Catholic Organizations: Abortion and ObamaCare

This is sickening.

WASHINGTON, July 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three of the top lay Catholic organizations have divorced themselves from Catholic teaching by supporting the Obama health-care plan, which would foster a culture of mandatory
abortion coverage, contraceptive services, and permissive sex education, euthanasia and eugenics.

Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association "are joining together to push the current version of the plan through Congress."

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities USA sent out an action alert asking members to contact their legislators immediately:

We must maintain momentum for health care reform efforts with calls and emails supporting health care reform immediately. ... Your members of Congress need to hear from you that you support health care reform, and that the system needs to be reformed now.

The Catholic Health Association put together a YouTube video showing people displaying messages such as "I can't wait for health-care reform" and "We can't wait until the signing ceremony."

Watch the Catholic Health Association's nauseating video here. I can't believe that it was produced by a Catholic group.

I don't understand what these organizations are doing.

Have these groups pulled a John Conyers and failed to read the bill?

Do these groups know what they're endorsing?

I certainly hope not.

From the National Right to Life Committee:

The health care restructuring bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, backed by the Obama White House and titled "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009" (H.R. 3200), contains provisions that will result in federally mandated coverage of abortion on demand in virtually all of America's health plans. Once abortion is established as a federal "essential benefit," the bill will also require "access" to elective abortion, which will require many issuers to establish and staff new abortion-providing sites. Moreover, state laws that impede "access" to elective abortion (such as waiting periods and parental notification requirements) may be nullified as conflicting with the purposes of the federal law .In addition, the bill will result in the the massive subsidization of elective abortion with tax dollars.

Here's more, from Wisconsin Right to Life:

Wisconsin Right to Life joins with our parent organization, the National Right to Life Committee, in expressing our strong opposition to the Tri-Committee health care legislation (H.R. 3200). In its current form, the bill would vastly expand access to abortion on demand and establish federal funding for abortion.

Various provisions in H.R. 3200 would result in federal mandates requiring the inclusion of elective abortion in virtually all health care plans, both private and public. Other provisions would result in health care networks being required to create new abortion facilities to provide more access to elective abortions. State laws that regulate the practice of abortion, such as Wisconsin's laws requiring parental consent or waiting periods, would be subject to nullification by federal regulation or lawsuit. The only way to prevent these results is to adopt an amendment that explicitly excludes abortion in all of the bill's provisions.

In addition, the bill would provide federal subsidies for elective abortions... paid for, of course, by the American taxpayer. Some supporters of H.R. 3200 claim that the Hyde Amendment, which currently protects taxpayers from paying for most abortions, would prevent taxpayer funding of abortion under H.R. 3200. This is untrue. As you know, the Hyde Amendment is not a permanent law. Rather, it is a "limitation amendment" on the annual Health and Human Services appropriations bill. The Hyde Amendment would lapse if it would fail to obtain the approval of Congress and the President's signature. In addition, H.R. 3200 contains massive subsidies for premiums and cost-sharing that would not be part of the annual Health and Human Services appropriations bill. Thus, those subsidies would not be subject to the Hyde Amendment. The only way to prevent taxpayer funding of federal subsidies for elective abortions is to add Hyde-type language to H.R. 3200. Unless such an amendment is adopted, Wisconsin Right to Life will consider a vote for the bill to be a vote in favor of taxpayer funding of abortion on demand.

Wisconsin Right to Life also joins the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) in expressing our deep concern that H.R.3200 contains provisions that would result in future rationing of life-saving medical care on the basis of disability and "quality of life" criteria.

How can Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association be on board with an alleged health care bill that is an assault on life -- the weak, the disabled, the elderly, and the unborn?

Unbelievable.

Catholic Charities USA spouts the Obama White House talking points.

The United States spends more per capita on health care than any other nation, yet approximately 45 million persons, including nearly 9 million children, have no coverage at all. An estimated additional 25 million Americans are underinsured or spending more than 10 percent of their income on out-of pocket health care expenses.

Inadequate health care coverage threatens the well-being of individuals and families. Nearly half of the uninsured do not seek care for a medical problem and one in three cannot even fill their prescriptions.

Lack of health insurance also threatens family economic security. Nearly one quarter of uninsured persons report having to eliminate meals or spend less on utilities in order to pay for medical bills. Furthermore, hospitals often charge uninsured persons two to four times higher than what insurers and public programs pay, which can push people into debt.

The human potential to lead full, productive lives is affected by the ability to access quality, affordable health services.

That 45 million uninsured figure is not true.

Read more on that lie here.

It's as if the DNC wrote the information that's on the Catholic Charities website.

Catholic Charities USA does state its support for a Culture of Life ethic, but its words are empty.

Catholic Charities USA urges Congress to:

---Enact comprehensive health care policies that ensure equitable, accessible, affordable, and quality health care for all that safeguards human life from conception until natural death.

That "urging" is all well and good but it's meaningless since the Democrats have absolutely no intention whatsoever of safeguarding "human life from conception until natural death."

Obama has stated repeatedly that he is unwilling to protect the unborn. In fact, no U.S. president has ever been more radical in his support of abortion.

These Catholic groups must be aware of this, but they're ignoring it.

Obama has also made it clear that he intends to follow the advice of one of his top advisers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and support withholding health services from the elderly in order to cut costs.

He showed his true colors when he addressed a question posed by Jane Sturm during his health care informercial, hosted by ABC.

Using her mother as an example, Sturm wondered about prolonging life and asked Obama if any consideration will be given for a "certain spirit, a certain joy of living," or if it will just be a matter of a "medical cut-off at a certain age."

Obama's answer was very revealing and very scary. He tried to dodge Sturm's question, but he made it clear that resources can't be wasted on the elderly.

OBAMA: We're not going to solve every difficult problem in terms of end-of-life care. A lot of that is going to have to be we as a culture and as a society starting to make better decisions within our own families and for ourselves.

But what we can do is make sure that at least some of the waste that exists in the system, that's not making anybody's mom better, that is loading up on additional tests or additional drugs, that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care, that at least we can let doctors know, and your mom know, that you know what, maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having the surgery but taking the painkiller.

Bottom line: Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association are not being faithful to Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life, something at the core of Catholicism.

How do Catholic organizations support legislation that would "expand access to abortion on demand and establish federal funding for abortion"?

They appear to be oblivious to the reality of Obama's health care bill and what enacting it would mean. It strikes at the heart of Catholic values.

That's inexcusable.