Christianity Today

The problem, of course, with allowing Catholic teaching to take priority over government policy regarding contraception is that, in order to conform to the "equal protection" clause of the 14th Amendment, that same principle will have to be followed with other religious groups, as well. So, e.g., suppose a Muslim mosque community wants to practice genital mutilation on young girls as part of Muslim teaching. (Actually, genital mutilation is not part of Muslim teaching, but it would not be the government's business to point that out, given the "free exercise" clause of the First Amendment.) If we allow the Catholic community to set its own rules irrespective of government policy, then should not very conservative Muslim mosques be allowed to engage in female circumcision? Likewise, should fundamentalist church schools not be free to exclude the teaching of evolution and to teach creationism / intelligent design instead? How far are we as a society prepared to go?

How many evangelical churches and others [catholic ] are misusing there nonprofit status to further there own purposes? We need to show that we are willing to pay our fair share to the country in other ways than building mega-churches with "donated" labor and tax loopholes.This is not a not a Christian nation and if past actions of our government are to be taken in to account it never has been. If you take the time to read the "content" of the early documents of this country you will find anything, but Christian principals. Do you want separation of church and state or do you not? Not to offend a billion catholics, but why not get the Vatican to pay for their own healthcare for their employees, it is certainly a growing trend in secular American business. A popular calvinist pastor [Piper] just said he tells people to make out any checks for outside weddings, speaking engagements, and the like to the church so he does not have to pay taxes on it. I love Jesus, and I pay my fair share.

And 5th on the "to do" list is to vote Obama out of office. Sad to say that many CT subscribers along with CT staff helped to put Obama in office and CT sold Obama to us as a committed Christian. But all along, some of us who were paying attention knew that he was nothing more than a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

St. Ignatius of Antioch, student of the Apostle John - See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.

The Apocalypse of Peter "And near that place I saw another strait place . . . and there sat women. . . . And over against them many children who were born to them out of due time sat crying. And there came forth from them rays of fire and smote the women in the eyes. And these were the accursed who conceived and caused abortion" (The Apocalypse of Peter 25 [A.D. 137]).