Letters

Religious freedom?

Arnold Jago

Contents - Nov 2015 Synod: Synod reaffirms Church teaching on sexuality, marriage and the family - AD2000 Report Synod: Pope Francis confirms Synod guided by the Holy Spirit Anglican Ordinariate: Radical ecumenism – the Ordinariate’s new Catholic Missal - Fr Ramsay Williams Marriage: SSM will threaten religious liberty in Australia: Archbishop Fisher - AD2000 Report Marriage: Sydney Anglicans reaffirm church teaching on marriage - AD2000 Report Miracle: St Charbel cures Muslim toddler in Lebanon - From ASIANEWS Abortion grief: Life written In tears – the impact of abortion - Anne Lastman Salvation: "All Israel will be saved": Romans 11:26 - Andrew Sholl Unity and Beauty: The genius of Vladimir Soloviev - Fr Lawrence Cross Letters: Religious freedom? - Arnold Jago Books: BEYOND LITERAL BELIEF, by David Tacey - Brian Coman (reviewer) Reflection: We are all called to be saints - Archbishop Julian Porteous

During 2014, the Californian Department of Managed Health Care reclassified abortion as a “basic health service”.

All insurance plans provided by employers must now cover abortions or break the law.

Last month, one group of Californian churches filed a federal lawsuit against the California Department.

They claim that the government has no right to demand of church health insurance plans to cover something that violates their beliefs — and that by doing so, California violates the Constitution.

These people may or may not win their case. If they don’t, America will be shown up (again) as a not-very-free place.

Those Christians, however, need not look so surprised.

They choose to be Christians. The Christian answer to evil has always been willingness to be mocked, persecuted and, perhaps, crucified.

ARNOLD JAGO,
Nichols Point, Vic.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 28 No 10 (November 2015), p. 10