Ideas-Part One

Dear Caroline,

I am not a very political person. I definitely have opinions, but ultimately I believe that God is in control of every situation. I vote and everything, but I am not a pushy voter. Rarely do I get behind a person running for office.

What I do seem to get behind is ideas. While people running for office tend to be greatly interested in their own self-interest, ideas tend to come from the people! Two ideas I’ve been concerned with lately are birth control coverage and invisible children.

There is a bill in congress that expounds on the health care system’s makeover from two years ago. It requires that health insurance plans that employer’s pay into must cover artificial birth control at no cost to the individual. My largest area of concern is exceptions for faith-based organizations that provide health care. As a Catholic, it offends me that our first amendment rights are being infringed upon.

I consider our first amendment rights a two way street. Religion cannot govern laws and laws cannot govern religion. Everyone tends to forget that second part. I support many issues outside of the church even if it sometimes conflicts with my faith with the understanding that the separation of church and state is in the best interest of everyone.

Now it seems that everyone else has forgotten the second part. If the government wants the Church to stay out of its affairs, stay out of the Church’s affairs. This isn’t about women’s access to birth control. I had several friends in college who had cheap birth control without insurance. After doing a little research on my own, birth control is available for $9 a month at Wal-Mart without insurance. This is about REQUIRING a faith to go against its teachings.

Unlike today’s politicians and even other denominations, the positions of the Church have never waivered, never changed, never compromised. There are things in the world that are right and things that are wrong. And it is wrong to force something so intrinsically anti-Catholic on the Catholic Church.

Last Sunday, we had a fabulous homily from Father Christian. He is a decidedly young and fresh priest who always seems very passionate about our Faith. I left Mass in tears partly of pride and partly in sadness. I am very proud of my Faith and I try to live it everyday knowing that it will not be popular and that I will be the one on the defensive. But that is okay and I know that the Lord is with me in those moments. What I walked away with was Fr. Christian’s promise that when, and not if, persecution comes Christ is there. And make no mistake, this is persecution. 

(As this is a two-parter, no wish for tonight)

Love always