Saturday, February 4, 2012

HSS Mandate: Write a Letter to the Editor


Inspired by Dr. Stacy Trasanco’s post, “I Shouldn’t Have Waited for the Bishops”, I have taken her advice – sort of – and determined to speak out about the evil of contraception right alongside the evil of the trampling of religious freedom by the HSS contraception mandate.

Stacy’s emphasis was on talking to doctors about Catholic views, and insisting that they not prescribe contraception because it is wrong. She wrote (my emphasis):

It’s great that some bishops have started speaking out though others always have been. But just as soon as I thought about what the bishops are doing, I checked myself because I realize that I have been part of the problem all along. I shouldn’t have waited for the bishops to speak out against the citizenry being forced to fund these immoral things in our society.

Contraception has pervaded our culture for a long time and I’ve done little about it. Sure I’ve argued against it, and written about it. I’ve rejected it in my own life. I’ve taught my children why it’s harmful. But – I’ve also accepted that as long as a doctor doesn’t push it on me, it’s none of my business whether he or she dispenses it to other women. That has been my mentality. I realize now with a shudder, that’s not acceptable because that is fundamentally what moral relativism is.
Unless I have looked at every doctor along the way for the last three decades in the face and told them why contraception, sterilization and abortion are immoral, and demanded they stop offering it lest I seek new medical professionals to care for my body and my family, then I really have no foundation for any outrage today at all. Yes, I confess, I’ve walked out of doctor’s offices and ignored the contraception ads hanging on the wall, just glad I did “the right thing.” But I failed. I should have spoken up, right then, right there, directly to the medical professionals.

Mea culpa

I vow to be a more involved patient. Imagine what would happen if every Catholic woman demanded that every doctor in every Catholic hospital cease and desist immediately from dispensing contraception? They’d listen to us. This is the time to help the bishops, ladies.

Will you join me?

I read that (and you should read the whole thing) and thought, “Yeah! I’ll join you!”

However…I seldom see a doctor. I also happen to know that the one Catholic ob/gyn doctor in our little community seems to have no objection to prescribing artificial contraception, and has no moral compunction concerning sterilization of men or women.

So I decided to write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper instead. I would have liked to address more fully the immorality of contraception, but you can only do so much in a 350-word letter! Here’s my letter. Feel free to use it as your own if you wish. This information needs to be disseminated.

To the Editor:

The Department of Human and Health Services has issued a mandate which will force the Catholic Church to act against its own teachings by providing insurance coverage for contraception, sterilization, and some abortifacient drugs to its employees.

This “contraception mandate” strikes not only against the “conscience rights” of the Catholic Church, but also against religious freedom in this country – a freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. Every American – regardless of religious affiliation – should stand against it.

I encourage you to write to your senators and representatives and demand that this mandate be repealed; failure to act now will only result in more attacks on our liberties later.

I also encourage you to consider this: the Catholic Church has taught for the past 2000+ years that artificial contraception and abortion are intrinsically evil. This teaching is rooted in the natural law as well as in the religious codes of the Church. In addition, the use of artificial contraception was condemned by virtually all Christian churches until the 1930’s.  Then, while it had been the exception, contraception became the rule in a matter of a few decades. Yet, a great deal of research indicates that artificial contraception often has abortifacient side effects and can be very dangerous to women’s physical well-being. Do the research. Contraception is not good for women (or society).

Unfortunately, it is true that Catholics are woefully misinformed as to what – and why – their Church teaches about the immorality of contraception; consequently, Catholics use artificial contraception in the same proportion as the general population. But this does not condone the HSS mandate, nor does it mean the religious beliefs of Protestant denominations are safe from government interference.

Thus, two points are important to remember here. First, artificial contraception is morally wrong, as well as physically unhealthy. Second, we must not stand for the trampling of religious liberty and conscience rights. Assert your constitutional rights. Take action now.

Sincerely,
Jay Boyd, Ph.D.

[Note: the newspaper never puts the "Ph.D." after my name, but I always add it. I paid a lot of money for those letters, and figure it does make me a certified smart person!]

2 comments:

  1. A majority of Catholic women are not going to join you because they are using methods of birth control! They just don't tell anyone but their medical provider! Yes, I provide both control to many catholic women. And guess what, they are sitting in the same pews as you. Have you noticed that there aren't very many families with lots of children anymore? You guessed it, birth control! I personally would never consider birth control (I am gay and don't need it) but for many women pregnancy is a health risk and their husbands wont take no for an answer. They would never consider divorce due to religious reasons and the inability to support their family on their own.

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  2. Yep, you're absolutely right. Michael Voris made the same point on the Vortex ("No Soldiers for the Army"). It's no big secret!

    Are you a doctor then? When you say "birth control" do you mean the Pill, or IUD's, or what? Do you prescribe the Pill, knowing the deleterious effects it has on a woman's health, and the fact that it is related to an increased risk of cancer?

    Oh...plenty of Catholics DO divorce, and then they seek an annulment. That's no secret either.

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