Scientology opposes mandated employer insurance coverage for abortion, birth control and reproductive health.
The Congressional Record shows that on April 30, 2015, the United States House of Representatives (controlled by the Republican Party) considered a proposed "joint resolution (H.J. Res. 43) disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014."
http://ift.tt/1SLnGFo
Attached to the Congressional Record is the following letter:
* * * * * BEGIN QUOTATION * * * * *
Hon. Phil Mendelson,
Council of the District of Columbia,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Mendelson: We represent the city's broad and diverse faith community. We may believe and practice our faith differently. We may have divergent positions on important issues. However we all agree that faith communities have a right to freely exercise their religion and a responsibility to promote and protect this important freedom. We believe religious freedom is not only our priority, but also a priority in our society.
We come together then to oppose the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014. We believe it would infringe upon religious employers' freedom to make employment decisions when necessary to preserve their religious mission and identity. In doing so, the legislation would allow for unjust and unnecessary government interference into religious employers' governance and operations.
While religious employers do not police employees' or dependents' private reproductive health decisions, these employers must have the freedom to respond to employees' public behavior repudiating their religious mission and identity.
We believe that the legislation would in fact discriminate against religious employers in a manner prohibited by the significant constitutional and legal protections provided to religious organizations in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
We respectfully request that you oppose the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act. We pray that you will be fair and reasonable in your considerations of our sincere concerns. We will follow up with you with regard to these priority concerns.
Sincerely,
Reverend Patrick Walker, President, Baptist Convention of D.C. and Vicinity; Reverend Susan Taylor, National Public Affairs Director, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office; Talib M. Shareef, CMSgt, USAF-Retired, Imam/President, The Nation's Mosque, Masjid Muhammad; Reverend Kendrick E. Curry, Pastor, Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church--DuPont Park; Reverend Dr. George C. Gilbert, Pastor, Holy Trinity United Baptist Church--Hillbrook; Reverend A.C. Durant, Pastor, Tenth Street Baptist Church--Shaw; Reverend Sylvia Stanard, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Lee Holzinger, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Monsignor Robert Panke, Rector, Saint John Paul II Seminary--Brookland; Reverend William Byrne, Secretary of Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns, Archdiocese of Washington.
Michael Scott, Director, D.C. Catholic Conference; Reverend Frederick Close, Pastor, St. Anthony Catholic Church--Brookland; Reverend Adam Y. Park, Pastor, Epiphany Catholic Church--Georgetown; Reverend Michael Briese, Pastor, Holy Name Catholic Church--Capitol Hill North; Reverend Monsignor Godfrey T. Mosley, Pastor, St. Ann Catholic Church--Tenleytown; Reverend Mark R. Ivany, Pastor, Assumption Catholic Church--Congress Heights; Reverend Michael J. Kelley, Pastor, St. Martin Catholic Church--Bloomingdale; Monsignor Raymond G. East, Pastor, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church--Anacostia; Reverend William Gurnee, Director of Spiritual Formation, Saint John Paul II Seminary--Brookland.
Monsignor John Enzler, President and CEO, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington; Reverend Henry A. Gaston, Pastor, Johnson Memorial Baptist Church; Reverend Beth Akiyama, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Kay Holzinger, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Mario E. Dorsonville, Vice President of Mission and Immigration Outreach, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington; Reverend Avelino A. Gonzalez, Director, Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Affairs Archdiocese of Washington; Reverend Monsignor Ronald W. Jameson, Rector, Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle--DuPont Circle; Reverend Monsignor James D. Watkins, Pastor, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church--Shaw; Reverend Monsignor Paul Langsfeld, Pastor, St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill.
Reverend Gregory Schommer, O.P., Pastor, St. Dominic Catholic Church--Southwest Waterfront; Reverend Andrew F. Royals; Reverend Mark R. Ivany, Pastor, St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church--Kingman Park; Reverend Ron Potts, Pastor, Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament--Chevy Chase; Reverend Thomas Franks, S.S.J., Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church--Buena Vista; Reverend Cornelius Kelechi Ejiogu, S.S.J., Pastor, St. Luke Catholic Church--Marshall Heights; Reverend Alfred J. Harris, Pastor, St Mary Mother of God Catholic Church--Chinatown; Reverend Evelio Menjivar, Pastor, Our Lady Queen of the Americas--Kalorama; Reverend Richard Mullins, Pastor, St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church--Woodley Park; Reverend Raymond M. Moore, Pastor, St. Thomas More Catholic Church--Washington Highlands; Monsignor Charles Pope, Pastor, Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Catholic Church--Capitol Hill.
* * * * * END QUOTATION * * * * *
Thereafter, on April 30, 2015, the Washington Posted noted that the House of Representatives had voted to strike down the Washington, D.C. law banning reproductive discrimination.
Even leaving aside issues concerning mandated employer health insurance under Obamacare, abortion, birth control, and reproductive health, this is very important for a nuumber of additional reasons.
It shows that the Church of Scientology has allied with the religous right, and particularly the Christian right, to push the issue of "religious liberty" -- i.e., religious exemptions from secular laws (e.g., concerning abortion, birth control, gay rights, etc. -- or, for Scientology, mandated employer health insurnace coverage for pssychiatric, psychological or other mental health care) under the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision.
Perhaps redundantly -- but it bears repeating -- the Church of Scientology has allied with the religous right, and particularly the Christian right.
The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office is perhaps not the joke some thought it was.
The Church of Scientology may be playing a deeper game than many supsected. I don't believe the Church of Scientology really cares about the issues of abortion or birth control. This was about builidng alliances and the larger issue of "religious liberty" as discussed above.
