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{"id":11213,"date":"2011-12-02T20:36:40","date_gmt":"2011-12-03T01:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/?p=11213"},"modified":"2011-12-02T21:45:09","modified_gmt":"2011-12-03T02:45:09","slug":"orthodox-silence-on-the-conscience-clause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/orthodox-silence-on-the-conscience-clause\/","title":{"rendered":"Orthodox Silence on the “Conscience Clause”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Most people were probably not aware that there was a fierce battle raging between the Catholic Church and the Obama administration over the “conscience clause,” a Bush-era piece of legislation that exempted medical professionals and religious institutions (primarily Catholic hospitals and schools) from dispensing birth control pills to children, performing abortions, and other morally objectionable activities. The Obama administration has been waffling on this for over two years, but last week the clause was rescinded.<\/p>\n

Catholicculture.org outlines what is at stake (A ‘conscience clause’ is not enough<\/a>). While written for an exclusively Catholic audience, the points apply to all Christians. Author Phil Lawler argues:<\/p>\n

\n

Unfortunately, with each passing year our society shows less and less tolerance for the individual conscience. An overweening government requires Christians to accept the prevailing moral norms even when they violate the principles of Christian morality, and powerful private institutions only add to the pressure.<\/p>\n

Consider the restrictions that a Catholic\u2014and especially a young Catholic\u2014now faces on the job market. (I write from the perspective of a Catholic. But the same problems apply, with more or less equal force, to others who share the Catholic perspective on these moral issues.)<\/p>\n