Faithful Citizenship
Despite the busy life of having four active boys, Shannon McGinley, a resident of Bedford and parishioner of Ste. Marie in Manchester, makes time to engage in the culture war against those who would destroy the souls of our children, our marriages, and therefore, our families. Because the family is the cornerstone of a civil society, our very nation is at risk. It is our duty as faithful Catholics to engage in the challenging call to discipleship in the world of politics.
Although it was a passion for the right to life that first ignited a fire in Shannon to engage in public policy, it seems that now the very ability to fight for the right to life is being trampled.
Our religious liberty is being challenged in a historic way by the Obama administration and its Department of Health and Human Services, headed by Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic. The administration fully supports the recently published HHS regulations of the new health care law requiring all organizations and businesses to provide contraceptive and abortion services in their health insurance coverage. The U.S. Catholic Bishops write, “As Americans, we are also blessed with religious liberty which safeguards our right to bring our principles and moral convictions into the public arena. These Constitutional freedoms need to be both exercised and protected, as some seek to mute the voices or limit the freedoms of religious believers and religious institutions. Catholics have the same rights and duties as others to participate fully in public life. The Church through its institutions must be free to carry out its mission and contribute to the common good without being pressured to sacrifice fundamental teachings and moral principles.” (Emphasis added)
The level of concern over the demand to provide contraception and abortion coverage prompted the bishops to form a new Committee on Religious Liberty at the USCCB. Many political and church leaders think religious liberty will become one of the major social issues of the 2012 campaign, rivaling both abortion and same-sex “marriage.”
Please thank Congressman Frank Guinta and Senator Kelly Ayotte for their support of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179 in the House, S. 1467 in the Senate). Any federal mandate that considers abortion drugs to be "birth control" and thus available for "free" means we will all pay for them. That is not acceptable. Senator Jeanne Shaheen disagrees, and Congressman Charlie Bass has taken no position on H.R. 1179. Let them know what you think!
Senator Ayotte: 202-224-3324 or www.ayotte.senate.gov Senator Shaheen: (202) 224-2841 or www.shaheen.senate.gov Congressman Guinta: 202- 225-5456 or https://guinta.house.gov Congressman Bass: 202-225-5206 or https://forms.house.gov Even our own New Hampshire State Leadership is weighing in on the mandate. On Tuesday, February 13, Speaker O’Brien, Bishop Libasci and even “pro-choice,” Congressman Bass held a press conference in Concord. Watch here: nhhousegop.com For more information on how to engage in public policy in New Hampshire: www.catholicnh.org and www.nhcornerstone.org