"In the church of Kathleen Sebelius,..."

... there is little room for dissent. "We are in a war," the Health and Human Services Secretary declared to cheers at a recent NARAL Pro-Choice America fund-raiser. Give the lady her due: Her actions mostly match her words.

Mrs. Sebelius's militancy explains the shock her allies are now feeling after last Wednesday's decision to overrule the Food and Drug Administration on Plan B, a morning-after pill. The FDA had proposed allowing over-the-counter sales, which would give girls as young as 11 or 12 access without either a prescription or a parent. Now the secretary's allies are howling about her "caving in" to the Catholic bishops.

On this score they needn't worry.

And:

Whether you approve or disapprove of contraception or sterilization is beside the point. Today nine out of 10 employer plans offer what Mrs. Sebelius wants them to. The point is whether it is right or necessary for Mrs. Sebelius to use the federal government to bring the other 10% to heel.

There was a day when liberals and libertarians appreciated the importance of upholding the freedoms of people and groups with unpopular views. No longer. As government expands, religious liberty is reduced to a special "exemption" and concerns about government coercion are dismissed, in the memorable words of Nancy Pelosi, as "this conscience thing."

Read the entire essay, "The Church of Kathleen Sebelius", by William McGurn, in today's edition of the Wall Street Journal. It's not a surprise that Sebelius or Pelosi occasionally do the right thing or end up being in line with Catholic doctrine. After all, it's not as if dissent or heresy are defined by getting everything wrong; rather, the two women are gravely wrong about certain things, and especially about core, fundamental truths, such as the inherent dignity and value of life, which begins at conception. And both of them get many such things wrong. So, now what?

Related:

• Foggy Controversies, Empty Protests, and Faux Freedom (CWR blog, Oct. 13, 2011)

Comments

[David Murray]

"So now what?" Do as we have been exhorted: pray and trust. Start with devotions in the Rosary, the Angelus and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Learn the Liturgy of the Hours, pray it in choir whenever the opportunity presents itself. Go to Reconciliation and confess not only your repentance but your gratitude. Show up at daily Mass. Build the day around the Mass. Say what you mean and let your words show the authority the Word of God has, does and is. I have found consolation and seen things around me improve since I began these devotions and participated in these liturgies.

Thank you, Father.

[Dan Deeny]

I would like to know about Kathleen Sibelius's youth. Where did she go to church, to school? What did she learn about Catholicism? About Christianity? In what kind of family did she grow up? Her music? Books? Movies? When reading about Kathleen Sibelius, I am reminded of Loraine Boettner's sentence: "Catholic girls are spineless drudges." It's in his book on Catholicism. How does Boettner's judgment fit Sibelius? Can anyone help?

[Carl E. Olson]

Dan: Here is some basic info about Sebelius' youth.

I've never seen that particular quote from Boettner, and a search turns up nothing. Regardless, Boettner is hardly a good source for anything on Catholicism. And his alleged statement, as broad and insulting as it is, is worthless. Besides, I don't think Sebelius is "spineless"; she seems quite content and even bold in ignoring the teachings of the Church while proclaiming herself a good Catholic.

[Peter l]

"We are in a war," the Health and Human Services Secretary declared to cheers at a recent NARAL Pro-Choice America fund-raiser.

A war on Catholicism by Catholic's.

If i disagreed with Catholic teaching,i would seek another Church.

[Dan Deeny]

Carl, Thank you for your response. Boettner's quote is in his book on Catholicism. It is in the section on Mary, I believe. Perhaps he is quoting someone else with approval? I don't have the book in front of me, but I remember being shocked when I read it. He must never have met any Catholic girls! I never met any spineless drudges! Perhaps Sebelius is reacting, unconsciously, against a feeling she has about herself?