Pharmacist in Georgia Refuses to Fill Doctor-Prescribed Medicine to Complete Miscarriage: Why We Need to Keep Thinking about "Religious Freedom" Legislation

Here's a story that illustrates (for me, at least) why I think it's worthwhile to keep ranting about "religious freedom" laws that allow for-profit businesses to refuse to serve or sell goods to others on grounds of conscience: as Amanda Marcotte reports at Slate, a woman in Georgia, Brittany Cartrett, recently posted on Facebook an account of what happened when her doctor prescribed Misoprostol as she was miscarrying at about five weeks of pregnancy. Cartrett indicates that her doctor wanted her to take this pharmaceutical, which can also cause abortion, to complete the miscarriage.

Droppings from the Catholic Birdcage: Mother Jones Article about Hobby Lobby Not Gotcha Journalism — It's Just Journalism

At Commonweal, Grant Gallicho responds to Margaret O'Brien Steinfels's claim that the Mother Jones article about Hobby Lobby's retirement plan (with its heavy investments in companies producing contraceptives and abortifacients) is "gotcha journalism"--I blogged about this discussion earlier today:

Droppings from the Catholic Birdcage: "We Need to End the World View That Structures Reality into Higher and Lower"

What would cause a Jesuit priest who is nearing the age of 80, who has been a Jesuit for 45 years and who has served as a provincial in his order, to make the unexpected decision to leave the priesthood? Father Bert Thelen, SJ, explains:

Pope Francis on Primacy of Conscience in Christian Life: Implications for Catholicism in the Public Square

In the two items I've posted this morning, I've alluded to comments that Pope Francis made this past Sunday in his Angelus reflections in Rome. In these comments, Francis emphasizes a core teaching of the Catholic tradition: this is the sacred obligation of all Christians to follow their informed consciences.

Readers Write: "The Moral Authority of Cardinal Dolan? Really?"

As I just wrote, wouldn't it be grand, as the new pope talks about the supremacy of conscience in the Christian life and our obligation to follow our informed consciences, if the voices of lay Catholics speaking out of the depths of their consciences played a primary role in American Catholic public discourse? Instead, we see church leaders like Cardinal Dolan representing our church in the American public square as if no voice counts except the voice of a bishop or a pope.

Quote for the Day: What's Most Despicable about Cardinal Dolan's "Improved Protection" of Church Assets (and of Abusive Priests)

Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon on what's despicable about Cardinal Dolan's letter to the Vatican asking permission for the "improved protection" of funds of the Milwaukee archdiocese as survivors of childhood sexual abuse by priests made claims against the archdiocese:

And Then There Were Three: The Three Democratic Holdouts on Marriage Equality and the States' Rights Argument

The four have now become three: of the four diehard holdouts among Democratic senators opposing marriage equality, Senator Johnson of South Dakota is now on board. That leaves Pryor of Arkansas, Landrieu of Louisiana, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia--the latter two Catholic, by the way.

Catholic Rhetoric about Abortion and Serving the Common Good: A Reflection on Bill Tammeus's Recent NCR Article

Yesterday, Bill Tammeus posted an essay at National Catholic Reporter about the issue of abortion and Catholic magisterial teaching. To my mind, at least part of what the essay argues persuasively is that Catholics who refuse to engage those with different mindsets about complex issues re: the ethic of life can hardly expect to persuade others to share the Catholic understanding of life issues. I hear Tammeus arguing that, if Catholics don't intend to engage others with different perspectives in pluralistic secular democracies by means of respectful, dialogic interchange, Catholics shouldn't be surprised that many others in the world around them simply shrug their shoulders at Catholic teachings about life issues.

"Conscience-Protection" Bill Filed vs. Affordable Care Act: The Face of the Catholic Church in the U.S. Public Square

Mark Pattison of Catholic News Service reports at National Catholic Reporter about a "conscience-protection" bill just introduced yesterday by three Republican House members. Essentially, the bill demands "Taco Bell" exemptions that would allow private employers to exempt themselves from coverage of contraception in healthcare plans for employees under the Affordable Care Act. 

