My friend Scott Richert…

responds to something I’m not quite saying. He may well be right that the ruling yesterday dims the hope that the damnable HHS mandate will be overturned.  As I never tire of pointing out, I’m not a lawyer and so don’t claim to know one way or t’other what the full implications of this decision are.  I merely say that, whatever the prospects are for overturning that evil piece of arrogant lawlessness called the HHS mandate, it has not yet, in fact, been decided.  My hope and prayer is that, when it is decided, the Court will overturn this attempt to crush Catholic conscience.  Because if it does not, the time will have arrived for Catholics to defy the state with civil disobedience and be jailed.  My fear then is not that the Church will not survive the confrontation, but that America will not survive it.  The stupidest thing Caesar can possibly do is make war on the largest mediating institution in American civil life and drain away the massive amount of lubricant provided by its charitable work for the poor and vulnerable.  America will overheat and burn to the ground if Caesar makes such a massively foolish choice.  On that point, Scott and I are in total agreement.