Rallying Hope for Change

[Valin]

Tha American Spectator:

Protesting the HHS Obamacare Mandate ecumenically.

Jay D. Homnick

6.11.12

 

MIAMI BEACH -- Friday, January 8, was a day of spectacular nationwide rallies organized to protest the Obamacare HHS Mandate that requires religious employers to provide abortion, sterilization, and contraception coverage as part of their employees' health insurance. An exemption is granted for entities engaged entirely in the practice or teaching of religion such as a church or synagogue. Christian or Jewish schools, universities or hospitals, cannot qualify for the exemption because they teach secular studies or provide medical care, activities the government does not deem as religion-qua-religion.

 

As of late Sunday, June 10, most of the tallies had come in to the organizers from the various locales, for a total of at least 64,000 confirmed participants. Here in South Florida, there were three venues within a 50-mile range: Miami, Fort Lauderale, and West Palm Beach. They were scheduled back-to-back, because Archbishop Wenski was a featured speaker at each event. Miami was first at 10:30 a.m.

 

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I was the third scheduled speaker after Archbishop Wenski and Doctor Grazie Christie. The Archbishop addressed the issue of the First Amendment right to follow one's religion and one's conscience. He pointed out that the mandate took two egregious steps in attacking that freedom. First of all, it forced religious institutions to act in violation of their ethical beliefs. Second, it took the outrageous step of defining what constitutes a religious institution.

 

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[Valin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8o97hC0KQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlLNNvf2O-k

[Valin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krZGodXytlA

President Obama on Religious Liberty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9jvy6cD93k