The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 2 of 9)

: /p> p>The California courts condone illegal acts by the mayor of San Francisco but punish those who follow the law. In order to comply with the ruling of the California Court and to stay true to Catholic beliefs, Catholic Charities could eliminate their health care benefit plan for all employees and provide each with a monthly payment equal to its present contribution to the plan. Using this money plus their own contribution, if any, the employees could enroll either in private plans as individuals or band together and seek a group rate from a health care provider. br> -- E. Patrick Mosman br> Pleasantville, New York /p> p> I agree with Shawn's article, although, I would like to take it a step further. We truly are on course to a state-imposed religion -- self gratification. This is a capitalist nation with employment at will; therefore, if you do not like the health benefits provided to you by your employer, then GO FIND ANOTHER JOB! No one says you have to work for a company that does not provide birth control pills free of charge. I find it absolutely reprehensible that any judge can order churches, religious organizations, or any company to provide benefits that are against their beliefs. What's next? That the Catholic Church is required to pay for abortions? I am beginning to think that the constitution, both federal and state, is a figment of our imagination. How else can you explain this flagrant disregard for the First Amendment? br> -- Jennifer Johnson /p>

As a Catholic who accepts all of my Church's teachings, I am appalled by the California Supreme Court's decision to force Catholic Charities to offer contraception coverage as part of its prescription drug benefit. I say: the Church needs to "just say NO!" Come and get us if you dare! If the goons of our nascent dictatorship come after us with guns, then I say we have every moral right -- indeed the duty -- to defend ourselves, our families, and our properties in like manner as these [so-and-so's] come after us. They shoved us into a corner, then we need to shove back, and get into a knock-down brawl if necessary.

The usurpation of power by the courts all over this nation these last 30 to 50 years constitutes a slow-motion revolution by the Left. And I do mean revolution, in the sense of a forcible power-grab. My feeling is that it's way past time to start a counter-revolution. For starters, let's ignore the courts: the executive and legislative branches need to reassert their co-equal status within a government of three branches.

Private citizens and organizations such as Catholic Charities need to commit multiple, massive acts of civil disobedience. Judges' homes need to be picketed; they and their families need to be confronted by vociferous, angry citizens wherever they shop, or go to school, or (gasp!) go to church or synagogue. The aggrieved leaders of the Catholic Church need to speak up, take out ads, march in picket lines, and preach that the Church WILL NOT OBEY these illegal diktats from the robed Caesars. We must be prepared to go to jail for our beliefs. We will NOT knuckle under to the robed dictators any longer! The judges themselves are outlaws and ought to be arrested and jailed for betraying the Constitution. Who sits in judgment of the courts? It's time that WE THE PEOPLE did!

p>Unless and until the leaders of the Church learn to shove back at these [so-and-so's] on the courts, they are just going to keep pushing and shoving us until there won't be any freedom left in America.... All conservative Americans have a stake in this battle, because all believers who don't want to hide their faith under the mattress will one day be in the same situation. Indeed, such is already often the case when it comes to open practice or showing of religious faith in the America of AD 2004.

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