This is regarding a letter published by a local newspaper from the CORE group of St. John the Evangelist Church in Goshen. I will also seek to clarify some issues regarding the Health and Human Services Mandate, which is now attached to the Affordable Care Act.
First, it should be noted that after six years of being a staff person and becoming fully involved in many functions at the heart of the St. John Catholic Church in Goshen, my wife and I had never heard of the CORE group. It should not be construed that their support of the current HHS Mandate is representative of St. John Church.
Secondly, the Catholic bishops do desire a universal health care plan, provided it does not include the mandate as written.
Thirdly, even though a so-called “compromise” no longer forces religious organizations to directly pay for contraception, organizations that employ a percentage of persons who desire contraception will still pay indirectly through insurance premiums or a forced penalty.
Finally, the mandate requires such organizations pay for all federally approved (FDA) contraception. This will include contraception which does not allow the week-old human embryo to implant on the uterine wall. Evangelical, Catholic, and other pro-life groups consider this abortion. Thus, the issue is not just about contraception: it is also about forcing organizations to pay for abortions or be seriously penalized.
I honestly think highly of President Obama and Congress in many areas. However, the Health and Human Services mandate, as it stands now, should be taken out of the Affordable Care Act. It remains unconstitutional to penalize religious communities who take a conscientious stand for non-violent beliefs.
—Stephen Royal
Goshen
Letters to the Editor
Group does not represent stance of church on Affordable Care Act
- Letters to the Editor
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2008 robbery victims speak out
We would like to contribute some information concerning the front page article published on Saturday, May 18, in The Goshen News.
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Remember the amnesty law of ’86?
The “Gang of Eight” U.S. Senate members have drafted an immigration bill that’s worse then the amnesty bill signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1986. S. 744 gives those here illegally instant Registered Provisional Immigrant status, which means they are free from being deported if they register for amnesty.
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Don’t ignore signs of someone contemplating suicide
Everyone has issues that they have to deal with in their lives. It’s when we become overwhelmed and our issues become so drastic that they are unbearable that the results can be catastrophic. Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable.
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Why do immigrants come to the U.S. illegally?
With the current increased interest in fixing our broken immigration system both political parties are putting forth legislation.
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Safety along C.R. 35 is a concern
This letter is meant to bring awareness and hopefully corrections in regard to C.R. 35 in Elkhart County. Something needs to be done immediately to enforce the laws pertaining to the use of C.R. 35.
- Emphasis on gun control makes you wonder
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Goshen should stick with ‘Redskins’
I must respond to the letter to the editor from Mr. Ron Chupp (The Goshen News, May 9). What’s in a name, Mr. Chupp? I too have a Native American heritage, and for some reason, I am not offended by the term Redskins, or brown skins or any other color of skins.
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More important issues than a nickname
I would like to, in the most respectful way possible, respond to Mr. Chupp’s letter (The Goshen News, May 9) regarding the ongoing debate over the term “Redskins” being used as the nickname and mascot for the Goshen school system.
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There is hope through God
May I share what happened to me after praying about the issue of whether to have guns carried by school authorities at Goshen High School. While calling out to God, my question was: Why have we as a nation come to trusting in government agencies, such as Homeland Security, rather than obeying the Constitution in what you have declared through our forefathers?
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Sheriff has this reader's support
This letter is in defense of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and in response to Shari Mellin’s letter (The Goshen News, May 8) about Sheriff Brad Rogers not obeying the laws related to anti-gun legislation
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2008 robbery victims speak out
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