I rarely see things in the media that are truly surprising. There is a lot that is wrong factually; there is a lot that is biased; there is a lot that is illogical, but a true surprise is rare. That is why I have to share with you a statement made today in a column by Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire in USA Today. Here is what he said:
"Sometimes, even for a bishop, it's embarrassing to be a Christian."
Robinson was speaking about the effort by the owners of Hobby Lobby stores to be released from the requirement of Obamacare that the company provide birth control including some forms of abortion on the ground that to do so would violate their religious beliefs as Christians.
It is a truly amazing statement for a bishop to announce that he is embarrassed to be a Christian. No wonder that mainline Protestant sects like the Episcopalians are dwindling so quickly. If their leaders see belief in the basic worth of human life as embarrassing, why should everyday Episcopalians both with the religion? Wouldn't it be enough just to vote for liberals?
The funny thing here is that as a conservative, I do not accept the argument that religious freedom allows a company like Hobby Lobby to be released from the requirements of the law. If the state has a valid interest in mandating certain conduct, then following a religion ought not to insulate citizens from meeting the requirements of the law. The state cannot establish a national religion. In other words, the government cannot mandate that the precepts of one particular religion be followed or favored, but the requirements of a civil society must be allowed to prevail over the parochial concerns of one religious group or another. Despite that view, I would never find the support or opposition to a particular requirement which is based upon religious belief to be embarrassing.
"Sometimes, even for a bishop, it's embarrassing to be a Christian."
Robinson was speaking about the effort by the owners of Hobby Lobby stores to be released from the requirement of Obamacare that the company provide birth control including some forms of abortion on the ground that to do so would violate their religious beliefs as Christians.
It is a truly amazing statement for a bishop to announce that he is embarrassed to be a Christian. No wonder that mainline Protestant sects like the Episcopalians are dwindling so quickly. If their leaders see belief in the basic worth of human life as embarrassing, why should everyday Episcopalians both with the religion? Wouldn't it be enough just to vote for liberals?
The funny thing here is that as a conservative, I do not accept the argument that religious freedom allows a company like Hobby Lobby to be released from the requirements of the law. If the state has a valid interest in mandating certain conduct, then following a religion ought not to insulate citizens from meeting the requirements of the law. The state cannot establish a national religion. In other words, the government cannot mandate that the precepts of one particular religion be followed or favored, but the requirements of a civil society must be allowed to prevail over the parochial concerns of one religious group or another. Despite that view, I would never find the support or opposition to a particular requirement which is based upon religious belief to be embarrassing.
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