Comments for March On, Fellow Catholics at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 16 out of 16 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:16:46 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10901 Thank you Catholic Christian converts...I'm a middle-aged cradle Catholic who is tired of fighting the war sometimes and I get an injection of faith from you...keep it up... - Paula Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:28:23 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10852 Yes, you're right, Will, the Church has a great opportunity to focus on its beautiful teaching on sexuality which shows why contraception is inherently evil. But, as Chris has aptly pointed out, it is not a matter of an employer being required by law to give his employes the choice to violate their consciences, but rather being required by law to pay for that violation. That comes under the heading of cooperation with evil which, by another teaching of the Church, is also evil. And so by opposing the mandate we are engaging in the preaching and teaching mode and the instruction that you are espousing. - Al Giambrone Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:29:24 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10849 I think that Will Manley misunderstands the mandate: the Catholic business owner is required by law to pay for the employee's contraception. It is not a moral problem for the employer if the employee chooses to do that with a paycheck. - Jeannine Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:44:29 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10821 If I find myself on the other end of an argument from Chris in Maryland it is a safe bet that I am in error, which I am sure I am. But I suspect the outrage over contraception perhaps should not have taken place even in this decade. If we are Catholics of true conscience and principle perhaps this should have been squared away just after HUMANAE VITAE came out. That many of our own bishops supported Obamacare in the beginning is a shame. I went to a congress at our diocese and the keynote speaker said contraception was a matter of personal conscience, this being said to all the teachers in my diocese. In my RCIA the leader told all the initiates the same thing. I think we have made our bed and the tragic weakness of our leadership in the American Church puts a much heavier burden on us now to act as Christ would have us to act, which I doubt is political maneuvering, rallying or complaining. And though we should unite and speak out against this we should not act so surprised that this is taking place now and we should realize that even if we manage to avoid this fiasco, the roots of our problems have hardly been touched. - Achilles Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:45:51 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10808 Not quite Will... More to the point, a Catholic business owner will be required by law to pay for artificial contraception chosen by others, against his conscience, and against his 1st Amendment Right to Free Expression of his reilgion. - Chris in Maryland Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:47:25 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10807 I agree with Will Manley, he is making the distinction between the seeds and the fruit. We must be principled and not worry about calculation through political action. And though this is a beautiful article in general, the hint at multi-culturalism takes wieght away from an otherwise good essay. - Achilles Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:25:20 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10795 Dear Jeannine...the issue can also be framed this way: A Catholic business owner will, if the mandate stands, be required by law to give his employees the choice to violate their consciences. No one is requiring anyone to engage in artificial contraception. The choice to do so devolves upon the individual. Instead of going all political, the Church should be focusing on a teaching and preaching mode that will give its members (and non members) clear reasons why artificial contraception is an inherent evil. We need more prayer and instruction and less politicizing. Give to God what is God's; give to Caesar what is Caesar's. True in 30 AD; true today. Let's get back to religion. - will manley Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:22:22 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10793 "And the gates of Hell will not prevail against Her." I think that the future imperative tense is appropriate here: "And the gates of hell SHALL not prevail against Her." It is sad that the same error has occurred in the new translation of the Creed: "He SHALL come again to judge the living and the dead." Thank you for the reminder that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. It's too easy to lose sight of that hope in these darkening days. - Louise Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:47:44 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10792 Dear Mr. Manley, I understand your weariness, but the case is not that we want to politicize our church; rather, the state is attempting to remove our freedom to live according to our faith. A Catholic business owner will, if the mandate stands, be required by law to violate his conscience. Such an injustice must now be allowed to stand. - Jeannine Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:40:45 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10791 A well written and marvelous article. I wish will manley would expand upon his point. If I remember correctly, the word politic is the union of two Greek words "poli" meaning people and "tic" meaning art. Thus politics is "the art of people,' and the operative word here is people. We can and should focus on the reason for the season as will manley contends but let us not forget that when one is up to their armpits in alligators, one comes to finally recall that the initial directive was to drain the swamp, but that recall comes too late. The battle, not of our choosing mind you has been joined and while we can and certainly should place the season first and always, let us not forget where our feet are planted for now and what is going on around us. We have John Paul II to show us how to engage and of course we have Christ, the head of the Church who will protect His Church against all evil. Prayer obviously but it is articles like Ashley McGuire's that clarify the challenge ahead. Christ and his Church will prevail. Obama and his ilk will lose this one and they will lose big. At what time will we see Obama's ruinous defeat over this one? I do not know but I do know that God's time is perfect and so Obama's downfall will come at a time of God's choosing according to His plan and His will. The battle is upon us and like the anonymous chaplain said during the attack on Pearl Harbor, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!" We cannot forget the season and we dare not lose sight of the battle we did not want but is now before us and unfortunately has engaged us. Retreat IS NOT and option. - Frank Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:23:05 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10787 With all due respect, this is an insightful comment about Christ and His Church. I am growing weary however of efforts to turn our religion into a political action committee focused on the HHS mandate. Can't we keep our focus on the reason for the season without the distractions of Caesar's follies? I don't like the HHS mandate any more than you do but let us not politicize our Church. When we do that we take our eyes off God and turn them to Caesar and Obama and Sibelius are the ultimate winners. - will manley Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:06:10 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10786 Marvellous article! Amen! - Joseph Goodwin Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:02:08 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10785 An absolutely beautiful column,reminding us of how simple it is to be Catholic, With Peter, to Christ, through Mary. Ashley's column resonated with me, for Matthew 16:18 also played a major role in my conversion 8 years ago. - David H. Lukenbill Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:16:48 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10782 Great article! - CS Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:35:21 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10781 A wonderful Easter perspective. The author articulates true Christian hope amid the Church's current trials, not the pervasive "calamity and disaster" that Blessed John XXIII warned against in his opening address at Vatican II. - DS Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:35:55 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/march-on-fellow-catholics.html#comment-10779 This Easter was my "6th birthday" as a Catholic. One of the reasons I became Catholic is that I saw that the Catholic Church is truly the Church founded by Christ. If She wasn't then there is no way, absolutely no way, She would have survived all of the attacks and scandals of the past 2,000 years. Great article Ashley McGuire! - Randall Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:31:41 +0100