Yeah, I agree. I'm Catholic and never go anymore. My son was featured in the
Chgo Sun-Times on the 28th. he is a juvenile diabetic and now we are relieved because the money-hungry insurance companies cannot deny him access to
health insurance. He is on Pg. 28 and also front page of Southtown Star. I think we need to counter this protest against Obamacare.

Correction on my last comment. My son's story endorsing Obamacare is on
Page 19 of the Sun-Times from 6-28. it was his 19th birthday and how relieved we
are to know that as a juvenile diabetic he will be able to obtain health care coverage like any normal person. ALWAYS SUPPORT OBAMA CARE AND OUR WONDERFUL PRESIDENT. STOP LISTENING TO THE RIGHT-WING LIES!!

I completely agree. This country is built on the freedom of and the freedom from religion. It is a woman's choice whether or not to use contraception. If she chooses to use it, she should be able to have it covered by insurance. It's funny how we never hear anyone complaining about insurance company's covering Viagra. What a double standard. It is one more example of the Catholic church treating women as second class citizens.

Agreed! I left St. Jude a few years back and followed a different path..and felt a wait lifted off my shoulders. I am NOT Catholic and never felt that I was.. just followed what my parents did and their parents.. I finally woke up. This protest is ridiculous!

Agreed! I

Hazel: don't you understand? The church must pay for birth control whether it takes fed money or not. They just want to cover what they want to cover.
Wait until the next president decides that you must buy a gun, because it's good for the public. You may object personally, but under the new law, it no longer matters.

Hey Marie, I will respect their position when they respect everyone else's. They need to "fix" the problem. What problem would that be exactly? they seem to have forgotten the meaning of the word "Freedom". They have no right to attempt to dictate or shove their beliefs down everyone's throats. Just because the bishops are against contraception doesn't mean everyone is.

Hey Mom, it is a religion. Their position on health care doesn't affect you unless you are an employee of the Church. And if you are that anti-Catholic, don't work for the Church. Your comment about a faith is hateful and ignorant. It is a choice. That is the freedom we all enjoy. Stop frothing at the mouth and get your anger in check. The Church isn't infringing on women's right either. Stop following the DNC marching orders and think for yourself.

Marie, I agree with other posts of yours but not this one. As someone who was raised catholic from birth, attended catholic grammar school and high school, I can see through the weeds and realize this in fact would affect the lives of those who don't agree with all catholic beliefs and what this protest is hoping to accomplish. The thing is, even a very large number of women who identify themselves as catholic take birth control. This bill will provide access to birth control for those that want it. For those that don't believe in it, they don't have to request/receive/use it, no one is forcing them to! That is a position and I could absolutely respect that if that's where it stopped. You know, the whole free will idea, freedom to choose and be accountable for the results of your decision. But to overturn that would definitely be affecting other people who don't agree (including practicing catholics). To say otherwise would be very shortsighted, intolerant, and perhaps display the complete opposite of the concept of the "religious freedom" concept.

Ed and Mom, I am sorry, but you are missing the point. Whether or not someone wants to take contraception means is a personal choice. However, if it goes against the church's teachings, they shouldn't have to pay for it. The government is telling them they HAVE to go against a major principal of the church - the right to life. For the government to say the HAVE to pay for contraception, sterilization, abortion, etc. for any employee that wants it is unconstitutional because it then DOES go against freedom of religion. If you have a problem with what your insurance companies cover, contact your company. I for one am tired of the government getting involved in every aspect of my life and trying to regulate it!

Mom of 4, I respect your thoughts and opinions, but I would submit again that nobody is being forced to use the contraception that is covered, and as a result of not using it begs the question "is that which is not used subsequently not paid for?"

Is there something preventing the Church from organizing groups of like-minded individuals outside of "employment" and soliciting health insurance quotes for those groups? This coverage might include the provision that members *could* obtain these contraception services but with the membership being made up of faithful individuals who do not believe in contraception there would be no use and the rating/cost would not include that which is not used or provided! This would be an interesting direction to remove the common union of health insurance and employment, something I think needs to happen anyway.

Ed, you do understand that the church covers more than just the church buildings and the men and women who work there. It involves hospitals, adoption agencies, schools, and so much more. We are not talking about just a few individuals here.

I do completely understand that, and I also fully understand that these "catholic organizations" employ people that do not share catholic beliefs and that is why this is an interesting discussion. To me, it really revolves around employment: workers rights, employers' responsibilities, religious freedom, etc. It'll be interesting to see the outcome and the impact it has outside of the scope of this discussion.

