"HHS doesn't get the parable of the Good Samaritan..."

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, Director of Media Relations, USCCB, points out that the federal government—specifically, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—is crossing the line, and in doing so is endangering the health and welfare of those served by Catholic hospitals and charities:

In a tacit acknowledgement that this violates the Constitution's cherished respect for religious liberty, HHS provides an exemption for religious employers -- but with a catch. The church agency can only claim exemption if it primarily serves people of its own faith. It also must meet other requirements, such as employing mostly people of its own faith.

This means HHS is setting itself up to determine what constitutes church ministry and who Jesus meant when he referred to serving "the least of my brethren."

Catholic hospitals, charities and educational institutions provide about $30 billion worth of service annually in this country. No one presents a baptismal certificate at the emergency room. The hungry do not recite the Creed to get groceries at the food pantry. Students can pursue learning at The Catholic University of America, Villanova or any other Catholic college without passing a catechism admissions test. The commitment to serve those in need, the sick, the hungry, the uneducated, is intrinsic to Catholicism. No federal rule (except now HHS's) says the church must limit its service to Catholics if it is to be true to its teaching. HHS doesn't get the parable of the Good Samaritan, who helped the stranger simply because he was in need.

Look at the numbers. Catholic hospitals admit about 5.6 million people annually. That's one out of every six persons seeking hospital care in the United States. Catholic Charities serves more than 9 million people annually. Catholic colleges and universities teach 850,000 students annually. Among those served are Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics and members of any other religious or irreligious group you can name.

Read the entire piece. No surprise, some incredibly smart and thoughtful Huff-and-Puff Post readers respond with the sort of erudite reflection one expects from secular zealots geniuses:

Since all you've got for health care guidelines are superstiti­ons from the Dark Ages, you really shouldn't pretend to be operating modern hospitals. Honesty, please, and less hypocrisy and for goodness sake, don't pretend the government is plunked down in the middle of your so-called "sanctuary­" when all you've got is a track record of child abuse and psychologi­cal intimidati­on to show for your double talk and anti-human rights Vaticanism­.

And:

You're correct, people don't show baptismal certificat­es when they go to the hospital. That doesn't mean you get to assume the right to claim authority over them or enforce your religious dogmas with taxpayer money.

This isn't about the state intruding in your 'sanctuary­,' it's about your 'sanctuary­' imposing itself on the public.

Which proves the old maxim: "You can lead Huffington Post readers to water, but you can't teach them to spell 'w-a-t-e-r' or even acknowledge its existence."