Another Nail in the Coffin of American Freedom

On Wednesday, August 1, the Health and Human Services Mandate, which requires that all employers cover contraception, sterilization and abortion in their employees' insurance coverage, went into effect.  The United States government is now requiring that all employers, religious or not, ideologically opposed or not, must participate in evil.  There are a few exceptions at the moment, but we can be sure the Obama administration will overcome these in a short period of time.

The Republicans give us nothing
but soundbites, and Obama
keeps destroying America

Has anyone noticed that despite all the sound and fury that came from the Republicans, they have done nothing to stop the mandate?  They throw us a bone here and there to make us think they want to stop Obama, but nothing has happened, nor will it happen. 

Many are framing this issue as a matter of religious freedom.  But it is much deeper and more serious than just our religious freedom.  This is about good versus evil, it is about life versus death.  It is about Satan versus God. 

Below is an article that was posted on lifesitenews.com on July 31, the day before the mandate went into effect, regarding the abomination that has taken place in the United States called Obamacare. 

Obamacare’s Pro-Abortion HHS Mandate Takes Effect Tomorrow

by Steven Ertelt | LifeNews.com | 7/31/12 1:29 PM

Despite one positive ruling in a case allowing a company to be exempted from the Obamacare HHS mandate, the pro-abortion mandate that pro-life groups strenuously oppose will take effect tomorrow.

A memo from the Catholic Association explains how the ruling was a positive step but not sufficient to stop the mandate nationwide.

“Last week, a federal court dealt a major blow to the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate requiring employers to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortion-causing drugs in their healthcare plans,” it said. ” In the first-ever legal victory against the mandate, the court granted a temporary injunction to the family-owned Hercules Industries in Colorado. The Obama administration argued that employers have no conscience rights if they engage in a for-profit business, and therefore the business owners — the Newland family – ought to be subject to millions of dollars in fines per year for non-compliance.”

“While this was a significant victory, it is only applies to the Newlands, and it is only temporary [you can win a lot of money if you bet that this ruling will be overturned]. The livelihood and religious freedom of countless other private employers hangs in the balance on August 1,” the Catholic Association continued.

The mandate adversely affects three categories of businesses and organizations in different ways and the Catholic Association spells them out:

Category 1: For-Profit Employers

For-profit private employers do not qualify for the one-year safe harbor and are thus completely unprotected as of August 1. This is especially harmful to small and family-owned businesses that tend to have boutique or custom insurance plans to conform to religious or value-oriented workplace cultures. Many businesses are suing the Obama administration seeking immediate relief from the August 1 deadline. The penalty for non-compliance is $100 per day, per employee.  For the Newland family business, the fines would add up to millions of dollars per year. [This can and will break many small businesses.  This is known in the real world as extortion].

Category 2: Groups in Limbo

Some employers do not yet know if they qualify for the safe harbor. They may only object to some but not all of the services – for example, the evangelical college Wheaton, which has also filed suit against the Administration, objects to abortion-causing drugs but not contraception. These employers are left completely in the dark as to what will happen to them on August 1 and whether or not they will be slapped with crippling fines.

Category 3: Religiously Affiliated Employers

Objecting employers with a religious affiliation are essentially left with one year to scramble. The so-called accommodation, which has not been implemented, was widely rejected as an accounting gimmick. Even Sister Carol Keehan, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association (and a supporter of the President’s health care plan), originally supported the accommodation but after closer examination, called it unacceptable and unworkable. These religious entities are left with no option but to wait one more year before they have to begin violating the teachings of their faith or pay severe fines.

A one-year “safe harbor” allows some groups to not be affected until August 2013, but there is no overall religious accommodation.

Matt Smith, president of Catholic Advocate, also condemned the start of the HHS mandate implementation.

“August 1st will be remembered as the day our most cherished liberty was thrown in a government dumpster and hauled away,” he told LifeNews. “A day when family owned small businesses were forced to abandon their religious beliefs to provide products and services for free. And if they don’t, they will be taxed and fined [i.e., extorted] at a time when job creators are struggling with enough costs and bureaucratic red-tape at every level of government just to stay in business.”“While the courts have provided a reprieve for one family business in Colorado, the government will never be able to repair the broken conscience of thousands of others until this mandate is removed,” Smith said.



