assaults our First Amendment rights as free citizens. However an individual votes this November, that decision will have a specific impact on religious liberty, which is the first freedom.” (Here).
This is a set of powers the Bishop does not possess. The political processes of government in America do not belong to the Bishop nor to any group of people or Bishops.
Neither his views nor the dogma of any other American religion, individual or institution are available to the Bishop under American Law including the Declaration of Independence and the various State and Federal Constitutions. He can advocate. He can Lobby. He can persuade all he wants but his ideas are not America’s law. The counter-problen for the Bishop is that anyone who opposes him, his ideas or the ideas of his institution have equal standing but no power. He can say what he wants about murder but unless his ideas about murder are the law of the land, he will have the same choice about abortion, birth, birth control, conception and abortifacients has anyone else. He doesn’t get two votes nor does he get his way for his asking or demanding. Is he taking advantage of the Liberty of America? Yes. Will he win his battle? Not likely unless he fights only his congregation.
His intransigence, his legendary belligerence, against America
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