Be sure not to watch football either, especially Penn State.

It's not just a numbers game chemistry, these are human lives that have been destroyed by people in position of faith and trust, you know, like real people. The church, while knowing that this was going on, decided to turn a blind eye and ignore what was going on, allowing even more children to be victimized.

As an aside, several Catholic non-profit hospitals in Illinois have lost their tax-exempt status since they weren't providing enough charity care to the needy.

They are not "blocking a busy intersection". They are standing on the side of it in protest. If they were blocking the intersection, they would be arrested. As for throwing out a bill due to one point, it is a MAJOR point in the Catholic faith! I do think there needs to be a lot changed with medical insurance and medical billing. However, I feel like the ideas of Obamacare put a band-aid on the problem. If you really think about it, the problem lies more with how litigious our country has become. If everyone wasn't so quick to sue for ridiculous matters that waste the courts time, effort, and money; doctors wouldn't have to have their malpractice insurance raised over and over! Maybe we need to start looking overseas for answers to our legal system instead of our insurance system. Make people who sue and lose have to pay for the court expenses. People will start to think twice about wasting time and money just to get at someone else's goat!

It is not about the whole Obamacare thing, its about the HHS mandate. According to the First Amendment, the government does not have a right to impinge on the practice of religion, which is just what the HHS Mandate does. Would you want the government telling you to do something against your conscience, and if you don't you have to pay fines-big fines? This is not a Catholic problem, it is an American problem.

Nancy, Providing contraception, abortions and sterilizations is not "healthcare". Since when is pregnancy a threat to a woman's health? I know that unfortunately for many women it is an "inconvenience". Contraception is freely available through Planned Parenthood and the like. The issue is that the Catholic Church should not HAVE to offer insurance that would pay for a woman's birth control pills, sterilization surgeries, abortions, etc. We definitely need to overhaul healthcare system in our country but another government run bureaucracy is not the answer. If run like most other government programs it will not be very efficient and the costs of this program will bankrupt us and completely collapse the economy in no time. Look at the Social Security and Medicare programs for an example of the future of government run healthcare.

And BTW... no intersections were blocked... It was a very peaceful, prayerful family friendly event where we had a chance to ask folks to defend our 1st Amendment right to religious freedom and show our love for our country. That's what the whole gathering was about. Not about contraception or protesting Obamacare. I'm sorry the headline was quite misleading, to say the least. This was not a political rally.
God bless!
Karla Ohner

Marie and Momof4, Not all employees of a Catholic institution are Catholic and I do not believe they should not be able to have insurance. In 2014, everyone will have to have some kind of insurance plan and then where will the Catholic Church stand? A woman's rights are her own. No one forces a person to be Catholic and if we do not agree with the contraception principle of the Church, we have the right to seek another faith that will be accepting. But, the Church officials who are predominately older men should be more concerned with the overall well-being of its members. I sincerely hope the protesters stay on the sidewalks on Sunday and keep their cool in this hot weather.

The Catholic church is NOT saying people should not have insurance. That is absurd! When this all first came up, the church only asked for an exemption from having to cover things that went against their faith. They are NOT trying to make everyone Catholic! They were denied the ability to have that exemption. That is what they are upset about. As for people who work in these institutions that are not Catholic, they don't have to work there if it upsets them or causes a hardship! Also, for your information, many of these same people are the ones that silently, and peacefully protest every October in the same spot against abortion. There is never a problem.

The priests who are guilty of horrible acts are not representative of the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. If you believe that, you have a narrow, vacuous ability to understand the Catholic faith.

Amen, New Lenox Mom.

Amen, Marie!!

Marie, the priests are YOUR representatives of the basic tenets of the faith. They are the ones you listen to preach from the pulpit. I was raised catholic, my children served as alter boys and girls (and they had to be warned to NEVER be alone with a priest). My adult catholic daughter chooses to use contraception. I am happy for her that it will be covered under her insurance policy.

I am still struggling to understand how EXACTLY insurance companies covering contraception infringes on your religious beliefs. None of you can explain that. If you are not prescribed contraception,s and do not use them, your freedom to choose is not infringed in anyway. Yet, what you want to do is infringe on the rights of every other woman who chooses to use contraception and have it paid for by their insurance company.

NL Mom, the churches are forced to make it part of their insurance health care plans. The churches are the ones PAYING for the plans. So, they would be PAYING for actions that go against their beliefs. I would be upset about them imposing something against other beliefs as well. It is wrong!

