Saturday, March 3, 2012

The SDA Response to Catholic's Religious Liberty

The SDA statement falls short of other evangelical's response such as "We are all Catholics now" and "We will go to jail with you" I guess this is a good as it can get for Adventists. A bit lukewarm, but when you consider the shock that must be going through the denomination for having to even consider that it is the CATHOLICS who are undergoing the first wave of religious intolerance in this country... and they are being asked to come to its rescue, that has got to be stirring quite the great controversy in their last day beliefs! 


http://religiousliberty.info/birth-control-and-religious-liberty-an-adventist-perspective

Birth Control and Religious Liberty: An Adventist Perspective

What principles should guide the Adventist Church's response to the current debate in the United States about government-mandated health insurance coverage for contraception? The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, along with the Office of General Counsel, reviews some long-standing values that will help chart our course.

An Adventist Response to the U.S. Health and Human Services Contraception Insurance Regulation

On January 20, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule mandating that employers including religious employers who provide health insurance to their employees must provide a full range of contraceptive services to women without co-pay, co-insurance or deductible. This will include all Food and Drug Administration approved forms of contraception as well as female sterilization.

Various religious organizations, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, have raised concerns about being required to provide services that they find morally objectionable. While the ultimate impact of the new rule is not yet known, a number of religious organizations that do not object to contraception have also raised religious liberty concerns.

For the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its institutions the provision of contraceptive services does not impinge on the denomination’s religious liberty. The Adventist Church’s principles do not prohibit the use of contraception. See Birth Control: A Seventh-day Adventist Statement of Consensus. Health insurance offered by most if not all U.S. Adventist institutions currently covers contraceptive services.

Consistent with its longstanding practice of defending religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned any time government requires a religious organization to violate its religious beliefs. The General Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department and the Office of General Counsel continue to watch this developing issue closely and will do all that is appropriate to defend and protect religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

Reprinted with permission from the General Conference Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do not consider the SDA response in this article anywhere near lukewarm, you are very generous to term their response as such. The crux of the matter here comes in the guise of contraception but aimed at the heart of religious liberty. However, the general counsel for the SDA's is quick to note that they (SDA’s) do practice contraception, by stating; “The Adventist Church’s principles do not prohibit the use of contraception. See Birth Control: A Seventh-day Adventist Statement of Consensus. Health insurance offered by most if not all U.S. Adventist institutions currently covers contraceptive services.” This is a clear and firm distancing that SDA’s are taking in this matter and also a clear stance against the Catholic Church and its fight to save lives and religious freedom.

In fact, the SDA response does not surprise me, even though they are conscientious objectors when it comes to military service, not because of the lives that they may have to take in battle, but because the military will require they work on their “Sabbath.” The same applies here, first, it does not in any way force them to break their “Sabbath” beliefs, and second, it does not require that they consume any “unclean” foods. And finally they would have to partner with the Catholic Church on this matter, and there is no way they will do that. We must remember as former SDA’s that we were taught that ecumenism is wrong and that such unity will be brought by the antichrist, nothing further from the teachings of the bible they profess to love and hold dear.

I see and interpret this SDA declaration as a siding with the current government and its policies of death, so long that they can continue to keep their “Sabbath,” diets, and of course the ability to bill HHS for their services rendered as they contribute to the murder of innocents. I bet if this Healthcare Law gains the Supreme Courts approval (which I doubt), the SDA’s will be the first bidders on the block to try and take over Catholic Healthcare Systems.

I wonder who is wearing the antichrist hat now?

Teresa Beem said...

Unfortunately I have heard several people say that Adventists have already tried to get "community" hospital status from Catholics in many places, using the position that they are more of a "full service" hospital because they do abortions on demand.

I wish I could source that, but I read it somewhere...

So sad...