St Patrick's Parishioners for Life

Rally to defend Religious Liberty!

 

Rallying to defend religious liberty

By Rob Earnshaw Times Correspondentnwitimes.com | Posted: Friday, March 23, 2012 6:45 pm |

VALPARAISO | Anti-abortion advocates participated Friday in Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies in cities across the nation.

Kristin A. Smith / The Times Aidan Feeney, 8, of LaPorte attended a rally for religious freedom with his mother and two sisters Hannah, 7, left, and Claire, 5 outside the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso on Friday.

In Northwest Indiana, the controversy over the Department Health and Human Services mandate that requires religious organizations, churches and other objecting employers to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions brought more than 200 concerned residents to a rally at the Porter County Courthouse.

The organizers of the local rally, Alex and Paulette Rodriguez, of Chesterton, said it's dishonest of the administration to force religious institutions to violate deeply held beliefs and turn it into a woman's health issue.

Kristin A. Smith / The Times Paulette Rodriguez speaks at a rally for religious freedom on Friday outside the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso.

"It's a violation of the First Amendment religious freedom," Paulette Rodriguez said. "We're calling on Congress to enact legislation to overturn the mandate and restore our cherished freedom of religion. We are encouraging everyone to recognize the assault is on religious liberty."

Alex Rodriguez said the mandate would force priests and nuns to commit a mortal sin by providing abortion-inducing drugs.

"When one religious group's beliefs are attacked, all religious and conscience freedom is under attack and must be defended," he said. "Voices need to be heard, numbers need to be seen."

The Rev. Douglas Mayer, priest at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, said religious freedom must be protected.

Jennifer Feeney, of LaPorte, has been active in the HHS mandate controversy since the beginning.

"I'm here because this has been turned into sort of this anti-women's issue; the idea that if you're against the mandate you are against women's health," she said. "There are woman against this because we don't want to lose our rights to be who we are as free religious citizens."

Copyright 2012 nwitimes.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Rally in the news!

Post Tribune

A CHICAGO TIMES publication

 

Rally protests federal health care plan

 

By Teresa Auch Schultz

tauch@post-trib.com

Last Modified: Mar 23, 2012 05:53PM

VALPARAISO — A crowd of about 250 people holding signs and umbrellas withstood the rain Friday afternoon to show their opposition to the federal government’s plan to require insurance companies and employers to cover 100 percent of the cost of birth control.

Anisa Saffold (left) and Cristina Sullivan, both of Chesterton, protest Obamacare outside of the Porter County Courthouse on Friday March 23, 2012. | Jim Karczewski~for Sun-Times Media

“It is dishonest of them to turn it into a women’s health issue,” rally leader Paulette Rodriguez, speaking through a microphone, told the crowd gathered at the Porter County Courthouse.

Rodriguez said she and her husband, Alex, started the rally when they heard that about 130 others would take place across the country Friday and they wanted to make sure people in Northwest Indiana could attend.

Rodriguez said the proposed birth control coverage mandate violates religious freedom by forcing those whose beliefs, such as Catholics, do not support it to help fund it. The federal government has recently announced exemptions for religious groups that oppose birth control, but Rodriguez dismissed the changes, saying that the costs will still be passed down to religious employers.

LaPorte resident Jennifer Feeney, who also spoke out against the requirement, said she was tired of hearing the opposition being labeled as anti-women and wanted to show that some women are against it, too.

“I am for women’s health, and this is not a women’s health issue,” she said.

Pat Dragash, of Crown Point, said she decided to come to the rally because she was becoming more and more concerned with the recent health care legislation, including the birth control coverage. Dragash said she supported a woman’s right to use birth control but didn’t think tax dollars should be used to pay for it.

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Copyright © 2012 — Sun-Times Media, LLC

Not afraid to speak out about Faith and Morals...

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO END ABORTION!

ABORTION IS THE KILLING OF A CHILD! DO YOU STILL WANT TO BE PRO-CHOICE?

 

DO YOU ENDORSE THE KILLING OF INNOCENT BABIES?

 

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE DIGNITY AND SANCTITY OF LIFE!

 
 
 
 
 Show your support for the dignity and sanctity of all Life by joining us in a pro-life walk in Porter’s Independence Day parade on Monday, July 4^th at 9:00 AM. 

     

Line-up is at 8:00 AM at Yost Elementary school and proceeds from there through downtown Porter, ending back at Yost (1.5 miles). We will be carrying banners, signs, and flags.

 

In past years we had a large number participate and our message was well received by the community. So bring the family & friends and wear your pro-life gear. All are welcome to join! 

The parade goes on rain or shine so if necessary bring the umbrella or poncho. The more kids the better, bring the bikes, wagons and strollers!

We will be revealing our new customized banner. Nothing is allowed to be handed out. Thank you for supporting Life!

 

DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO STAND UP FOR LIFE!

 

PARISHIONERS FOR LIFE MEETING ON APRIL 28TH

 

PLEASE JOIN US FOR A ST. PATRICK'S PFL  MEETING ON APRIL 28, 2011 AFTER THE 7 P.M.  PRO-LIFE MASS.

HAVE A BLESSED EASTER