Friday, February 24, 2012

Logicism for Lawyers

President Obama mandated a new federal rule that requires faith-based employers to include birth control and other reproductive services in their health care coverage.  As most know, Catholics are opposed to contraception. In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued his landmark encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (Latin, "Human Life"), which reemphasized the Church’s constant teaching that it is always intrinsically wrong to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into existence. (http://www.catholic.com/tracts/birth-control). Roman Catholic leaders morally oppose artificial birth control and related services, and it was reported that they called the rule an infringement on their constitutional rights. 
But the question must be asked, hasn't Obama claimed to be Catholic? If in fact he is Catholic, wouldn't he be against contraception? And if in fact he was against contraception, would he mandate that birth control should be included in health care coverage? 

I know as a Christian, if an issue arose about pro-life or homosexuality, I could not help but vote for the Christian values in that situation because it is what shapes my thoughts and ideas. As such, wouldn't Obama's thoughts and ideas be shaped by Catholicism? 

In this situation, we do not see Obama's Catholic values coming out in his recent mandate. So logically, we would have to question Obama being Catholic since his thoughts and ideas do not exude Catholicism. After putting forth this rule, Obama doesn't seem very catholic does he?