One Nation Under God or Government?

By Guest Column Vickie K. Doherty —— Bio and Archives October 11, 2012

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How many of us were stunned when we heard that all references to God were removed from the Democrat platform? It was astonishing to watch the pandemonium on the floor at the Democrat National Convention when under political pressure the convention chairman, Antonio Villaraigosa, called for a vote for a rule change to allow God in the platform. Amid booing and shouts of protest there were three separate votes before the wording was changed.

President Obama’s transformational leadership is one that would eradicate Judeo-Christian morality to further advance a progressive humanistic ideology that denies any meaningful place for God in our culture. As Dostoyevsky penned long ago, “Without God everything is permitted.” Under this presidency ethical standards in public policy have been cast aside, and for the first time in our country’s history, religious freedom is no longer guaranteed. Stripped of any conscience protection, President Obama’s health care legislation, the Affordable Health Care Act went into effect on August 1, 2012. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services mandates all employers provide health insurance coverage for their employees that must include abortion inducing drugs, free sterilization for women throughout their reproductive years and contraception. Religious employers are expected to violate their consciences and comply with the federal dictates. Political expediency permitted a few employers, a one year “Safe Harbor” delay before they are required to comply with the federal dictates. This assault on religious freedom has spawned 31 lawsuits against the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Becket Fund recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Christian company, Hobby Lobby, and the company will be fined $1.3 million a day unless the HHS mandate is repealed or defeated. The National Catholic Bioethics Center recently published an analysis saying it would be immoral for a Catholic who owns a private business to purchase health insurance for his or her employees under the Accountable Care Act’s HHS mandate but as Hercules Industries, a Catholic family owned business, discovered early, even a judge’s order will not mitigate the force of the Obama administration. On July 27, 2012 Hercules Industries won a temporary injunction against the HHS mandate. Judge John L. Kane of the U. S. District of Colorado ruled that the government’s interests “are countered and indeed outweighed, by the public interest in the free exercise of religion”. On September 25, 2012 President Obama’s Justice Department appealed that ruling to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado.

If morality is removed from our public policies there is no limit to the potential for abuse of the most vulnerable members in our society. Barack Obama, as an Illinois state senator, revealed what could be described as a psychopathic disregard for human life when he voted in favor of infanticide and refused to support the Born-Alive Infant protection legislation in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Andrew McCarthy, in his report published at the National Review, wrote the story of a nurse’s testimony before the Illinois state senate and her description of grisly accounts of babies who were born alive after failed abortions, and then, cast aside in utility rooms, where they were left to die. Quotes from the transcript of the proceedings made it clear that Senator Obama, in his own words, supported killing babies and protecting abortionists. The audio and transcript of Barack Obama’s statements before the Illinois state legislature can be found on a post by John McCormack at the Weekly Standard. Upon entering office President Obama authorized taxpayer funding for abortions and the Democrat platform calls for unrestricted abortion rights for all women in America “regardless of their ability to pay”. The HHS mandate requires that all federally approved state insurance exchanges include a $1 surcharge in insurance premiums for abortion coverage. This fact that has received minimal attention since the implementation of insurance exchanges in most of the states has been met with resistance. Under the leadership of Barack Obama a culture of death prevails. Buried in the 2700 pages of President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act we find under Subtitle G-Miscellaneous Provisions “Prohibit discrimination against assisted suicide”. A civilized society protects its weakest members but President Obama, as his record reflects, has little regard for the sanctity of human life. Under President’s Obama’s ACA the Department of Health and Human Services will set rules and regulations for health care services based on cost containment. The final approval will come through the unelected members of the IPAB commonly referred to as the “death panels”. This unelected board will have no congressional oversight and will have the authority to ration health care and limit access to life-saving medical treatments. All federally approved insurance exchanges will operate under the dictates of the IPAB but the rationing of care via limited access to health care services will be felt first by the most vulnerable, the elderly and infirm. Obamacare cuts $716 billion dollars from Medicare and cost effective medical care begins on January 1. If President Obama is re-elected he will continue to impose his statist view that government reigns supreme. He will enforce his restrictions on religious liberty via the HHS mandate, and only allow religious faith as a practice in private or in churches. Speaking at George Mason University on October 5, President Obama extolled the benefits and cost savings in the HHS mandate and defiantly said, “The mandate was one of the reasons for approving Obamacare. We passed this law and we are going to keep it”. Last March, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius explained the HHS cost savings this way, “The reduction in the number of pregnancies compensates for the cost of contraception.” Translation? The mandate will save money because it would cause fewer people to come into existence”. At this critical time in our country’s history we have the opportunity to elect a leader who believes in American principles and moral precepts. Speaking October 2, at the presidential debate Governor Romney was vehemently critical of the IPAB and the rationing of healthcare, he said: “We’re a nation that believes that we are all children of the same God and those who have difficulties, those who are elderly and those who are disabled, we care for them.” When asked about his beliefs regarding the role of government, Governor Romney responded: “Look behind us”, referring to the display of our founding documents behind the podium. ”There is the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The role of government is to promote and protect the principles of those documents and first is life and liberty. We have a responsibility to protect the lives and liberties of our people.” He continued: “In that line it says we are endowed by our Creator with our rights. I believe we must maintain our commitment to religious tolerance and freedom in this country”. In November, we will have the opportunity to defend our founding principles and reject the deification and tyranny of government. At this juncture in our history the words of President Reagan come to mind: “If we ever forget that we are One Nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”