What anti-Catholic bigotry?

This anti-Catholic bigotry:

The ACLU has filed a brief in support of the HHS mandate, comparing Catholics to racists.

The ACLU and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri recently filed an amicus brief supporting the mandate which requires employers to provide insurance coverage for abortifacients, contraception, and sterilization procedures without a co-pay. The case, O’Brien Industrial Holdings v. Department of Health and Human Services, is a challenge by a private company which argues that the contraception rule is a violation of religious liberty.

In its brief, the ACLU compares Catholics to racists, arguing that declaring that you don’t want to support the killing of the unborn with abortifacients is akin to refusing to serve African-Americans.:

Regrettably, not so very long ago, businesses similarly claimed that their right to religious liberty entitled them to discriminate against African-American customers in public accommodations; universities claimed a religious liberty right to discriminate against African-American students; and employers claimed their right to religious freedom entitled them to pay men – who they considered to be the head of household based on their religious beliefs – more than women. Fortunately, in each of these cases, the courts squarely rejected the claims, recognizing that the right to religious liberty does not encompass the right to discriminate against others. This Court should come to the same conclusion here. Indeed, acceptance of Plaintiffs’ claims would not only contravene this clear and consistent precedent, but would also open the door for arguments that countless antidiscrimination statutes should be unenforceable in the face of a claim that the discrimination is
mandated by a religious belief.

The ACLJ is representing O’Brien in this case.

“This is the most ridiculous brief I’ve ever read,” ACLJ lawyer Francis Manion told The Cardinal Newman Society.  “There’s nothing to do but heap scorn and ridicule on it.”

He pointed out that the irony is that the government has acknowledged the validity of some religious objection. “So is the ACLU saying the government is promoting racism?” Manion laughed. “It floored me when I read it. I could be angry but I just laughed instead.”

He suggested that the ACLU brief was more of a press release garnered to gain attention for the liberal organization rather than a serious legal document.

I'm not so quick to let the ACLU off the hook.  I don't think it's a press release garnered to gain attention.  I think it's core liberal doctrine.

Faithful people, particularly orthodox, traditional, faithful people, are a threat.  And in this day and age, you take out a threat by labeling it racist, homophobic, bigoted.

This is how they roll.

This is who they are.

Comments

[sillyMe]

So in the middle of a whooping cough epidemic it is OK for movie stars and other crazies to claim a religious exemption from getting their children vaccinated but it is unacceptable to allow a church to claim a religious exemption from birth control?