Catholics: Contraception Mandate Not A Threat To Religious Freedom

The Catholic Church hierarchy's continued disingenuous whining about contraception coverage in health car plans underscores the growing disconnect between the hierarchy and the lay members of the Church. The bishops oppose all sex of any kind - other than that between priests and non-consenting minors - especially if there is any enjoyment involved whatsoever. Apparently, since the hierarchy is in theory obligated to remain celibate, they want everyone else to be equally miserable. But this disconnect between what everyday Catholics and the Church leadership hasn't stopped religious extremist in the Republican Party such as Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum and thrice married, serial adulterer Newt Gingrich from continuing to rail against the Obama administration using the false claim that "religious liberty" is under attack. A piece in the Huffington Post looks at this disconnect that may well help to be the GOP's undoing. Here are highlights:

A vocal contingent of Republican presidential candidates and church leaders are railing against the Obama administration's "war on religion," but most Americans can't seem to find the fight.

A majority (56 percent) of Americans say religious liberty is not threatened in the U.S., according to a new poll released Thursday (March 15) by the Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted the survey in partnership with Religion News Service.

Even though Catholic bishops are leading the charge that the new White House mandate requiring insurance plans to cover birth control for employees is a threat to religious liberty, Catholics reject -- by a 57 to 38 percent margin -- the idea that religious liberty is under siege.

What's more, nearly two-thirds of Catholics support the contraception requirements for publicly held corporations (65 percent), compared to 62 percent of all Americans. A strong 60 percent of Catholics say religiously affiliated colleges should have to comply, compared to 54 percent of Americans in general.

When those who perceive a threat were asked how religious liberty was being threatened, only 6 percent mentioned the new contraception mandate specifically -- a number Cox found startlingly low given how often the issue has headlined the news in recent weeks.

Who is worried about religious liberty in America? White evangelical Protestants, the only major religious group in which a majority (61 percent) believes religious liberty is in trouble, according to the study.

The poll also confirmed upward trends in attitudes toward gay Americans. . . .

Last year, surveys detected for the first time that a majority of Americans support legalizing same-sex marriage. This latest poll again pins that number above 50 percent, as well as support for gay couples adopting children.

Among the findings:

• Of the 52 percent who favor gay marriage, 22 percent strongly favor and 30 percent favor it.


• Of the 44 percent who oppose gay marriage, 19 percent oppose it and 25 percent strongly oppose it.


• Most Americans (54 percent) believe gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to adopt children, while 40 percent are opposed.

The poll also found that a slight majority of Americans (52 percent) believe birth control should be generally available to teenagers 16 or older without parental approval; 46 percent disagree.

The findings make it pretty clear that the only ones who see "religious freedom" under attack are those who are having increased difficulty forcing their religious beliefs on other members of society. The Christianists and Catholic bishops always want the special right to trample of the religious freedoms of other Americans. They, in fact, accuse others of what they themselves are seeking to do.