Baptist ethicist on mandate: We'd rather go to jail, pay fines
Their comments came during a four-and-a-half-hour hearing on the federal rule's impact on freedom of religion and conscience before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee of the House of Representatives. Ten representatives of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish bodies spoke in opposition to the mandate and what critics describe as its lack of sufficient religious and conscience protections for houses of worship, religious institutions and individuals.C. Ben Mitchell of Union University told the committee the rule "is an unconscionable intrusion by the state into the consciences of American citizens."
"Contrary to portrayals in some of the popular media, this is not just a Catholic issue," said Mitchell, Graves professor of moral philosophy at the Baptist school in Jackson, Tenn. "All people of faith - and even those who claim no faith - have a stake in whether or not the government can violate the consciences of its citizenry. Religious liberty and the freedom to obey one's conscience is also not just a Baptist issue. It's an American issue enshrined in our founding documents."
Testifying as part of the same panel, Craig Mitchell of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary told members the requirement "is wrong not just for religious conservatives."
"It's wrong for all Americans, because it takes away the freedom of the citizens while emboldening the federal government to do whatever it wants," said Craig Mitchell, associate professor of Christian ethics at the seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. "It's wrong because it violates the Constitution. It's wrong because it violates religious liberty. It's wrong because it forces people to violate their consciences. ... This ruling is just plain wrong for America."
The Mitchells, who are unrelated, added their voices to the growing public dissent by Southern Baptists against the "contraceptive mandate," as it has become known.
Freestate Health Insurance - News
WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Obama administration's mandate that health insurance plans cover contraceptives that can cause abortions harms not only Baptists and other religious adherents but all Americans, two Southern Baptist ethicists told a congressional
Cape Town - The Department of Health has embarked on a massive audit of clinics and hospitals in preparation for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), the Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi said today. Briefing media in Parliament
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Southern Baptist Convention ethicist Richard Land denounced the national health care law for its infringement of religious liberty during a chapel sermon at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Feb. 14.
FORT WORTH, TX -- Southern Baptist Convention ethicist Richard Land denounced the national health care law for its infringement of religious liberty during a chapel sermon at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Feb. 14.
This partnership between the Free State Development Corporation and Transnet unlocks the benefits of the central locality of the Free State by linking the mines of the Northern Cape, containerising the manganese cargo in Bloemfontein and transporting
Q&A: Seeming how I get free state funded health insurance, tell me ...
If its an emergency by all means use the ambulance, if its not then you shouldn’t. Someone still has to pay for the ride you are getting even if its not you. The less money you waste leaves more money to help people who need it. I know it tickes me off to see people abuse all the help they are getting by using things they don’t need. They take taxes out of people’s checks to get you that “free” ride to the hospital.