Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
2411 Bagnell Dam Blvd
PO Box 2390
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
Office: 573-365-2241 Fax: 573-365-4458
Hall: 573-365-9978
2411 Bagnell Dam Blvd
PO Box 2390
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
Office: 573-365-2241 Fax: 573-365-4458
Hall: 573-365-9978
| Modified: 11 Aug 2009 Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church |
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| CHURCH INFORMATION |
FROM LIFE ISSUES FORUM
August 7, 2009
Lines in the Sand
By Tom Grenchik
As members of Congress head home for their August recess, we now have a
better picture of where everyone stands on health care reform. While the
U.S. bishops support genuine health care reform, there is a clear line in
the sand between our bishops and some congressional leaders.
On July 17, Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops' Committee on
Domestic Justice and Human Development, wrote to Congress saying: "The
USCCB looks forward to working with you to reform health care successfully in
a manner that offers accessible, affordable and quality health care that
protects and respects the life and dignity of all people from conception
until natural death." Then Bishop Murphy drew a line, declaring that "no
health care reform plan should compel us or others to pay for the
destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory
coverage of abortion."
Some seemed surprised at this, since abortion was not specifically mentioned
in draft health care bills until recently. Those with longer memories may
recall that the Medicaid statute doesn't mention abortion either, but it was
funding 300,000 abortions a year in the 1970s until we put a stop to that
with the Hyde amendment. In any case, numerous amendments to keep abortion
out of health care reform have been defeated in committee, and it is now
apparent that some leaders have every intention of threatening the health
care reform process by forcing Americans to accept abortion mandates and/or
fund unlimited abortion in their health coverage.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee on
Pro-Life Activities, followed up with a July 29 letter to the House Energy
and Commerce Committee, declaring that "much-needed reform must not
become a vehicle for promoting an 'abortion rights' agenda or reversing
longstanding current policies against federal abortion mandates and funding." The
Cardinal urged Committee members to preserve longstanding federal policies
that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights.
But Bishop Murphy and Cardinal Rigali are not the only ones drawing lines.
Millions upon millions of American Catholics are with them. Earlier this
year, dioceses across the country broke all previous records by ordering
more than 34 million postcards so their parishioners could urge Congress to
"retain laws against federal funding and promotion of abortion." Now that
members of Congress are heading home, they need to be reminded of this
message at the local level, in the context of health care reform.
As Congress takes its vacation, various proposals have been left behind.
These proposals need to be examined to see how well they provide accessible,
affordable and quality health care and how they impact immigrants and the
poor. But one thing is certain. The bills approved so far by House and
Senate committees include mandated abortion coverage and abortion funding,
and that is a line we can never cross.
Now is the time to take action. Contact congressional members through
e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters. E-mails can be sent by visiting
www.usccb.org/prolife and clicking on the Health Care Reform Action Alert.
You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, attend town
hall meetings in your local district, or call the local offices of your
representative and senators. Full contact info can be found on Members' web
sites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov .
The message is simple: "Support genuine health care reform that respects the
life and dignity of all. A fair and just health care reform bill must
exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and uphold longstanding laws that
restrict abortion funding and protect conscience rights."
Tom Grenchik is Executive Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life
Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Go to www.usccb.org/prolife
to learn more about the bishops' pro-life activities.
Please call or write your Representative and Senators and
tell them that you do not want the health care reform bill to fund
abortions. Contact Information: US Sen.Claire McCaskill, 202-224-6154,
Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510; US Sen.Christopher Bond,
202-224-5721, Russell Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510.
US Rep.Ike Skelton, 202-225-2876, 2206 Rayburn House Office Bldg,
Washington, DC 20515; US Rep.Samuel Graves,
202-225-7041, 1415 Longworth House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515; US
Rep. JoAnn Emerson, 202-225-4404, 2440 Rayburn House Office Bldg,
Washington, DC 20515; US Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, 202-225-2956, 1118
Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515
August 7, 2009
Lines in the Sand
By Tom Grenchik
As members of Congress head home for their August recess, we now have a
better picture of where everyone stands on health care reform. While the
U.S. bishops support genuine health care reform, there is a clear line in
the sand between our bishops and some congressional leaders.
On July 17, Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops' Committee on
Domestic Justice and Human Development, wrote to Congress saying: "The
USCCB looks forward to working with you to reform health care successfully in
a manner that offers accessible, affordable and quality health care that
protects and respects the life and dignity of all people from conception
until natural death." Then Bishop Murphy drew a line, declaring that "no
health care reform plan should compel us or others to pay for the
destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory
coverage of abortion."
Some seemed surprised at this, since abortion was not specifically mentioned
in draft health care bills until recently. Those with longer memories may
recall that the Medicaid statute doesn't mention abortion either, but it was
funding 300,000 abortions a year in the 1970s until we put a stop to that
with the Hyde amendment. In any case, numerous amendments to keep abortion
out of health care reform have been defeated in committee, and it is now
apparent that some leaders have every intention of threatening the health
care reform process by forcing Americans to accept abortion mandates and/or
fund unlimited abortion in their health coverage.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee on
Pro-Life Activities, followed up with a July 29 letter to the House Energy
and Commerce Committee, declaring that "much-needed reform must not
become a vehicle for promoting an 'abortion rights' agenda or reversing
longstanding current policies against federal abortion mandates and funding." The
Cardinal urged Committee members to preserve longstanding federal policies
that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights.
But Bishop Murphy and Cardinal Rigali are not the only ones drawing lines.
Millions upon millions of American Catholics are with them. Earlier this
year, dioceses across the country broke all previous records by ordering
more than 34 million postcards so their parishioners could urge Congress to
"retain laws against federal funding and promotion of abortion." Now that
members of Congress are heading home, they need to be reminded of this
message at the local level, in the context of health care reform.
As Congress takes its vacation, various proposals have been left behind.
These proposals need to be examined to see how well they provide accessible,
affordable and quality health care and how they impact immigrants and the
poor. But one thing is certain. The bills approved so far by House and
Senate committees include mandated abortion coverage and abortion funding,
and that is a line we can never cross.
Now is the time to take action. Contact congressional members through
e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters. E-mails can be sent by visiting
www.usccb.org/prolife and clicking on the Health Care Reform Action Alert.
You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, attend town
hall meetings in your local district, or call the local offices of your
representative and senators. Full contact info can be found on Members' web
sites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov .
The message is simple: "Support genuine health care reform that respects the
life and dignity of all. A fair and just health care reform bill must
exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and uphold longstanding laws that
restrict abortion funding and protect conscience rights."
Tom Grenchik is Executive Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life
Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Go to www.usccb.org/prolife
to learn more about the bishops' pro-life activities.
Please call or write your Representative and Senators and
tell them that you do not want the health care reform bill to fund
abortions. Contact Information: US Sen.Claire McCaskill, 202-224-6154,
Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510; US Sen.Christopher Bond,
202-224-5721, Russell Senate Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510.
US Rep.Ike Skelton, 202-225-2876, 2206 Rayburn House Office Bldg,
Washington, DC 20515; US Rep.Samuel Graves,
202-225-7041, 1415 Longworth House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515; US
Rep. JoAnn Emerson, 202-225-4404, 2440 Rayburn House Office Bldg,
Washington, DC 20515; US Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, 202-225-2956, 1118
Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515