Since the time of the French Revolution, liberal democracies and the Roman Catholic Church have experienced a great deal of conflict, both ideological and political. The most recent of these debates focuses on mandate of the Obama administration that will force Catholic Institutions to provide contraceptive coverage and sterilization treatments in their health coverage.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, this debate has released torrents of charged rhetoric flowing in both directions. However, I don\u2019t believe that the public understands the full scope of the philosophical differences that have led to this debate. Some claim that the Roman Catholic Church\u2019s opposition to President Obama\u2019s mandate generates a war on \u201cpoor women and families who will suffer the most.\u201d This idea is ridiculous. The poor have always been loved by the Church. Indeed, the largest non-governmental charity organization in the United States is Catholic Charities. In addition to this multi-billion dollar network, many individual dioceses, churches, and monastic orders assist the poor with their own programs. In addition, the Roman Catholic Church also strives to alleviate the situation of the poor by focusing on social justice for all peoples and nations. The idea that the Roman Catholic Church wars against the poor demonstrates a profound ignorance of the Church\u2019s mission and doctrine. Instead, the Catholic Church opposes Obama\u2019s mandate for more important reasons than mere class conflict. It opposes the mandate because it needs the freedom to live its teachings on the sanctity of human life.<\/p>\n