katisara:
Bear in mind, in their view, abortion/contraception is a modern genocide. If Obama said "we're setting up a new version of social security. Everyone pays in $200 a month and can expect $250 a month out when they retire. Also, we're going to kill babies," you'd probably want to decline to participate in that program, and you'd probably complain that being forced to participate is forcing you to violate your conscience. Even if we say 'hey, you don't HAVE to accept the retirement money paid for by killing babies. Just people who are cool with killing babies can use it if they want,' you'd still probably have some reservations about paying in.
But when people have absurd ideas, it's hard to be fair to them and other people at the same time. I don't really like the idea that whoever has the craziest beliefs gets to determine what everyone else is allowed to do. A group that believes that thinks speaking out loud is equivalent to genocide is free to believe as they like, in my view, but I don't think anyone else should be required not to speak in order to keep them happy. And I don't really like the idea of letting people ignore laws just because they out-there views. I mean, I can live with it, and exceptions to the rule that don't inconvenience everyone else too much are fine, but I do find it slightly frustrating.
Tycho:
Many of the people claiming to be so concerned about freedom of religion for Catholics were not too many months ago arguing that it was legal for a town to ban mosques.
katisara:
I guess I don't watch the same TV channels as you, but who are you referring to? I don't think the RCC has ever had a position that people shouldn't build mosques.
That's just it, really. While the Bishops have spoken up against this rule, catholics in general don't really seem to be making nearly as big a fuss over it as evangelicals, at least at the guy-on-the-street level. While a number of catholic organizations have said "okay, we're satisfied with the compromise" the people who seem most set on not accepting it seem to be the far-right evangelical set.
katisara:
I'd agree with you. But that's also a difference between 'my problem' and 'your problem'.
Again, I can see that when Catholics kick up a fuss over this, but other than the bishops, the one shouting loudest don't actually seem to be catholics. It's more the people who are convinced that "Obama is waging war on religion."
katisara:
I think you can look at both sides and say 'okay, you both have a point, and an ideal world, you should both get what you're looking for. But in reality, we need to decide where on this spectrum we ultimately put it, and someone needs to lose at least a little.' I think, in practice, the current compromise is probably the most reasonable, but that doesn't mean the Council of Bishops is wrong. Their argument is just less pressing.
Yeah, it seems like most people (thankfully) see it that way.