New Lenox Mom, you are struggling to understand something very simple. It doesn't matter what I believe, it is what the Church believes, and I support that. The Church is not infringing on anybody's rights, they are asking that the government (YOUR religion) to not infringe on their rights.

Also, stop depicting women as helpless saps in desperate need for the government aid for contraception.

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/celibacy-isn%E2%80%99t-the-problem

Here is a key excerpt:

Dr. Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State, is the author of Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis. He observes,

"My research of cases over the past 20 years indicates no evidence whatever that Catholic or other celibate clergy are any more likely to be involved in misconduct or abuse than clergy of any other denomination—or indeed, than non-clergy. However determined news media may be to see this affair as a crisis of celibacy, the charge is just unsupported. . . . My concern over the “pedophile priest” issue is not to defend evil clergy, or a sinful church (I cannot be called a Catholic apologist, since I am not even a Catholic). But I am worried that justified anger over a few awful cases might be turned into ill-focused attacks against innocent clergy. The story of clerical misconduct is bad enough without turning into an unjustifiable outbreak of religious bigotry against the Catholic Church." (“The Myth of the Pedophile Priest,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 3, 2010)

Sexual abuse is a horrible thing, but it is a societal problem not a Catholic problem.

Details:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/07/mean-men.html

Excerpt:

The Catholic sex-abuse stories emerging every day suggest that Catholics have a much bigger problem with child molestation than other denominations and the general population. Many point to peculiarities of the Catholic Church (its celibacy rules for priests, its insular hierarchy, its exclusion of women) to infer that there's something particularly pernicious about Catholic clerics that predisposes them to these horrific acts. It's no wonder that, back in 2002—when the last Catholic sex-abuse scandal was making headlines—a Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll found that 64 percent of those queried thought Catholic priests "frequently'' abused children.

Yet experts say there's simply no data to support the claim at all. No formal comparative study has ever broken down child sexual abuse by denomination, and only the Catholic Church has released detailed data about its own. But based on the surveys and studies conducted by different denominations over the past 30 years, experts who study child abuse say they see little reason to conclude that sexual abuse is mostly a Catholic issue. "We don't see the Catholic Church as a hotbed of this or a place that has a bigger problem than anyone else," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Horse before the cart --- devotion and personal belief in GOD should NEVER be judged based on what humans do, regardless of being in the church. This life is a TEST, people. A test to determine where the landmines are in our daily lives, who to believe and who not to believe. God NEVER said that everyone that comes in His name IS from HIM.

I agree JMC, we should be compassionate to those who need better access to health care and basic daily needs. How much money has the church spent on full-page newspaper ads decrying this decision? That money could be better spent in helping those in need.

No laws are being passed on the basis of religious beliefs. The Catholic church is not protesting to repeal the ACA. The Catholic church is opposing the mandatory coverage of contraception in the ACA which goes against their faith, and I support them, as I would support any religious institution given similar circumstances. I don't think government should impose THEIR beliefs upon the Catholic church or any church. There is easy, affordable access to birth control, and anyone telling you there isn't is lying.

And Nancy, it's nice to see that Tom wont be counting on support from the Catholic parishoners in his district when he's running for his government position on the county board again.

Nancy, We pay for these children one way or the other. These are human souls God has allowed to come in to being and as a Catholic I would think you would understand this is murder. Even birth control often will cause a spontaneous abortion in women and so before the woman even knows she is pregnant, she has ended the life of a child God chose to give her. Children being born out of wedlock or being unwanted is another whole societal problem but it's not "healthcare". My healthcare premiums and my hard earned tax dollars ultimately will be going to pay for these things. All the Bishops have asked for is that the conscience clause be respected and that the Catholic Church not have to offer insurance which would include these morally objectionable services. If the government would allow the Church to be able to follow their conscience, they would be able to provide insurance but the coverage would not include these services. The women could run to their local Planned Parenthood offices and I'm quite sure they would be happy to provide them with whatever birth control pills they would like or they could run to Walgreens and purchase condoms... I don't agree with either of these things but... what I'm saying is that if birthcontrol is not covered by insurance there ARE other resources available. Also, they could choose to abstain from having sexual intercourse unless they were married. Now THAT would be radical... not easy but it is doable!

