May 1, 2013 // Uncategorized

Protect conscience rights and religious liberty: US bishops urge Congressional support for H.R. 940

Todays Catholic

WASHINGTON — The Obama Administration’s contraceptive / abortifacient / sterilization mandate will begin to be enforced against nonprofit religious schools, charities and healthcare providers on Aug. 1. In the days to come, Congress must decide whether to address this problem through must-pass legislation before that deadline. Members of the House should be urged to include the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (H.R. 940) in the next bill needed to keep the federal government operating. Materials on the need for better conscience protection are available at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s webpage, www.usccb.org/conscience.

Resources include new fact sheets and four “voices of conscience” — video testimonies of women who spoke at the House of Representatives press conference last month about the need to enact H.R. 940.

Please act today to protect conscience rights and religious liberty. Recommended actions include the following:
• Send an e-mail to your representative through the USCCB’s Action Center.

• Call your representative. Contact the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or call your representative’s local office. Additional info may be found on U.S. Representatives’ web sites at www.house.gov.

• Information is available in a printer-friendly version of the alert at http://nchla.org/datasource/iactionalerts/4aaHCCRA.22c.13.pdf.

The U.S. bishops offer the following suggested message: “Please include the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (H.R. 940) in upcoming ‘must-pass’ legislation. Government must not force Americans to violate their religious and moral beliefs on respect for life when they provide health care or purchase health coverage.”

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