If the Supreme Court declares Obamacare to be unconstitutional, the church need not worry.

That's right, circle the wagons boys, you're being attacked. /// The Catholic Church is under assult, but it is from the forces of reality, not any organized conspiracy. /// While I have known many fine members of the Catholic clergy, the conservative movement within the church over the past few decades only served to put the church outside the reality of contemporary life, while an endless series of abuse cases has exposed their hierarchy for what it is, and has geen for a millenium and a half: a corrupt organization that preys on the weak, marginalizes women, and seeks only to preserve its own power, all wrapped in a veil of superstition and using fear to stiffle dissent.

Thank you. Your post takes care of the need for me to say anything. Except...all of this REAL gnashing of teeth, all this REAL human hurt, REAL molestations, REALLY treating women as 3rd citizens, REAL contempt and REAL eternal condemnation of homosexuals, foolish power driven men dancing around in their special "power" robes, REAL hatred and REAL threats of eternal damnation....all over what......a very UNREAL and stupid fairy tale. Hurting REAL tangible humans for a belief in an invisible, UNREAL fairy tale, invisible man in the sky. It's so, so bizzarre, and seemingly UNREAL. So incongruous with rational thought and living in the 21st century. So many people in such a REAL state of hypnosis to their detriment and the detriment of the rest of us freedom loving people, and not one REAL law official looking into it.

I must add just one more thing to what I said below about "power". I was watching that EWTN network the other day, lying by the pool (it has become my favorite show on the weekends), and there was this priest with more mumbo jumbu trying to "logically" explain all the nonsense bs that is catholic church doctrine and canon law. This guy says a lot of great stuff to sink your teeth into on a regular basis. This time he was talking about where the Priests get their "Power", and guess what...he didn't say God. He said they got their power from "The Bishops". And the Bishops get their power, not from God, but from The Pope. He was explaing why the "hierarchy" could not be changed, and as he often does, in trying to explain one or another completely unexplainable thing, he steps on his tongue and exposes another area of bizzare thought. He was saying that this is the same "hierarchy" that has been in place for 2000 years...power from Pope to Bishops to Priests...and it cannot be changed. I guess he's saying that The Pope is the one who gets his power from God and he passes it down the chain. This is a grown man saying this who did not seem to be mentaly challenged in any visible way. The man is a piece of work.

well, the Catholic majority on the Supreme Court will protect Boston's Cardinal and his pals, so we dont have to get all worked up. one might have thought that charity begins at home and, until "the Church" has fully addressed its chronic, widespread and historical pedophilia as well as its treatment of women as the servants of men, it would hardly have the time for this nonsense. gotta love an institution as opaque, wealthy and powerful as "the Church" posing as a victim. and, when their newly found Baptist, Pentocostal and other bible thumping friends turn on "the Church" ??

O'Malley gets nearly as much press coverage as Scott Brown. He and his associates are behaving politically, attempting to influence the outcome of the elections to maintain their power. They are functioning as a de facto super PAC. And they're worried? Come on.

I remain deeply confused as to how it is an excercise of religious liberty when I impose my religious beliefs on others who do not share my faith simply because I employ them.

The Vatican just hired a Fox "News" reporter to shape up its press relations. You can make book on that Revelation. The unseemly struggle here is one to impose Catholic orthodoxy using Federal money on people who are NOT Catholic. The Church is free to demean gays, diminish women and crush dissent within its own walls...but stay out of my house and my pocket book.

Obamacare is about as unconstitutional as social security, labor laws and other things. The constitution protects freedom of religion but requires government without respect to religion. This means if you don't want to use birth control, don't use it. I personaly am anti-abortion but will not vote for a militaristic, ant-labor, pro Wall st., pro big business candidate to prove a point and satisfy the clergy.

Shall religious institutions have the "religious freedom" to opt out (at will) from programs that serve themselves and others? Or shall shall religious institutions be mandated to equally serve all in compliance w/ our constitution, federal and state laws? Another turning issue not fully discussed in this BosGlobe newspaper article is when does "religious freedom" tip the scales thereby revoking a tax exempt status?

