Health and Welfare Archives - CatholicManiacs

What Does It Mean to Impose One’s Beliefs On Another?

DeaconTim — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 18:30:57 +0000

OK. I realize that I am coing to the Hobby Lobby discussion a little late. Still, I wanted to weigh in and finally found the time. Those that side with Hobby Lobby, and yes I am one of them, say that the Supreme Court’s decision was correct because the government was interfering in the owner’s religious rights by forcing them to pay for abortifacient forms of birth control. This would violate their conscience and go against their religious beliefs. Opponents of Hobby Lobby say that they are forcing their religious beliefs on others by refusing to pay for 4 out of the 20 different methods mandated by ObamaCare. Notice that 16 methods are still paid for. Who is imposing on whom here? It would seem to me that the ones who is being forced to do something against their will is the one being imposed upon in any normal sense of the word imposed. If so, then isn’t it obvious that the government is imposing on Hobby Lobby, Conestoga, EWTN and a host of others, indeed all of us? We are all forced to buy health insurance or face a “tax” as the Court called it. We are all forced to pay our payroll taxes or face fines. An imposition upon somone is the use of force. It’s a classic “do this or else” situation. Given that, how would Hobby Lobby or anyone else be imposing their religious beliefs upon their employees by refusing to pay for abortifacient or any contraceptives? Where is the “or else” for the employees? What is their punishment? There isn’t any for 2 reasons. First, they aren’t being forced to do anything to begin with. There is no “do this” component. They are all free to purchase whatever forms of birth control as an out of pocket expense. No one is preventing that or proposing to stop it on the Hobby Lobby side. They just don’t want to pay for it. Second, there is no “or else” because the problem is not with the employees. It’s with the Federal Government. Refusing to violate moral principles by engaging in commerce forced by the government is not the same as requiring all employees to attend church, go to Bible study or live the exact same moral principles as you do. Even this last one is protected for religious organizations like churches and religious communities who make such requirements an upfront part of the job. Finally, there is no compelling government interest here by forcing this upon employers unless it is the furthering of a contraceptive/abortion mentality among the people as a normal thing.

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Getting Old and it Bites

DeaconTim — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:23:42 +0000

Got my bifocals on Monday. Also got monovision contact lenses on Saturday. The contacts are set differently than normal lenses. The left eye is for close up vision. The right is for distance vision. That’s a little weird to get used to. Especially since the right lens isn’t the final prescription. These are just samples.

The glasses are a little different. The lenses are short as I don’t care for the really big lenses and about two thirds of the lens is for the close up stuff which is on the bottom. Unfortunatley, that means I am having to tilt my head down to be able to look through the distance part of the lens. It’s awkward to say the least.

Not sure which one I like or hate more.

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Soylent Green Is People!

HeathenBoy — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:57:00 +0000

Apologies for the overly dramatic headline, but that’s what I feel we’re trapped in these days. I’m simply stunned at our society’s rush to starve Terri, simply on the say so of her husband, whose motives could or could not be pure as the driven snow. As Rush often says, ‘follow the money’. Anyway, we’re now officially in a society that condones extermination of the inconvenient. If you can’t converse, you have no value. A fella around the office tried to tell me it wasn’t like somebody was putting down a sick animal, but essentially, yes that’s exactly what’s happening. People treat their pets better than Terri’s being treated.

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Yet Another Reason Why the West is Mission Territory

DeaconTim — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 18:53:00 +0000

Saw this story this morning and didn’t have time to blog it unfortunately. Had to get this in though.

Germans Force Women Into Prostitution is the story.

Man, Fric… There you go again. Making stuff up.

Nope. Germany has some interesting laws and lack of laws concerning unemployment benefits and brothels. Brothels are legal in Germany. They pay taxes and the workers get health coverage. The owners also get access to state employment applicants. Apparently, there have been lawsuits or the threat of them for not carrying brothel ads. And if a girl is sent to one for an interview, but won’t take the job, she can lose her unemployment benefits for refusing a valid, legal job.

There was some thought of making an exception for brothels but the Germans decided it would be too hard to differentiate between some bars/nightclubs and a normal brothel. So they dropped the exception.

So a law legalizing and normalizing brothels that was designed to stop women from being forced into sexual servitude has instead done just that. Only the difference now is that it isn’t even shady, sleazy pimps. This time it’s the GOVERNMENT! And it’s all legal. Take the job or lose your benefits.

What has happened to the culture there that makes this all right to begin with? What is wrong with the culture that says that you can have anything done to your body for money and it’s all right? Where are the feminists and liberals on this?

When you give too much power to the State, this is what you get. People are not persons. They are just bodies in the economy. There is no distinction between good and evil. Just do what you are told. It also proves the maxim that if the government desires less of something, it should tax it and regulate it to death. If it wants to promote something, reduce the red tape, taxes and regulation. Make it no different than anything else. Now sex for money is equal to being a doctor or nurse or teacher or cook or accountant in Germany.

May God have mercy on them.

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Fric Still has 10 Toes

DeaconTim — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 19:31:00 +0000

Yep. All 10. Why is this even a question? Well, my right foot lost a skirmish with a running lawn mower (thereby necessitating my return of my Mensa membership card) last Sunday afternoon. At the energency room when the shoe finally came off, I counted to 5 on that foot and was much relieved.

So this week has been full of time on the couch with my foot propped up taking pain killers and sleeping. Then when I get that false sense of improvement, I get up and move around too much further necessitating Percoset and foot propping.

Slowly getting better… And believe me I prayed and thanked the Lord mightily when I did count to 5 on that foot.

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