Let me be blunt.  This recent blow-up between the Catholic Church and the Obama administration over the reproductive services mandate for health insurance policies is simply the camel getting his nose under the tent flap.  The ramifications of this ruling are profound and far reaching.  That is, if the Catholic Church compromises and the rest of the religious institutions and affiliates do not see this overt attempt to crush Constitutional protections for what it really is.  The progressives, hoping to keep this debate tactical and focused on the Catholic Church, are really after something considerably bigger.

If the administrtion is successful in enforcing these new rules, the moral authority of the Catholic Church will be severely undermined.  The damage, however, will not be limited to the Catholic Church.  Now that the government can tell religious institutions that they must violate their time-honored doctrines, how long will it be before the government will come back to the churches and attempt to regulate what is taught and spoken from the pulpit.  Imagine a church that does disapproves of homosexuality or same sex marriage.  Will that church and all its affiliates now come under scrutiny for hate speech?  Will those pastors and administrators not be violating civil rights?  Will the "ministerial exemption" not be moot?

After the administration dismantles the doctrines of the church, what is to say that the State will not tax the churches now, particularly if the churches maintain positions that are contrary to the ruling regime?  Would the churches not be considered political special interests and then lose that tax exempt status?  As many churches would simply go out of business, the progressives would have effectively dismantled all faith institutions through our inattention to the bigger picture.

Individual liberty, the nuclear family, the primacy of faith and the strength of communities all threaten the progressive agenda.  To think that this contraception thing is limited in scope and dimension is to be foolish and naive.  At no time in history has any administration taken such brazen steps to undermine the primacy of faith in America.  This is something one might expect to see is some socialist dictatorship South America.  But no, we have it happening right here in the good old USA. 

This is worth the expenditure of our wealth and our honor.  Inform everyone of the larger picture.  Do not be duped into thinking this is just a passing thing.

The intensity of the rift between the Catholic Church and the Obama administration of the recent DHHS rules on reproductive services is likely to get even more intense over time.  I think the administration will blink, however, and there will be some half-measure compromise offered that will help keep the Catholics firmly in the Obama camp.  Frankly, I cannot understand how any person of faith--Protestant, Catholic, Jew, Muslim or anything else for tha matter--would believe anything his president says.  He is amoral, thus his behavior indicates that he has no moral center and no moral compass.  He is, in a word, faithless.  Because he is faithless, he is Godless.  He does not believe in God, for if he did, he would behave differently.  Again, his actions say a lot more than do his words.

Obama is simply the latest crusader against faith in this country.  His Black Liberation Theology, his socialist upbringing, his socialist ideology and his incredibly corrupt ideology have so influenced his thinking and judgment that he is incapable of seeing that what he is doing might be offensive.  The worst sin, however, is this brutal, sustained, deliberate and pernicious assault on the Constitution.  A person can do a lot of things in this country and get away with things, but taking after the First Amendment is not likely to bear the fruit one might think.  Try assaulting free speech and see what happens.  The left is usually leading the way in this area, except when that speech is directed at progressives.  Of course, the freedom religion will be honored as long as people of faith keep quiet and work with the State to help control citizens.  The State interference in the actions, doctrines and teachings of any church are an affront to all who are citizens of this nation.

I have often written about the four pillars of American strength.  First, by way of review, is the individual and his or her free will.  Second is the dominance and beauty of the nuclear family.  Third is the primacy of faith.  Fourth is the need to for strong communities.  This assault on the Constitutional protections of religious freedom is a full four front assault.  The individual who adheres to a particular faith is being told that those beliefs are of no matter in Obama's State.  The family is not being regarded as the choice for using contraception is a choice--not a right dictated by government.  Further, that the government would require that these services be subsidized by everyone else is an insult of the highest order.  The orders from DHHS force church enterprises to violate the foundational doctrines of those religious sects.  This is oppression of religious beliefs and nothing could be further from the foundation of this nation.  People came here from all over the world to avoid governments like this one.  Where do they go from here?  Finally, these policies will rend communities and force more and more people to adhere to government coercion or face the full weight of the national government on them. 

Read more: Another Thing Jefferson Knew

This morning, I finally got to a stack of material about the recent Department of Health and Human Services rules pertaining to "reproductive healthcare" mandates for all enterprises who offer health care insurance as a benefit.  This reproductive healthcare mandate is focused on the fact that insurance plans must offer contraception and some other services (read this services associated with abortion) with no co-pay required.  This means that all members of a healthcare insurance plan must subsidize these services.  As bad as that is, religious institutions, rather than be given a "ministerial exemption," must comply with these rules within one year.  Of course, this is anathema for nearly all religious institutions and the Catholic Church has decided not to take this without fighting back. 

The Council of Bishops authored a letter to all dioceses that was to be read in mass this past weekend.  That letter states without qualification that the Catholic Church and its institutions will not comply with this set of rules.  The church simply cannot not and remain faithful to its doctrine and tenets.  Other church organizations will likely follow the lead of the Catholics.  One would hope so.

In the letter to the Danbury Baptists, Thomas Jefferson made it clear that the central government should never breach that "Wall of Separation" between church and state.  That wall was intended to keep the government out of church business.  Subsequently, we have enjoyed over two centuries of keeping the state out of the pulpit.  That has changed with these rules.  Government cannot pass along rules that breach that wall and then not allow religion in our courthouses or in our schools.  This is not a one way thing.

I do not think these rules will stand.  Approximately 30% of Americans are Catholic and they vote seven to three democrat.  Obama cannot believe that something so fundamental to the Church will not influence this situation.  If the Catholic vote goes 7-3 republican, Obama will be back in Chicago a year from now, trying to find work.  Let's hope the Catholic Church and other religious organizations find their voices and protest these rules in the most strident manner.

I came out of my chair last Thursday evening when I heard Rick Santorum answer a question about how faith would guide his presidency.  At no point in this current election cycle that has been dominated by these nationally televised debates has so clear an answer been given to such and important question.  I can say without qualification that his answer was the best offered on any question during any event.  Talk about someone who "gets it."

To summarize, the former senator from PA said that the Constitution gives the "how" of government and governance but the Declaration of Independence gave us the "why."  Absolutely, 100% spot on.

He continued to offer that natural rights are endowed by our Creator and nothing any man can say or do can trump those natural rights.  Those natural rights cannot be taken away, no matter how hard man might want to work to do so.  His finishing point was that if man gives one rights, then man CAN take those away--and will.  God and faith are the guarantors of rights in our society, thus God and faith must be part of EVERY decision made by a president.

Read more: The "How" and the "Why" of America

Tomorrow, on the 26th of January, I will celebrate my second anniversary on KSCJ, 1360 am, Sioux City, IA.  I am on the air everyday from around 10:10 am central time to 10:55 am--just 45 minutes a day.  In that time, however, I try to cram as much good sense and knowledge as I can.

The show has enjoyed unprecedented success, due mostly to the listeners and sponsors who have been so loyal.  Each rating period, the numbers have increased and we still hold a significant lead in our time slot.  I am humbled and very pleased at the same time.  We have a message and a way to get that message out there, so we will continue to deliver the best local talk radio we can and the best possible content available from any outlet, regardless of who might be behind the microphone.

Getting a chance to meet you all, to converse with you and to spend time with many of you has been one of the highlights of my very rich and full life.  Char and I love living here and being part of the community in ways we never imagined.  Again, this sense of belonging comes from all of you, and we thank you so much.

We have a long way to go with the election cycle and I will continue to do my best to bring you the analysis and commentary you need.  Again, thanks to each and everyone of you for your friendship and support.