Conscience Cause, a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving the right of conscience, declared the beginning of the end of religious freedom as the HHS mandate goes into effect tomorrow. It strongly opposes the mandate because it forces businesses and organizations to pay for products and services that violate their faith or face massive fines. In phase two of the mandate’s implementation, one year from tomorrow, religious institutions will face the same devastating decision, the group complains.

“The implementation of this policy tomorrow marks the beginning of the end of religious freedom in our nation,” said Christen Varley, executive director of Conscience Cause.

“Starting tomorrow, employers with religious and moral objections must make an unimaginable choice: comply and deny your faith, or resist and be subject to crippling fines. Religious institutions have been given an absurd one year reprieve in which to decide the same. People of faith and those who believe in protecting our constitutional freedoms will continue the fight to repeal and bar any regulation that would compel individuals and institutions, including religious hospitals, schools and charities, to violate the tenets of their faith or be subject to penalty of law,” added Varley. “Conscience Cause will continue our efforts to inform the public as well as to petition Congress to overrule this devastating policy. If we do not stand up and make our voices heard, it is only a matter of time before our other liberties come under direct assault.”

At Fatima, on July 13, 1917, Our Lady told Sister Lucy that “God is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the Communions of reparation and for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart ... In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, which will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”  

What, you are probably wondering, does this message from Our Lady of Fatima have to do with the HHS mandate?  It has everything to do with it.  Our Lady of Fatima warned us:  "Russia will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up wars and persecutions against the Church."  The "errors of Russia" is godless, oppressive Communism and socialism.  It is all about eliminating God and putting the State in His place.  And that is exactly what is happening today in the United States of America.  The HHS Mandate is the direct result of the disobedience to our Lady who asked that Russia be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart.  Because this was not done, the world is devolving into an evil, godless place in which the good and righteous are persecuted.  That is why we have abortion, militant homosexuality, vulgar, profane and pornographic entertainment, the destruction of the family, wars, etc. etc.  And there is no solution to any of these problems outside of Russia being Consecrated to Mary's Immaculate Heart by the Popes and Bishops.  Our Lady originally asked that this be done in 1960.  Pope John XXIII, the Holy Father at that time, read this message of Fatima and said, "This prophecy does not relate to my time."  For various reasons, none of the succeeding popes have fulfilled our Lady's request, either. 

Our Lady told the children of Fatima:  "The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world."  There are those who say the consecration has already been done, but it is quite obvious there is no peace in the world.  So either our Lady lied to us or we are still awaiting the Consecration.  We know it is not possible for our Lady to lie.

Our part is to pray always.  In the third apparition, Our Lady revealed to the children, ""You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war for only she can obtain this." 

Pray the Rosary, offer up your sufferings, make reparations.  That is the only answer to the evil that we face in this world.  Pray for the Consecration of Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart.

Mark of the Beast?

I am currently reading an absolutely wonderful book that I cannot recommend highly enough entitled, "End of the Present World and Mysteries of the Future Life" by Fr. Charles Arminjon.  St. Therese of Liseux, the Little Flower, read it when she was 14 years old and said it changed her life.  The first part of the book deals with the end of our world and as such, deals with the AntiChrist, whom Fr. Arminjon describes as follows:

Before the end of the world there will appear on earth a profoundly evil man, invested with a quasi-superhuman power who, challenging Christ, will wage an impious and foolish war against Him.  . . . Daniel informs us that the Antichrist will attack all that is holy and worthy of respect, exalt himself boldly against the God of gods and consider as nothing the God of his Fathers.

We are most certainly seeing the beginning of this in our western world today, with all those who stand up for traditional values and morals being attacked as those who promote hatred and bigotry, the latest manifestation of this being the war against Chick-Fil-A, which is being attacked because its owner stood up for traditional marriage between a man and a woman.  We see leaders of industry, government and entertainment rushing to vilify this man and all who support him, and government leaders telling us that they should be run out of business. 