Scientology opposes mandated employer insurance coverage for abortion, birth control
The Congressional Record shows that on April 30, 2015, the United States House of Representatives (controlled by the Republican Party) considered a proposed "joint resolution (H.J. Res. 43) disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014."
http://ift.tt/1SLnGFo
Attached to the Congressional Record is the following letter:
* * * * * BEGIN QUOTATION * * * * *
Hon. Phil Mendelson,
Council of the District of Columbia,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Mendelson: We represent the city's broad and diverse faith community. We may believe and practice our faith differently. We may have divergent positions on important issues. However we all agree that faith communities have a right to freely exercise their religion and a responsibility to promote and protect this important freedom. We believe religious freedom is not only our priority, but also a priority in our society.
We come together then to oppose the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014. We believe it would infringe upon religious employers' freedom to make employment decisions when necessary to preserve their religious mission and identity. In doing so, the legislation would allow for unjust and unnecessary government interference into religious employers' governance and operations.
While religious employers do not police employees' or dependents' private reproductive health decisions, these employers must have the freedom to respond to employees' public behavior repudiating their religious mission and identity.
We believe that the legislation would in fact discriminate against religious employers in a manner prohibited by the significant constitutional and legal protections provided to religious organizations in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
We respectfully request that you oppose the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act. We pray that you will be fair and reasonable in your considerations of our sincere concerns. We will follow up with you with regard to these priority concerns.
Sincerely,
Reverend Patrick Walker, President, Baptist Convention of D.C. and Vicinity; Reverend Susan Taylor, National Public Affairs Director, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office; Talib M. Shareef, CMSgt, USAF-Retired, Imam/President, The Nation's Mosque, Masjid Muhammad; Reverend Kendrick E. Curry, Pastor, Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church--DuPont Park; Reverend Dr. George C. Gilbert, Pastor, Holy Trinity United Baptist Church--Hillbrook; Reverend A.C. Durant, Pastor, Tenth Street Baptist Church--Shaw; Reverend Sylvia Stanard, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Lee Holzinger, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Monsignor Robert Panke, Rector, Saint John Paul II Seminary--Brookland; Reverend William Byrne, Secretary of Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns, Archdiocese of Washington.
Michael Scott, Director, D.C. Catholic Conference; Reverend Frederick Close, Pastor, St. Anthony Catholic Church--Brookland; Reverend Adam Y. Park, Pastor, Epiphany Catholic Church--Georgetown; Reverend Michael Briese, Pastor, Holy Name Catholic Church--Capitol Hill North; Reverend Monsignor Godfrey T. Mosley, Pastor, St. Ann Catholic Church--Tenleytown; Reverend Mark R. Ivany, Pastor, Assumption Catholic Church--Congress Heights; Reverend Michael J. Kelley, Pastor, St. Martin Catholic Church--Bloomingdale; Monsignor Raymond G. East, Pastor, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church--Anacostia; Reverend William Gurnee, Director of Spiritual Formation, Saint John Paul II Seminary--Brookland.
Monsignor John Enzler, President and CEO, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington; Reverend Henry A. Gaston, Pastor, Johnson Memorial Baptist Church; Reverend Beth Akiyama, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Kay Holzinger, Minister, Church of Scientology; Reverend Mario E. Dorsonville, Vice President of Mission and Immigration Outreach, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington; Reverend Avelino A. Gonzalez, Director, Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Affairs Archdiocese of Washington; Reverend Monsignor Ronald W. Jameson, Rector, Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle--DuPont Circle; Reverend Monsignor James D. Watkins, Pastor, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church--Shaw; Reverend Monsignor Paul Langsfeld, Pastor, St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill.
Reverend Gregory Schommer, O.P., Pastor, St. Dominic Catholic Church--Southwest Waterfront; Reverend Andrew F. Royals; Reverend Mark R. Ivany, Pastor, St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church--Kingman Park; Reverend Ron Potts, Pastor, Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament--Chevy Chase; Reverend Thomas Franks, S.S.J., Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church--Buena Vista; Reverend Cornelius Kelechi Ejiogu, S.S.J., Pastor, St. Luke Catholic Church--Marshall Heights; Reverend Alfred J. Harris, Pastor, St Mary Mother of God Catholic Church--Chinatown; Reverend Evelio Menjivar, Pastor, Our Lady Queen of the Americas--Kalorama; Reverend Richard Mullins, Pastor, St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church--Woodley Park; Reverend Raymond M. Moore, Pastor, St. Thomas More Catholic Church--Washington Highlands; Monsignor Charles Pope, Pastor, Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Catholic Church--Capitol Hill.
* * * * * END QUOTATION * * * * *
Thereafter, on April 30, 2015, the Washington Posted noted that the House of Representatives had voted to strike down the Washington, D.C. law banning reproductive discrimination.
Even leaving aside issues concerning mandated employer health insurance under Obamacare, abortion, birth control, and reproductive health, this is very important for a nuumber of additional reasons.
It shows that the Church of Scientology has allied with the religous right, and particularly the Christian right, to push the issue of "religious liberty" -- i.e., religious exemptions from secular laws (e.g., concerning abortion, birth control, gay rights, etc. -- or, for Scientology, mandated employer health insurnace coverage for pssychiatric, psychological or other mental health care) under the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision.
Perhaps redundantly -- but it bears repeating -- the Church of Scientology has allied with the religous right, and particularly the Christian right.
The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office is perhaps not the joke some thought it was.
The Church of Scientology may be playing a deeper game than many supsected. I don't believe the Church of Scientology really cares about the issues of abortion or birth control. This was about builidng alliances and the larger issue of "religious liberty" as discussed above.
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