We feel compelled to comment in a non-political way on the
recent pronouncement from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
concerning the requirement of religious institutions to provide contraceptive
services under the new federally mandated healthcare regulations. The Bishops of the Anglican Province of
America join their voices with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America and
all those who adamantly protest the recent decision by the United States
Department of HHS, and call upon all
faithful Anglican Christians to contact their elected representatives today to
voice their concern in the face of this threat to the sanctity of the Church’s
conscience. In this ruling by HHS,
religious hospitals, educational institutions, and other organizations, or the
insurance companies that provide coverage for them, will be required to pay for
the full cost of contraceptives (including some abortion-inducing drugs) and
sterilizations for their employees, regardless of the religious convictions of
the employers. The First Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. This freedom is transgressed when a religious
institution or its insurance company is required to pay for services that
directly violate religious convictions.
Providing such services should not be regarded as mandated medical
care. We, the House of Bishops of the
Anglican Province of America, join with other Christians and call upon HHS
Secretary Sebelius and the Obama Administration to rescind this unjust ruling and
to respect the religious freedom guaranteed all Americans by the First
Amendment.
We stand with our evangelical brethren who have signed the
Manhattan Declaration. One of the authors, Chuck Colson, says, “…we fully and
ungrudgingly render to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s.
But under no circumstances will we render to Ceasar what is God’s.” We cannot help but think of the words
attributed to German Pastor Martin Niemoeller, who, reflecting on the Nazi
terror, asserted:
“First,
they came for the socialists and I did not speak out—because I was not a
socialist.
Then
they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak out—because I was not a
Trade Unionist.
Then
they came for the Jews and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then
they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Let us, as our Prayer Book instructs us, “…bless (and pray
for) all in authority over us,” that the Lord may “so rule their hearts and
strengthen their hands, that they may punish wickedness and vice, and maintain
[His] true religion and virtue.” (BCP,
p 590)
God bless and keep you - and God bless America!
