Since the first century, the Catholic Church has declared that it is morally evil to interfere with the creation of human life. While contemporary feelings toward abortion and contraception, including the feelings of many Catholics, are at odds with the moral precepts of the Church, church doctrine on this issue remains inviolate: It is a mortal sin that can be punished by excommunication from the Church.

Yet, despite his oath of office, in a blatant effort to win the female vote and pander to the pro-choice movement, the president and his administration has mandated that all Catholic churches, schools, universities and hospitals must provide health insurance for their female employees that cover abortion and contraceptive services. Stated another way, the president has told the Church that it must abandon its fundamental beliefs, commit mortal sins, and provide repugnant, evil services to its employees. Undeniably, the mandate clashes with religious faith and “prohibits the free exercise (of religion).”

Is this bold leadership or a conscious decision to wipe one's feet on the Constitution and declare presidential policies to be above the law? Is it sound public policy offered under the guise of “women's health” or is it a deliberate violation of his oath “to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States?”

If female employees of Catholic institutions want an abortion or contraceptive services, they can go to any clinic providing such services, even Planned Parenthood. So why mandate that the Catholic Church provide coverage for a mortal sin? This was not a political miscalculation and it is not “women's health” my friends, it is a president and an administration that has determined he can tell any religion what beliefs it can and cannot hold. This is precisely the kind of authoritarian edict that prompted our Founding Fathers to adopt the First Amendment which our president now refuses to defend.

The president's recent effort to mitigate anger among true Americans is a mere ruse. He says the burden will be placed on insurance companies to approach women employed by Catholic institutions and ask whether they want the “free” abortion and contraception services. “Free?” How many billions are spent on abortion and contraception annually? So, who pays for this “free” insurance coverage? The Catholic Church. Now he thinks we are stupid while rubbing salt in an open, festering sore.

Had enough yet? What will be the next personal liberty, guaranteed to you by the Bill of Rights, that you will have to give up in the name of “Change?”