“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people and set them free” (Lk 1:68). Days ago, we Americans celebrated Independence Day as members of the “Land of the free and the home of the brave.” Tragically after the sacrifices our forefathers made coming to this land seeking religious freedom, we Christians are losing our religious liberties. This is seen on two fronts- the HHS mandate which forces individuals of faith to pay for contraceptives (all chemical contraceptive agents act as abortifacients) and sterilizations; and making sexual orientation and gender identity a protective class.
As for the HHS mandate, companies with over 50 employees will be forced to pay for abortion inducing drugs and sterilizations or face stiff fines. If said employers refuse to pay, they will be subjected to stiffer penalties.
When it comes to the issue surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity, remember that the Catholic Church teaches that no one should be subjected to any unjust discrimination.Also remember that this issue is not about the person, but being forced to cooperate with sinful behavior. Because of recent laws passed in our country in certain areas and internationally, many Christians are given this choice, cooperate with sinful behavior, or give up your profession.
For example, for a homosexual consumer, flowers and cakes are one thing; a floral arrangement and cake for a ‘gay wedding’ are another. For a homosexual patient seeking medical care for coronary artery disease, hypertension, or cancer, is one thing; asking for Viagra is another. For a homosexual client, seeking counseling services for psychological difficulties is one thing; but ‘marital counseling’ for a same-sex couple is another. There are other examples. In many places, health care professionals who refuse to provide a service or procedure that violates their consciences are being asked to make a direct referral for the said immoral services or procedures, which is likewise immoral. Business men, women and practitioners who refuse to cooperate are being forced out of their businesses and practices, all in the name of ‘tolerance’ which today is a code word for intolerance against Christianity. One can accurately say it is open season on Christianity.
We need to remind ourselves what true freedom is. It is freedom from sin and the devil. Not freedom to sin, but from sin, or in other words, the freedom to do what we ought. This was prefigured in the Old Testament. When the Israelites escaped Egypt and slavery to Pharaoh, they crossed through the waters of the Red Sea to the Promised Land and freedom. This prefigured us crossing the waters of baptism to the life of grace in the Church and eternal life in Heaven with true freedom.
With the daily reading of scripture and the frequent reception of the sacraments of the Eucharist and confession, we are filled with the graces to avoid falling back into the slavery to sin and the devil. If someday someone put us in prison, we would still spiritually be free in that no one can force us to choose sin. Let us all look forward to the day when we will be corporally free in heaven after the resurrection of our bodies where the persecution of Christians will cease. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people and set them free” (Lk 1:68).
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