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.
July 25, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I'd say we're leaving a time of peace, but with abortion, pornography, the dissolution of marriage, and our euthanasia-tastic culture, we were never really in one.
Turning to Jesus will always be a challenge and always end in triumph. It's only the temptations that change.
July 25, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Here's what will happen.Everyone will roll over and whimper that they tried and that will be it.
July 25, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I wrote a column on this a while back, about the possible ways which Church-affiliated institutions can respond to the HHS mandate. The scenario you give is unfortunately the most likely. http://catholicexchange.com/how-will-the-church-respond-to-the-mandate/
July 26, 2012 at 12:10 am
WE HAVE GOD ON OUR SIDE. PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION.
July 26, 2012 at 1:28 am
Here is the next step…medical and surgical residencies are paid for by medicare dollars. So "Doctor" since a) you didn't make this by yourself, and b) your salary during residency was paid by the government, then it follows c) here are the government mandates you will follow, or be prosecuted for fraudulently accepting federal $$$….you saw it here first
July 26, 2012 at 2:33 am
Sadly, a lot of people will not just whimper, but run to roll over. A few will give admirable witness, and those will be the ones remembered.
Audio Sancto has a good sermon on this, quoting St. Cyprian's "On the Lapsed," about the persecution under Decius in 251AD. There are many comparisons between the situation of the Christians then and America now.
One main point that Cyprian makes is that, due to the creeping materialism brought on by the long peace up to that point, the faith of many was no more than a veneer which was cast aside even before the persecutions began. Only the mere whisper of threats were required for many to fall prostrate to the idols then, which should be a warning to us now.
July 26, 2012 at 2:34 am
The sermon I mentioned is here.
July 26, 2012 at 3:02 am
Big, huge fines? What are you talking about? The fine for not buying insurance for an employee is $2000. An insurance policy costs way more than that (ours costs our employer $20,000). So if Catholic employers choose to pay the fine rather than to buy the immoral insurance, they'll be saving tons of money. What happens then is that most of the uninsured employees will get government subsidies to buy their own insurance, which will put even more strain on the system.
July 26, 2012 at 3:31 am
That's nothing compared to when "marriage rights" for homosexuals begins to rule the day. Lord have mercy on us all.
July 26, 2012 at 6:40 pm
This (or something like it) has happened in America before, and it will likely happen again a century from now, if we're all still here.
I will be one of those chained to the door. I hope you all join me!
July 26, 2012 at 9:04 pm
I now understand why I've always been drawn to the saints who were willing to die for their beliefs. I see nothing wrong with contemplating how we will stand up to a government hell-bent on forcing us to comply with something that is contrary to our beliefs; I see nothing wrong with praying for the strength to endure real persecution. I pray that those who favor sin will have conversions and I pray we aren't tested, but I'm not going to say won't happen.
July 27, 2012 at 3:18 pm
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July 28, 2012 at 11:56 pm
I agree with Ray, and I believe it's no coincidence that these two battles are happening concurrently. Once our right to religious liberty gets defeated by the HHS Mandate (if that is, in fact, how it goes), the next step is a future where gay marriage is a federally recognized legal right, and our Christian ministers, both Catholic and Protestant, will be forced to either solemnize gay marriages in their churches or be charged with discrimination. To borrow a phrase from another commentator: "You saw it here first."