(Latest update 6/28/12 - 5:30 EDT- see below)

• Next Steps:

WE will outline some steps that you can take in the wake of today's Supreme Court decision. The threats to our religious freedom posed by the HHS mandate still exist and may well be amplified by a perception of high court  approval of the entire administration initiative set, including the mandate to offer contraceptives and abortifacients, even in the face of conscientious objection. (For a better understanding of what the threats are, see this excellent article.)

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act as a tax. Many of us who object to the threats to religious liberty posed by the HHS mandate were hoping that the law, or parts of it, would be struck down and the HHS mandate threat to religious freedom would be removed.  It appears that this issue will loom larger than ever.

See the following article: The other 'mandate': Foes of contraception rule to sustain legal battle if ObamaCare upheld.

Here at Colson Center, we are waiting for a conference call with Heritage Foundation, Becket Fund and other organizations which have prepared a set of next steps that need to be taken by those concerned about this issue, customized for this outcome.

Update 5:26 EDT - We have just received an extensive set of resources and links from the Heritage Foundation. They are found at the bottom of this page (or click here).

Update 4:08 EDT - The Manhattan Declaration newsletter has come out with links and a good blog post. Read it here.

Update: 3:08 EDT - We recently finished sitting in on a call with other like-minded groups (and their legal analysts) and several things are evident:

• Many had hoped that the court would do "the heavy lifting" but the court made it clear that the responsibility for deciding on these issues will rest with the people and congress. We must educate our constituencies that the responsibility for correcting threats such as these lies primarily on us, in the culture the electoral process. (This is something Chuck Colson always emphasized with his "politics is downstream from culture" teaching in Christian worldview training.)
  
  
• The entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) has many details that will open up possibilities of other government mandates, similar to the HHS mandate requiring employer health plans to provide free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs. We have already seen some of this, like the authorization of contraceptive clinics in schools and openings for government funding in other "health" programs which are not pro-family and come between parent responsibility and children's values development.
  
  
• This decision does not settle the constitutionality of each part of the law, but only of the individual mandate (as a tax). It was more of a framing or "table-setting" decision, setting the stage for future cases. It did not deal with the HHS mandate and the religious freedom issues which that has raised.  As other mandates are sent out, based upon this law, they will need to be individually weighed against other parts of the Constitution. This will also include the HHS mandate, when it goes to the Supreme Court.
  
  
• There are 23 federal lawsuits now in court, filed against the HHS mandate by various religious organizations, mostly Catholic. Organizations must band together to support this.
  
  
• The only exceptions to the HHS mandate are the very-narrowly-determined religious organizations defined mostly as functioning churches, which have a one year "safe harbor" implementation time. Many religious groups and organizations, including Christian colleges, charities, hospitals and other organizations are not included in this group.
  
  
• For-profit organizations face a more immediate threat. The HHS portion of the law takes effect sooner for almost all of them, including those owned and operated by conscientious religious people who will not implement the HHS mandate. The Alliance Defense Fund, Becket Fund, and several other organizations are already defending a number of private business organizations in court.  Decisions are expected shortly on their cases.
  
  
• Education, cooperation and collaboration on the part of groups and individuals standing against these government initiatives is imperative.
  
  
• We are expecting a list of links soon and will post them when they come in.
  
  

Please bookmark this page and return as we will update it later today with information we receive.
ColsonCenter.org Staff, June 28, 2012

Thank you to those of you who joined our call this afternoon and a special thanks to our speakers who presented important insights on the legal, health care, and religious liberty implications of today’s Supreme Court decision. Below please find some additional resources on that decision and what it means for the HHS mandate litigation and other onerous provisions of Obamacare.

 

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"After today’s decision by the Supreme Court, the HHS mandate, along with the individual mandate and the rest of Obamacare, still presents a clear threat to individual and religious liberty. It is now all the more important to promote the benefits of religious liberty and demand greater protection of our “first freedom.” The Fortnight for Freedom, going on now through July 4, is an excellent way to educate Americans about our heritage of religious freedom and recent erosions of that liberty. Below are a few resources from The Heritage Foundation for use during the Fortnight for Freedom." (Heritage Foundation memo 6/28/12).

Let Religious Freedom Ring: Stop the Assault on Our First Freedom – a one-page factsheet highlighting our heritage of religious freedom, recent erosions of that liberty, and ways to restore a robust protection of our first freedom.

What You Can Do to Promote Religious Freedom – a list of 12 ways Americans can get involved in the Fortnight for Freedom in their own communities and place of worship.

Resources in the Wake of Supreme Court’s Obamacare Decision:

• Obamacare’s Legal Battles Continue in HHS Mandate Cases, Jennifer Marshall and Sarah Torre, Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry, June 29, 2012

 

• Obamacare Silver Linings: A Limited Victory for Limited Government, Todd Gaziano, The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry, June 29, 2012

 

• A Clarion Call for the American People, Robert Alt and Nina Owcharenko, The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry, June 29, 2012

 

• Individual Mandate Survives – Religious Liberty Challenges Move Forward, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Press Release, June 28, 2012

 

• HHS Information Central

 

• Pregnancy, Preventative Services and Cost Saving: An Ethical and Economic Mirage, Chuck Donovan, The Charlotte Lozier Institute, June 25, 2012

 

• Abortion Coverage Limitations: States Take Action, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Fact Sheet, June 7, 2012

 

 

 

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