Diana DeGette says Catholic bishops should have a say

UPDATE: Diana DeGette apparently has backed off her demand that Catholic bishops should not dictate the anti-abortion ban in HR 3962. She now says they should have a say, but she’s made her point, intentionally, or otherwise. That is, in her obvious opinion, House Republicans and 64 House Democrats violated the country’s long tradition of a separation of church and state when they let the Catholic bishops panic them into supporting the anti-abortion amendment to the health spending bill. And she obviously thinks the bishops were given too much of a say in the matter and violated the spirit, if not the letter of the First Amendment to the U.S Constitution. A lot of people agree with her on that point, and many don’t.

In the meantime, religious bloggers who call themselves “conservatives” have had a field day blasting DeGette for complaining about the bishops’ role in amending the health spending bill. They complain that 

she was trying to shut up the bishops at the same time they are trying to make her shut up.

My lede yesterday based on the information that was available then: Anti-abortion bloggers and columnists are attacking Diana DeGette (D-CO) for defending this country’s long tradition of the separation of church and state in the fight over the abortion ban amendment to the ObamaCare health spending bill (HR 3962). It’s pretty interesting to see so-called conservative defenders of the U.S. Constitution so willing to break not only this country’s long tradition of the separation of church and state, but also to defy the First Amendment to the Constitution. DeGette and other liberals are arguing that by letting Catholic bishops dictate and even write the Stupak anti-abortion amendment to the health insurance reform law, Republicans and 64 Democrats in the House defied the spirit, if not the letter of the First Amendment, which reads:

First Amendement to the U.S Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

At this point, this is not a conservatives vs. liberals issue because 64 Democrat liberals voted for the anti-abortion amendment. This is a fight over abortion rights, women’s rights, religious beliefs and raw, cynical political power.

I am a strict Constitutionalist, and I deeply believe in the separation of church and state. Without our Constitution and separation of church and state, this country would be a horrible place to live. In this year’s elections, none of the candidates are as conservative as or conservative in the same ways that I am. This means that I have to pick from those conservatives who are running just like everyone else.

There are so many possible links for this issue. Search: “First Amendment”, “Separation of Church and State”, “Diane DeGette”, just for starters.

Bishops reprise old abortion fight with higher stake  

Calling Dianne DeGette’s bigotry and ignorance out; By Michelle Malkin (DeGette correctly did not say separation of church and state is in the Constitution, but she’s correct in saying that there has been a long history of politicians maintaining a separation of church and state even though they always have said they were religious people. What the Constitution does say, is that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” To pro-choice folks, it seems, the Hyde amendment is making a law respecting establishment of religion, but the Supreme Court apparently has ruled otherwise. If that’s the case, then that’s the law. To DeGette, the Catholic bishops stepped over the line and violated our tradition of the separation of church and state when they used their tremendous political clout to enforce their religious beliefs, which aren’t shared by all Americans. The Catholics and their supporters are saying the bishops simply exercised their right to petition and lobby members of the House. For both sides, its black and white. Both sides are entitled to their opinions and should not be intimidated into shutting up.)

 

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