Geolovely stated above: "a corrupt organization that preys on the weak, marginalizes women, and seeks only to preserve its own power..."...sounds more like Planned Parenthood, than the Catholic Church.

Does the Catholic Church get it own set of laws? What a lot of bull. Clearly they are trying to rebuild the legitimacy of the church, in the wake of the continuing abuse scandals, by portraying itself as a victim. What persecution! These poor Christian martyrs are being thrown into the arena to fight the vicious lions of the health care mandate. What opportunism! What cynical calculation! Here is a suggestion: work harder to convince your own parishioners that your positions on birth control, etc, are correct. Inspire people to return to the church. Stop this medieval fear thing. I wanted to see if O'Malley would fall in line. I guess we have our answer.

Yesterday at the 5:30 Mass I had to do everything I could to keep myself silently sitting in the pew as the priest spoke during the homily about stem cell research. With this planned campaign I imagine that it is only a few more weeks before I count myself among the "former Catholics" of the Archdiocese of Boston. The saddest thing for myself is that I don't feel I will be missing anything by staying away. Spiritually the church has become an empty well.

The "Boys' Club" that is the hierarchy is very keen on limiting access to birth control, even by non-Catholic employees. They were not (and are not now) all that keen on protecting young people from clerical molesters. Noce set of values, eh?

How can anyone participate in such nonsense? Old men controlling your life, telling you how to think and behave, while they are committing or covering up the sexual abuse of children! God gave you a brain to think for yourself! Use it!

So this is the organization that only forgave Copernicus officially in 1992 when John Paul II admitted the earth did indeed revolve around the sun. With getting into they sexual behavior over the past centuries its amazing anyone would listen to anything they have to say. All religions should stay out of politics-its only a cult by another name.

The other side of the issue that the Catholic Church is waging war against civil authority. In their over-weaning hubris, they refuse to acknowledge the law of the land, and declare themselves exempt. How dare these hypocrites presume to make the rules regarding sexual activity, when they blatantly practice sodomy and pederasty! Whine and cry all they want, but there is nothing that civil law can do to them that would come anywhere near the historical horrors of the bloody Catholic Inquisition. These holy bishops are safe from torture and burning at the stake. Always remember that Christ did not teach hate, and that so-called "church doctrine" did not emanate from the word of God, but from the works of power-hungry men.

1) You don't have to be a Catholic to be a Christian. 2) You don't have to be a Christian to worship God. 3a) You don't have to worship God to be a moral and ethical human being. (Or- 3b You don't have to limit yourself to the just that one god of Abraham...)

The original intent of Catholic church doctrine regarding procreation was to ensure that there would always be plenty of Christians. Up to a point, it seemed to be working. Furthermore, the preferred solution for Catholic homosexuals to avoid damnation and hellfire has been to enter the priesthood and take a vow of celibacy. How's that been working out?

If the Bishops were as philosophically committed to there stated opposition to birth control as they are to gay issues they would make a pronouncement from the pulpit as they have about gay issue that they no longer want monetary support from any and all families who practice birth control. Do not hold your breadth waiting for that pronouncement.

I have often responded to friends who voiced disagreement with issues in the catholic church and discussed leaving the church...that "the people are the church". There is room for disagreement,. Sadly, I no longer believe that we, the laity , the people Are the church. Witnessing the catholic church mounting a partisan campaign against perceived injustice related to health care and birth control...is the height of Hypocrisy. Where was the visible, organized and vocal campaign when the church witnessed the sexual abuse scandal? And now the attack on religious women, nuns who have been the unappreciated backbone of the catholic church for centuries. I think the patriarchal leaders of the catholic church have created distractions for their sorry leadership on issues that the laity really feel strongly about...like sexual abuse of children by clergy and respect and affirmation for religious nuns instead of sanctions. Do these "leaders " know or care that over 90% of Catholics use non sanctioned birth control to support their family decisions. After 6 decades of an active catholic...I have decided to begin a search for a Christian church that truly represents the voices of its congregation in terms do religious and social justice.