If I Could Tweet: The Danger of Marriage Equality to Tender Consciences of Florists

One of the things I love about many right-wing Christians of late is their growing deep compassion for florists and florists' tender consciences.

On Father Tony Flannery's Silencing: More Resources

A week ago, I reported on the recent Vatican actions against Irish Redemptorist priest Father Tony Flannery. For those who want to continue following this story, I'd like now to recommend several additional resources.

Father Tony Flannery Speaks Out about Vatican Action Against Him

In what I just posted, I noted the current Vatican disciplining of Irish Redemptorist priest Tony Flannery. A week ago, Fr. Flannery published a statement about the Vatican's action against him in the Irish Times. It's entitled "Vatican's Demand for Silence is Too High a Price."

The Mormon Moment: Romney Candidacy and Emergence of Liberal Reaction within Mormonism

The story about which I just blogged--the firing of Catholic teacher Trish Cameron in Moorhead, Minnesota, because she dared to write on a self-evaluation form that she does not agree with all church teachings (though she had never stated this in the classroom), obviously centers on the theme of conscience.  Though the U.S. Catholic bishops are staging lavish, expensive shock-and-awe political theater events this summer with claims that "Catholic" freedom of conscience is being trampled on, they themselves and the Vatican ride roughshod over the informed consciences of believers like Trish Cameron and many others.  

Catholic Teacher in Crookston, Minnesota, Diocese Fired for Supporting Marriage Equality

Among many disturbing aspects, the one I find most mind-boggling in this story of the firing of a Catholic teacher in Moorhead, Minnesota, because she supports marriage equality?  It's this:

Get Out the Popcorn: USCCB Announces Intent to Continue Theater of Absurd

Get out the popcorn and pull up a chair, folks: looks as if the theatrics will be continuing.

As Fr. James Martin and Grant Gallicho are reporting this morning at America and Commonweal, the USCCB has just announced that it intends to keep the fight against the HHS guidelines going, despite the offer of an accommodation by the Obama administration.  I haven't read the USCCB announcement yet.  I'll try to do so later today (running off to a doctor's appointment in a few minutes), and will see if I have more thoughts to offer about this later.

Catholic Diocese of Sacramento Defunds Homeless Ministry: Director Supports Marriage Equality and Is Pro-Choice

And finally this morning, in the religious-freedom-not-so-much category, yet another piece of evidence that, for the current leaders of the Catholic church, religious freedom means freedom and conscience for me and not for thee: as Cynthia Hubert reports in the Kansas City Star yesterday, the Catholic diocese of Sacramento has shut down its funding for a homeless agency, Francis House, because the agency's new director supports marriage equality and is pro-choice.

On Religious Freedom, Conscience, and the Gospels: Recent Discussions in Media

At the Nation, Jessica Valenti agrees with Sarah Posner (in a Salon piece to which I linked yesterday) that the American political and religious right is involved in a long-game strategy to roll back women's rights in the area of healthcare.  But she wonders why we're so surprised to discover this right now, and why it has become a campaign talking point in 2012, when the handwriting on this particular wall has been plain to see for some time now:

Two Pictures, Two Thousand Words: Congressional Hearing on Religious Liberty

As Pema Levy notes at Talking Points Memo today, the picture at the head of the posting is from yesterday's Congressional hearing about "religious liberty," and has been circulating all over the Internet since the hearings were convened.

Can you imagine why?  Do you spot anything remarkable in this picture of men people gathered for an official hearing to talk about the healthcare needs of women?  

Contraception Debate Aftermath: Teachable Moment for American Catholicism (If We Choose to Listen and Learn)

While Arianna Huffington reminds Huffington Post readers that there's more to be discussed in the world of politics right now than contraception (and that the made-up controversy about contraceptive coverage in Catholic institutions came along conveniently just as news was breaking of the Obama administration's  success in stimulating economic recovery), we of the tribe Catholic continue dusting madly away at our old tried and true shibboleths.

Fred Clark on People Who Don't Listen to Women (and the U.S. Bishops' Real Agenda)

Fred Clark thinks that people who work themselves into an entrenched pattern of not listening to women often foolishly miscalculate that people will listen to them when they claim to be official moral voices speaking for everyone.  Clark writes: