We tried to warn you, Sister Carol.

Sister Carol Keehan, in opposition to the United States bishops, was a key supporter of the abortion-expanding Obamacare bill – so much so that she was given one of the 21 ceremonial pens President Obama used to sign the measure into law. (NC Register)

Catholic leaders are outraged that new Obamacare regulations that force faith groups to violate church tenets and pay for employees’ birth control. The new rules are so strict that most Catholic institutions will not qualify for an exemption.
NewsOK reported:

The Obama administration is taking heat from religious groups, particularly Catholic leaders, upset that new federal health regulations may force them to pay for employees’ birth control, a violation of church tenets.

Proposed religious exemptions to the new regulations, unveiled Aug. 1 by the Department of Health and Human Services, are considered so narrow that even Catholic officials considered friendly to President Barack Obama argue that they should be changed.

“I call this the parish housekeeper exemption — that’s about all it covers,” Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, a 600-member umbrella group for Catholic hospitals, told The Associated Press.

In 2009, Keehan gave last-minute support that helped secure passage of Obama’s health care reform law, a decision that signaled a split with Catholic bishops, who opposed the law because they argued it funded abortions.

But Keehan and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are united on this issue.

“Health and Human Services must think Catholics and other religious groups are fools,” Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokesman for the U.S. hierarchy, wrote in a blog post.

As Walsh and others point out, the proposed exemption would only apply to a nonprofit employer that has “the inculcation of religious values as its purpose,” that primarily employs fellow believers and that primarily serves people “who share its religious tenets.”

The exemption would not cover Catholic hospitals, which provide care to one in six Americans seeking medical treatment every year — whether they are Catholic or not — and employ people of all beliefs.

Under the new health care law, insurance companies will be required to cover birth control without the co-pays that most women currently fork over on a monthly basis.
From the Office of the Federal Register website:

Consistent with most States that have such exemptions, as described below, the amended regulations specify that, for purposes of this policy, a religious employer is one that: (1) has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose; (2) primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets; (3) primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets; and (4) is a non-profit organization under section 6033(a)(1) and section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) or (iii) of the Code. Section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) and (iii) refer to churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of churches, as well as to the exclusively religious activities of any religious order.

Planned Parenthood, which stands to gain from broader contraception coverage, said the religious exemption as proposed is too generous.

St. Gianna Physician’s Guild today launched an online petition (www.StopTheBirthControlMandate.com) requesting the Obama Administration and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, to immediately withdraw all references to contraception and contraception counseling from the “Guidelines for Women’s Preventive Services” under The Affordable Care Act, and to provide a conscience clause to protect the religious freedom and beliefs of Catholics.

 

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  1. #1 August 23, 2011 at 8:05 am

    John commented:

    Well, well Sister. Don’t you remember that we needed to pass it so we could find out what was in it?

  2. #2 August 23, 2011 at 8:08 am

    Militant Conservative commented:

    Bend over sister, your getting sumthin you ain’t

    Never had. LOL

    Powder is dry

  3. #3 August 23, 2011 at 8:11 am

    Sam Stone commented:

    For all those who said ObamaCare was a health insurance TAKEOVER and were called names and worse, these stories confirm you were right! AGAIN!

    Form forcing all insurers to cover a range of female related issues for FREE to the insured, to this and to all the over coverages that will soon be mandated, it is indeed a TAKE OVER of our health care system by the government.

    We were right again.

  4. #4 August 23, 2011 at 8:14 am

    dunce commented:

    Remember when obama made the statement about all the people objecting to his “change” that “they ought to be thanking me”. Much like a rapist expecting gratitude from his victim.

  5. #5 August 23, 2011 at 8:15 am

    Warthog commented:

    Silly Catholics

    I’m, reminded of that classic scene in Animal House where Otter says to Flounder, “You f***ed up … you trusted us!”

  6. #6 August 23, 2011 at 8:16 am

    mg4us commented:

    There is a clear and purposeful goal to discredit Christians and especially Catholics. . . not just with this Obamacare, but little to no news coverage by MSM of the over 1.6 Million Catholic youth that went to Madrid Spain to join the Pope in World Youth Day ceremonies. . .many were US students on the pilgrimage. Yet they always have time to Cover Muslims going to Mecca. . . or Ramadan.

    And if there was a blip of coverage, it was about the riots that leftists, hardcore gays and marxists had in confronting these Pilgrims.

    The media does NOT want to draw attention to the fact that Pilgrims and other Christian faith observers ARE the MAJORITY. . . the silent Majority that they twist and use for their leftist’s elitists ideologies.

    Repeal Obamacare. . . and vote Obama and the RATs (DemocRATs) out!

  7. #7 August 23, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Nelle commented:

    This President thinks he can do anything he wants to. So far, he has been getting away with just about everything. But the time for complaining and proposing and pleading will have to come to an end if he doesn’t back off this one. When ordered to do evil, we must obey God rather than man.
    Gird your loins, Joe, and all you Christian individuals and organizations, and all others opposed to abortion. If an online petition and some legal wrangling aren’t effective, it will be time to say, “We cannot participate, and we will not”.

  8. #8 August 23, 2011 at 8:29 am

    lol commented:

    she should be excommunicated. along with the other so called catholics pelosi, and biden who advocate abortion.

  9. #9 August 23, 2011 at 8:30 am

    Steve commented:

    Now she knows what the pen is for and what she can do with it.

  10. #10 August 23, 2011 at 8:34 am

    american patriot commented:

    Pet the snake.

    Get bitten.

    Don’t act shocked!

    You all remember Al Wilson’s The Snake (1968)?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ZBqpEUbik

  11. #11 August 23, 2011 at 8:36 am

    Carbon Pootprint commented:

    Hammer these freaking Marxist back into their holes or the only churches in this country will be state sanctioned Sociopath Justice Centers. Let’s start by prosecuting the people who INTENTIONALLY caused this meltdown.

  12. #12 August 23, 2011 at 8:36 am

    Spartan commented:

    “Health and Human Services must think Catholics and other religious groups are fools,” Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokesman for the U.S. hierarchy, wrote in a blog post.

    Ya think? HHS is not the only ones who think you’re stupid!!!!

    Let me just say this Sister Keehan,,,,,,life sucks for you. If you think for one minute I’m going to forgive you or feel sorry for you because you sold out yourself for the spotlight and than Christianity, you got another thing coming. I don’t feel a whiff of sorrow for your misfotune and you complete lack of thought when you got your little pen. Don’t come crying to US now. Live with your decision, and stay away from those who seek out GOD without your help.

  13. #13 August 23, 2011 at 8:50 am

    lethargic commented:

    There is only one religion allowed by Modern Liberals … and that is Modern Liberalism.

  14. #14 August 23, 2011 at 8:59 am

    ARCB commented:

    Sorry, but I blame the US Catholic bishops. Under Catholic doctrine, the bishops speak for the church, not some nun. The bishops should have immediately and publicly chastised her for her comments and then sought her immediate removal from her position. Instead, they allowed a facade of “Catholic respectability” for the Obamacare bill.

  15. #15 August 23, 2011 at 9:05 am

    aprilnovember811 commented:

    Get that detestable Kenyan despot out of our White House. He is a bum and a con man. It amazes me the stupidity of those people on Martha’s Vineyard who socialize with this piece of trash. They think they’re being good and noble and their stupid. They’re being conned by Jim Jones II. I WANT OBAMA’S COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS. THAT WILL REVEAL ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS DEGENERATE. The Supreme Court needs to get off their butts and look at this. They’re allowing this creep, and that’s all he is, to victimize this country. HE SET UP THE NAVY SEALS. HE HAD THEM KILLED. HE HAS THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD ALL OVER THIS GOVERNMENT!

  16. #16 August 23, 2011 at 9:07 am

    aprilnovember811 commented:

    SO THE MUSLIMS ARE EXEMPT BUT NOT THE CHRISTIANS? BUT HE’S A CHRISTIAN, HE SAID SO. THE LYING SOCIOPATH, JIM JONES CLONE SAID SO.

  17. #17 August 23, 2011 at 9:09 am

    aprilnovember811 commented:

    I swear he could kill people in the streets and Congress, the Courts, and the old media would say, “Did you see how beautiful he wielded the knife, or the sword in his case, since he’s a MUSLIM.” HE’S WITH THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. THAT’S WHY HE WON’T RELEASE HIS COLLEGE GRADES, BECAUSE IT WOULD REVEAL ALL KINDS OF THINGS ABOUT HIM. SOMEONE MUST GET THOSE.

  18. #18 August 23, 2011 at 9:09 am

    DMartyr commented:

    Wait a second – the health bill has (had) a provision that exempted those whose religion forbid gambling (ie, insurance) type investments.

    It apparently applies to islam and to the Amish, so wouldn’t it also apply to Catholicism?

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/03/amish_muslims_to_be_excused_fr.html

  19. #19 August 23, 2011 at 9:18 am

    pst314 commented:

    “Health and Human Services must think Catholics and other religious groups are fools….”

    You supported Obamacare. Case closed. (Except that “fool” doesn’t being to describe the degree of their error.)

  20. #20 August 23, 2011 at 9:21 am

    cal rifkin commented:

    duhhhhh…is it that hard to see what the lib/marxist obamacrats are up to? What is wrong with these people??

  21. #21 August 23, 2011 at 9:22 am

    Militant Conservative commented:

    I would find it ironic when the SCOTUS strikes

    This down due to seperation of church and state.

    Powder is dry

  22. #22 August 23, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Susan commented:

    Catholic Leaders wanted their “Universal Health Care is a God-Given Right” and they got it,

    Too bad their eyes were too blinded to see it that the State-God will provide their Universal Health Care. When worshiping Government you’ll find your faith in God has been removed.

    I feel sorry for the Catholic Church in America, they followed Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi.

  23. #23 August 23, 2011 at 9:29 am

    Major Kong commented:

    Just what does the U S Council of Catholic Bishops do? I realize they have an annual meeting and act all self -important and all, but seriously where’s the leadership? We Catholics who are formed and informed via the Church’s magisterium are continually scandalized by politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, John Kerry, Joe Biden, ad nauseum who continually present a perverted and grossly inaccurate of church teaching. If memory serves, the Church was quite active during the Civil Rights struggle of the 60′s, so why are they laying down for Obamacare? Where are the challenges? Why no calls for non-violent civil disobedience. I believe Pope Benedict will be shown to be correct when he said the Church may well have to become smaller if it is to retain its orthodoxy.

  24. #24 August 23, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Ipso Facto commented:

    Obama = Charlatan

    Sister Carol Keehan = Willing accomplice

  25. #25 August 23, 2011 at 9:56 am

    burt commented:

    Sister, you won’t fit it at Notre Dame.

  26. #26 August 23, 2011 at 10:04 am

    Major Kong commented:

    Sister Carol Keehan, get in line with an ever-growing line of useful idiots. Bet she’ll still endorse Obama in 2012.

  27. #27 August 23, 2011 at 10:08 am

    shibumi commented:

    “It apparently applies to islam and to the Amish, so wouldn’t it also apply to Catholicism?”

    Hmm…. could it be because President Downgrade is in the very least, a Muslim sympathizer and is punishing the Catholics for the Crusades? And yes, I know that sounds insane, but at this point, that’s as good an explanation as any.

    Or it could simply be that liberals hate Catholics. Which makes no sense at all, since lots of Catholics (I’m sorry to say) are liberals.

  28. #28 August 23, 2011 at 10:13 am

    Major Kong commented:

    #27 August 23, 2011 at 10:08 am shibumi commented:
    “…since lots of Catholics (I’m sorry to say) are liberals.”
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Actually, lots of liberals like to THINK of themselves as being Catholic. That doesn’t make it so.

  29. #29 August 23, 2011 at 10:18 am

    shibumi commented:

    “Actually, lots of liberals like to THINK of themselves as being Catholic. That doesn’t make it so.”

    Agreed.

  30. #30 August 23, 2011 at 10:26 am

    bobdog commented:

    Easy fix. Announce that henceforth the Catholic Church is an Islamic organization and then unionize the clergy.

    Happy to help.

  31. #32 August 23, 2011 at 10:35 am

    chuck in st paul commented:

    How’s all that Hope and Change workin’ for ya there bead mumblers of America?

    The American Catholic Church has been a sham for decades. Other than the name Catholic and the possesion of Rosary Beads there isn’t much that is Roman Catholic about it. Baby Boomers demanded their infantile permisiveness from the Church or they’d stamp their feet and leave. Eventually a bunch of Boomers became priests and the backsliding began – all in the name of filling up the pews dontcha know. They’re all going to be a long, long time in purgatory.

  32. #33 August 23, 2011 at 10:36 am

    Freddy commented:

    ” … and to provide a conscience clause to protect the religious freedom and beliefs of Catholics ….”

    So now religious people need to petition the government for exemptions to cover the violations of the constitution by the Obama administration.

  33. #34 August 23, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Militant Conservative commented:

    Two comments,

    dude looks like a lady vs versa.

    Scary bit€h alert.

  34. #35 August 23, 2011 at 10:49 am

    BurmaShave commented:

    Catholics drink Kool-aid too.

  35. #36 August 23, 2011 at 10:55 am

    AnnaS commented:

    I agree with #26. She (and they) are useful idiots. They came out BIG for him in 2012. For what reason? Who knows. Now I don’t feel sorry for them. Elections have consequences and they will likely back him in 2012!

  36. #37 August 23, 2011 at 11:12 am

    Militant Conservative commented:

    No need for birth control with this ,ahem, lady.

  37. #38 August 23, 2011 at 11:18 am

    StrangernFiction commented:

    Good vs. Evil

  38. #39 August 23, 2011 at 11:26 am

    greenfairie commented:

    American Catholic clergy are among the Left’s most reliable useful idiots (and I saw this as a Catholic myself). There are a lot of good people in the Church who know what it’s all about. Unfortunately, there are also people who come from the Kennedy Katholic tradition, who admire the likes of Dorothy Day, come from union households in the Northeast, and think “social justice” is part of the Gospel (it’s somewhere in the back). So much so, they could never part with the Official Party of Death, Drugs, Divorce, and Deviancy and then they’re totally surprised when the Party forces them to pay for birth control. Guess what? The Church will likely have to pay for other fun things like sex changes, abortions, and insurance for gay “spouses” too. That’s what your commitment to “social justice” uber alles gets you.

  39. #40 August 23, 2011 at 11:29 am

    M1 commented:

    I gave up on the Catholic church years ago. It’s a leftist fever swamp.

  40. #41 August 23, 2011 at 11:34 am

    PatriotGal2257 commented:

    Seriously, where were all these so-called Catholic leaders last year when Obamacare was being dissected in article after article on the Internet? Where were the USCCB vigorously denouncing the entire bill? Where were the denunciations of Sister Keehan? Except for Bishop Thomas Olmstead, most of what I heard were tepid, equivocal statements better suited to the current crop of spineless politicians rather than strong defenders of the Faith.

  41. #42 August 23, 2011 at 11:38 am

    StrangernFiction commented:

    You cannot be a ‘rat AND be a good Catholic.

  42. #43 August 23, 2011 at 11:39 am

    StrangernFiction commented:

    LOL, nothing says I’m a good Catholic like a waitress sandwich.

  43. #44 August 23, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    why should they be unhappy??

    i mean, they not only covered the symbol of Jesus up for him, but
    welcomed his New Covenant with open check, uh, prayer books..

    /holy sarc Omen/

    ==

  44. #45 August 23, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    mercador commented:

    She looks lesbianese.

  45. #46 August 23, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    PatriotGal2257 #41 August 23, 2011 at 11:34 am

    yes, where were they, i mean, Obama’s Islamists
    had their exemptions say    .. /unholy curses here/

    ==

  46. #47 August 23, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    vagabond trader commented:

    This is what happens when all that feel good commie ecumenicalism is allowed a foot in the door of your religious institutions. Oh well.

  47. #48 August 23, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    lethargic commented:

    Major #26 & 28 … Agreed

    Greenfaeries #39 … as a practicing Catholic (still trying to get it right), it gripes me to no end … social justice is part of Catholic teaching … but not when it is abdicated out to the government … social justice is as close to home as taking a meal to a shut-in or driving someone to an appointment … or knitting layettes for babies that might well have been aborted … or praying at that clinic … or helping a friend or relative out with medical bills or home repairs or a job search … or tutoring the neighbor kid in math … or anything that normal people do for others just because they want to share Christ’s love … the government has no legitimate part of it … that’s where Modern Liberals Who Like to Think of Themselves as Catholic have gone wrong … putting the gubmint in charge robs everyone of the opportunity and privilege and spiritual benefit of serving one another …

  48. #50 August 23, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    just a wee sample:

    re: “social justice”

    please cick on links & scroll thread for a bit more, thank you..

    ==

  50. #53 August 23, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Major Kong commented:

    #52 OBAMANATION AT NOTRE DAME

    Thanks for the link. Looks like a great source for news one won’t find anywhere else.

  51. #54 August 23, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    kato commented:

    Just look at the photo and you’ll see one of the big problems with the Catholic Church today — it has been infiltrated.

    The diocese in which I live has had a succession of soft-faced, limp-wristed bishops, with appropriately soft and limp views.

    The Church has been slumming for decades now, since Vatican II actually, and one sometimes feels the priesthood is dominated by sexually inverted individuals who like to play dress-up.

    Give me the old-fashioned priests in the J. F. Powers stories any day. They smoked and drank, and they questioned their faith, but at least they didn’t fall for the feminized BS that is contemporary liberalism.

  52. #55 August 23, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    Rob De Witt commented:

    If you’d like to see the ultimate takedown of this sort of behavior, don’t miss this one:

    http://barnhardt.biz/

    Scroll down to read “Wherein Ann Unloads on Feminists (Part 1 and Part 2)”, posted on August 19.

  53. #56 August 23, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Rob De Witt commented:

    And by the way, in response to lethargic (#48), what statism defies is the Catholic concept of Subsidiarity, which makes it clear that governments are intended to support the efforts of the family, not supplant them.

  54. #57 August 23, 2011 at 3:08 pm

    BS-meter commented:

    Wait a minute. We had to pass the (Obamacare) bill to find out what was in it, right?

    Oh, and this chick? I think she’s Harry Reid’s twin sister.

  55. #58 August 23, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    Blacque Jacques Shellacque commented:

    Actually, lots of liberals like to THINK of themselves as being Catholic.

    At Mass on Sundays, the word leftist always goes through my head whenever I hear the petitions being recited. Especially when I hear the mention of “social justice”.

  56. #59 August 23, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    testing 123..

    ==

  57. #60 August 23, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    hmmm, strange nothing i post with links is going through.. :-(

    ==

  58. #61 August 23, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    bg commented:

    maybe if i posted one link at a time my post won’t get snarled.. :D

    yeah, blame it all on the Catholics, as if they’re
    the only ones for social justice in America.. /s/

    Faith and Social Justice

    ==

  60. #63 August 23, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    hmm, think this link is the problem..

    Democratic Party News – Social Justice

    ==

  61. #64 August 23, 2011 at 5:47 pm

    bg commented:

    ++

    trying for the rest re: #16/62/63

    Van Jones: Green Energy Is Really All About Social Justice

    much more here, click on & follow links separately, please
    scroll for more info links in connected threads, thank you…

    *sigh*.. there is so much more connected going on that is to this to this
    i couldn’t possibly link to all the pertinent info, ergo, i sincerely urge you
    to do your own research..

    ==

  62. #65 August 23, 2011 at 5:59 pm

    John Gardner commented:

    If Catholic leaders (i.e., the USCCB) are only now objecting they are either incompetent or lying hypocrites!

    The ONLY objection to the bill, badly stated and very late in the game, had to do with government funding of abortions. If I believe that if they are shocked by this later development, it can only mean they were paying no attention to the rest of the bill. They certainly were not paying attention to the undemocratic process by which it was enacted.

    Furthermore, to pretend that somehow the CHA is separate and apart from the USCCB is simply dishonest. USCCB staffers/Bishops sit on various CHA boards/committees. It is simply not credible to assert they each have their own policies on matters of faith.

    I think what the American Church did in this case was try to “split the baby” — and they got screwed by the Chicago gang.

  64. #67 August 23, 2011 at 8:13 pm

    Island Girl commented:

    I liked it better when catholics dug up the former Pope & stuck him on a chair & tried him for somethin aboo boo in the &th century.

    They took off his papal rings & scattered hi carcass into the Tiber.

    Thats when they had style. Since then it hasbeen all downhill.

  65. #68 August 23, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    John Gardner commented:

    To Island Girl: That would be Pope Stephen (VI) VII (http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=11074) — as a Roman Catholic, my favorite Pope as it serves as a continual reminder to me that the Church has been led by men (as in human kind) and thus a range of quality/virtue in Popes, some great, some mediocre, some (as with Stephen) just awful.

    Regrettably for you anti-Catholic bigots, the USCCB’s perfidy with regard to Obamacare did not, to my knowledge, involve the Pope or anyone else in Rome.

  66. #69 August 23, 2011 at 9:10 pm

    tommy mc donnell commented:

    when are people going to wake up to the fact that liberals are tyrants and oppressors. the proper role of government to a liberal is to make everyone DO what the liberal wants

  67. #70 August 24, 2011 at 12:34 am

    SandyfromChesterfield commented:

    Sister Carol Keehan. this is what is known as selling your soul to the devil.

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