Recalcitrant Politicians
  by Janet Brazill

On this important date of January 22 - the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision - we should brace ourselves for the worst opposition yet from those who consider reproductive rights a threat to their religious authority.

Roman Catholics now claim a majority in our U.S. Congress with 150 members belonging to that faith. Upset that not all Catholic politicians vote in line with the Church's teachings on abortion and contraception, the American Life League is targeting 71 members of Congress and 340 Catholic state politicians, as well as other Catholic politicians around the country, with its "Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church."

In November, the American Catholic Bishops issued aggressive statements against contraception, same-sex unions and abortion. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is still formulating how it intends to punish Catholic politicians who vote against Catholic doctrine. In response to a 17-page "doctrinal note" issued by the Vatican telling American politicians how to behave, they announced that a task force will produce guidelines on dealing with "recalcitrant politicians."

Such actions not only call into question whether the Catholic Church should retain its tax exemption - a privilege based mainly on non-profit organizations refraining from political activity - but they violate our American principle of Separation of Church and State.

"In the relationship between man and religion, the state is firmly committed to the position of neutrality," Justice Clark wrote in the 1963 decision, Schempp v. Board of Education. This neutrality protects Americans' religious freedom - insuring their right to follow their individual beliefs without fear that the state will force another religion's doctrine on them.

Our first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy, understood this principle of democracy when he said, "I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish - where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source..."

Unfortunately, this constitutional principle of neutrality is now being undermined and derided by those who see an advantage to promoting their own religious doctrines. Emboldened by the favorable political climate in the current administration, opponents of abortion are now openly condemning contraceptive use - a position that was previously kept low-key to avoid arousing public indignation. With the issues of Emergency Contraception and contraceptive coverage in private health insurance now open for public debate, however, these topics also become subjects for political instruction for "recalcitrant politicians."

It's all about "authority." Shortly after the discovery of the birth control pill in the 1960's, Pope John XXIII created a commission to study the problem of population and birth control. Many hoped that the Roman Catholic church would change its long-standing opposition to contraceptives, and actually a large majority of both the Commission and a subsequent group of Cardinals and Bishops voted to make the change. Nevertheless, the new pope, Paul VI, retained the ban because he felt the Church would lose its authority if it altered its position.

Now, in this election year of 2004, that "authority" will be tested as it tries to force Catholic politicians to pass laws imposing the tenets of their personal faith on all citizens, despite each legislator's oath to uphold the Constitution.

This direct assault on our Constitution threatens the religious liberty of every American.

Send us an Email

Or write to us at:
Freethinkers of Colorado Springs
P.O. Box 62946
Colorado Springs, CO 80962-2946
Phone: 719-594-4506