Marie, what I meant about the church and women is the fact that women cannot be priests, had to fight for the right to be involved in the church as eucharistic ministers etc. There are some parishes that depend on their women to staff nearly every function but the priesthood. If the catholic institutions do not want to cover their employees with health insurance including conception issues, then do not pay for the employees insurance plan. I believe in the right to life and people who know me well, know that I support a woman's right to choose. I was unable to have children of my own and am fortunate to have an adopted son and adopted grandson whom I adore. I guess I should not comment on this issue if I am not prepared to handle the comments of others. Again, my views should not affect my husband as the county board does not have anything to do with birth control issues, something the right to life movement does not understand.

Nancy, the church is not stopping women from using contraception. They don't want government to force the church to pay for it. It is against their core beliefs, as you are well aware. And now you are afraid that Tom may lose parishoners'support when he runs as a Rupliblican for his government position. The Church is what it is - accept it or find another faith to follow.

Marie, I am so sorry that you feel my personal comments affect my husband's ability as a county board member. Don't vote for him if you don't like me or my views; find a better reason to dislike him. I am sorry that I voiced my opinion under my own name. I have First Amendment rights also. All of this hullaballo over one part of a law that will help so many others.

Birth control is easily available.

And it was my understsnding that birth control for medical reasons was not an issue for the Catholic church.

The church also backs Natural Family Planning, which if you look into, can be more effective than giving your body hormones to mimic menstruation. And to answer your question, no, not all pro-lifers (me included as one as well) believe that taking birth control is much different than an abortion. I personally, when you educate yourself on what it actually does, believe that they do the same thing. The thing is, it doesn't matter what specific belief the government is trying to impose on those who feel it is morally wrong. It is wrong for government to dictate to others that they MUST include things they are morally against as part of their insurance packages they pay for and provide. Period!

It was insightful. I was raised Catholic. I am open minded and no longer practice the Catholic religion. Thanks for reminding me of just one reason why I chose to leave the church. The debate on here is another reminder. You also said "Sexual abuse is a horrible thing, but it is a societal problem not a Catholic problem." I realize this BUT the Catholic church chose to sweep this under the carpet for many years and just transfer priests to other parishes to continue to rape young boys.

Adam, access to contraception has not been and is not an issue, and it will never be an issue. Women AND men have easy access to birth control. However, partisan politics has taken this issue and is using it against institutions of faith. The current administration seems to have an anti-religion agenda, and is using women and contraception as their current political tool of choice. I believe there are some ACA issues that are good, and we definitely need to reform our health care system. But there is a separation of church and state that should be recognized and adhered to, by the church AND especially by the government. You speak of freedom? Freedom isn't something granted to you by government; freedom is what our government is taking from you by controlling every aspect of your life.

And you should care about the ACA. This is going to affect you, your future, the rest of your life. I'll give you credit - only 18 and at least thinking about important current events. But the more our government controls your life, the less freedom you have.

Thanks for reading my posts, "Mom". I said freedom isn't granted to us by government and we should be vigilant that we do not allow out freedoms to be taken away. I also didn't say government had to adhere to Catholic teachings, I said they need to adhere to the separation of church and state, and to not force their mandate upon the church. This current administration is using women as feeble and helpless second class citizens, as you are doing, not able to think for ourselves or suddenly unable to purchase birth control for ourselves or afford it.

This silly, unwarrented political mantra of a supposed war against women is insulting and disgusting. If you or Nancy don't like where the church stands on birth control, then don't follow the faith. But I will certainly defend the church's right to not adhere to government mandates that fly in the face of their core tenets. You may want to think of women as unable to take care of themselves, but I will not.

And I wasn't trying to be covert about the votes either. I hope parishoners are reading this, too.

I am not missing any picture. Within an organization run by the catholic church you will have women who are employed who are either not catholic or are catholic but still choose to use contraception. By the church trying to gain an exemption or have that part of the ACA removed, the church is discriminating against the employees who do not follow that belief and do want their insurance plan to cover contraceptives. You do not see that, because it doesn't fit into what you believe. I am sure your answer to that dilemma would be to say....well those people can find employment at a non catholic organization...which again would be discriminatory. There really is no point in continuing this discussion though, as you only see that your beliefs should be followed and those that do not follow those beliefs don't really matter. There is no dispute that contraceptives are available, so you don't need to keep harping that point. As it stands right now, insurance companies will have to include payments for contraception in their plans. Stay safe with your protests.

The difference I see is that these organizations already don't provide coverage for this. So, women who are already employed by them and use contraception did so knowing this. There would be no change. How can you call it discriminatory if they already chose this? I would be just as upset if the mandate imposed against another religions core beliefs, as well. This just so happens to align with my own.