Md. Archbishop: Church Unable to Live with Obamacare Mandate

ICC Note: In the cultural war taking place between Christian values and government policy in the United States, the “HHS Mandate” is perhaps one of the most prominent battlefields. The HHS Mandate is a requirement of the Department of Health and Human Services which would force employers to purchase insurance that provides birth control and other contraception to employees. The mandate does not allow any exceptions, even on moral grounds. This means that when the mandate takes effect, many Catholic business owners will be left with a difficult decision: violate their religious beliefs or face charges by the federal government. 
11/13/2012 United States (Christian Post) – A prominent Catholic Church official has stated that the Church cannot live with the Department of Health and Human Services contraception mandate.
Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore made these remarks on Monday regarding the HHS mandate controversy before the meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “And as it stands, certainly we would not be able to live with it … especially the four-part definition of what Church activity is,” said Lori, as reported by the Catholic News Agency.
“That’s just not who we are, and we don’t find it appropriate for any government to draw lines in our mission where we don’t draw them.”
Lori presented remarks on religious freedom issues in the United States as part of the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty.
“In the short to mid-term – the political landscape is the same but so is our resolve to eliminate the HHS mandate,” said Lori in his official remarks. “The lawsuits continue and since we last met in Atlanta additional law suits have been filed and all of us are carefully monitoring the progress of these suits. The legislative efforts continue … but it is also important that we leave no stone unturned.”
In January, the HHS Department announced that religious charities would not be exempted from a mandate to provide contraception services in their employee health insurance plans.
Many religious groups, especially Roman Catholic organizations who opposed having to provide services that went contrary to their beliefs, voiced opposition.
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