Speak Up - Speak Out!

I am taking advice from the Lutheran theologian, Martin Niemoller, about speaking out. Most of us are familiar with his work regarding political apathy and where it can lead. Niemoller lamented, “First They came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.” Eventually the Nazi’s came for him and there was no one left to speak out. Niemoller spent much of World War II at Dachau and thank God he survived.


In October of 2011 veteran’s groups in Houston were forced to sue to regain the use of the words “Jesus and God” during services at the Houston National Cemetery. The Veteran’s Administration also agreed to restore the cemetery’s chapel, returning a Bible, Cross, and Star of David, and to allow Veteran’s to call it a Chapel, rather than a “Meeting Facility.  They also agreed to remove the gardening equiptment and to quit using the Chapel for storage."

In September of 2011 Congressman Steve King of Iowa took to the floor of the House making us aware “No religious items may be given away or used during visits to Walter Reed National Medical Center.” Apparently this included Bibles, Religious Books, The Eucharist, and Last Rites brought to wounded military members by family and Chaplains. This regulation, according to Senator Cornyn of Texas, was revoked.

In January of 2012, Army Chaplains were banned from reading a Pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishop for the Armed forces during Mass. Although Army officials assisted the Bishop in rephrasing the letter, it was still not allowed to be read aloud from the Pulpit. The subject of the letter was the recent Health Care Mandates by the Administration.

I am appalled by the Administration’s edict that Catholic Hospitals, Schools, and Institutions must provide coverage for sterilization and contraception, including some abortion-causing drugs. This is about Religious Rights that are covered in the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.   Please don't be caught up in the hype that this is about "reproductive rights."  This is about your Freedom of Religion and mine as well. Will you speak out too?