California Supreme Court and Religious Freedom

by Yerusalyim 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Phantom Stranger

  You know, that's one of the most "victim-y" statements I ever heard. "Look what you made me do!"

  If the Catholic Charities feel so strongly about what benefits they cannot offer employees, they need to re-organize their corporate structure to get around this, or change their health plan (probably what will happen - $5 says they go with a medical savings account for drug benefits). Going out of business indicates a real lack of commitment, totally out of alignment with their history and the history of their work in the US.

  If CC makes that decision to stop offering services, then shame on CC for choosing to hurt those people. There are many choices short of that.
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  logansrun

  Is it possible that non-Catholics work for Catholic charities?

  It also seems that a charitable organization with religious connections is not the same as the religion itself. I don't see this as an infringement on people's beliefs and/or practices.

  B.
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  Yerusalyim

  Phantom,

  Of course their not going out of business, but the state has no right to put this undo burden on the Catholic Charities. It's ridiculous. It's like telling a committed Catholic Doctor he MUST perform abortions...it's stupid.
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  Phantom Stranger

  Give Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God.

  Never thought that would come in handy, but...
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  Yerusalyim

  So, let em pay taxes, thus rendering to Ceasar, but refrain from being forced to violate a sacred religious principle by making them offer Birth Control.
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  Phantom Stranger

  They don't even have to offer health insurance...
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  Elsewhere

  If the Catholics (or any other religious charity) didn't get the government grants... someone else would... and they would be willing to help anyone. This is why I only donate to secular charities.

  Denying a fellow human help for a "greater good" negates the very purpose of charity.

  1 John 3:17 But whoever has the world?s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?

  Matt 9:13 I want mercy not sacrifice
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  Yerusalyim

  Ya know, the sad thing is that if Mother Teresa had operated in California as oppossed to India she would also have been forced to provide for birth control. Geesh.
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  Satans little helper

  the catholic church is the largest provider of birth control in the world. Yeru, 99% of catholics take a pragmatic view of this issue, as do the clergy. If they are forced to provide birth control to their workers this is NOT anything akin to forcing doctors to offer abortion, it is akin to forcing JW's to offer blood transfusions to their workers.

  If any organisation doesn't want to play buy the rules and wants to force their workers to accept their internal rules then screw them, they shouldn't have public money.

  Imagine the situation where external contractors were called in to work on a if their insurance did not provide for blood transfusions then they would be inflicting their moral standpoint on non dubs in the event of an accident. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for any organisation to inflict their morals on anyone, be it their own members or not. People have the right to choose on a situation by situation basis whether they want to play by the organisational morals or not.
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  Phantom Stranger

  Yes, can JW's offer insurance that pays for everything BUT blood transfusions? I bet J.R. Brown's health plan would pay for a transfusion if he wanted one...

  And no, M.T. would not have been forced to do anything... unless she was offering employees health insurance prescription drug benefits - then she would have to conform to local law on the matter.