I’ve given the HHS mandate and its consequences a great deal of thought these past few months. And when I consider what could occur, it scares me.
If Obama gets reelected and the HHS contraceptive mandate goes into effect and the courts side with the administration I fear for what will occur. Let’s all agree that we have no idea what the Supreme Court will say on any issue. But let’s say the court sides with the Administration.
Catholic institutions and colleges will have a decision to make. Do they comply or do they refuse. I’m certain that many will simply comply. They’ll throw up their hands and say, “We tried.” But some will resist. Let’s say a Catholic institution resists. And they just will not comply. Then the fines begin to mount. Big fines. Huge ones. But the college refuses to pay.
Then what? We’ll have essentially a standoff of the bureaucratic variety. Legal complaints will fly back and forth, followed by threats from the administration, and then what? They’ll probably remove any federal funding. But at some point the government will have to collect on these fines. They’ll seize bank accounts. But the government at some point will have to come to the campus of the Catholic college or institution to collect assets. And one would have to believe that some Catholics will not be happy about federal authorities storming onto a campus to collect assets and essentially shut the college down. So you might just get Catholics standing in doorways or chaining themselves to entrances. And then what? You have yourself a standoff of the potentially dangerous variety.
I think this is far too likely a scenario. And it scares me that this could happen in America. Anytime you separate men from their God given rights it eventually depends on force.