National Catholic Register posted a most interesting article yesterday connecting the Mark of the Beast, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and the vilification of Chick-Fil-A.  Rev. 13:17 says:  "And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

The Mark of The Beast and Chick-Fil-A

by Pat Archbold Monday, July 30, 2012 6:40 AM  

"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. "

There will be many antichrists before the world bears witness to the lawless one. The Church teaches us that " Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh."

Many suspect the scenario in my opening quote from the Book of Revelation (the mark on the right hand or the forehead that will be a requirement of commerce) will be a feature of the reign of Antichrist.

How about another bible quote?

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

When the day comes in which visible allegiance to that faith, which is against Christ, is a requirement of commerce, most people will go along with it. How do I know this? Because many people are going along with it now. 

The mark of the beast (public allegiance to a faith opposed to truth who is Christ) [the best explanation of the mark that I have read] as requirement to do business is not some far off prediction of the bible, it is today's reality. It is reality in Chicago, Boston, and so on.

If you believe in the Church's teaching on traditional marriage and by saying so publicly you foreswear that secular religion (which is opposed to Christ) which demands your allegiance, in the view of many people in and out of government, you forfeit your right to do business.

If you believe in the Church's teaching on abortion and contraception and you are inconveniently still breathing, you are no longer able to run your business in a way compliant with that belief.

All in the name of tolerance, of course.

Tolerance, a Christian concept, originally a guide stick meant to keep one on the true path, has now been transformed into a bludgeon meant for the head of anyone who still proclaims there is a true path.  [It is vital to understand how the word"tolerance" has been perverted by secularist humanists.]

Today's tolerance seethes. The plowshare has been beaten in to a sword by the father of all lies. With it, he will try cut off the little faith that is left.

So many people today have bought into this perverted notion of tolerance. Genuine tolerance sometimes requires you to grit your teeth. If you are baring your teeth instead, trust me, you are doing it wrong.

Many people today, just as they will be in the time of Antichrist, will happily denounce truth and cheerfully believe a lie if that is the price of doing business.

I have often wondered what it would be like in the time of Antichrist when real Christians, those who refuse the mark, are scattered and seemingly alone. How will they know each other?

Simple. They will be the ones eating a chicken sandwich without a rainbow lapel pin.

Storm Clouds of Christian Persecution Are Gathering

I have been warning on this blog that there is major persecution coming against the Catholic Church right here in the United States, and that it will come strongest from militant homosexuals.  A major story in the last few weeks is, unfortunately, bearing out the truth of my statements  The owner of a fast food restaurant had the temerity to stand up for his religious beliefs and announce that he supports traditional marriage between a man and a woman.  Dan Cathy, the owner of Chick-fil-A has now become the symbol of hate speech and is basically being put on the same level as Adolph Hitler.  From a pro-homosexual website, the author of an article condemned the following words of Dan Cathy:

I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say 'we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage' and I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about"

The author of the article stated:  "Dan Cathy's comments are obviously disturbing, regardless of broader context. But when one considers the context in which they were delivered, these comments really do show us, without any shred of doubt, where a major American fast food chain places LGBT people, our lives, and our loves within the societal realm."

It is amazing that society, which not that long ago condemned sodomy as perverted and sinful, is now supporting militant homosexuals against Christians who are merely stating their religious beliefs.  Yet there is no double standard seen.  It is perfectly acceptable to persecute Christians. 

We have seen this patterns before, e.g., Nazi Germany with the Jews.  Now is not the time to stick our heads in the sand and say, no that could never happen in America. In fact, it's already happening. 

Here is the timeline of this story: 

 July 16, 2012

Company President Dan Cathy gives an interview to the Biblical Recorder newspaper, which is re-posted in the Baptist Press, saying, "Well, guilty as charged," when asked about the company's support of the traditional family. "We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."

July 18, 2012

Controversy spreads nationally on social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. The Office star Ed Helms announced on Twitter he's boycotting the company over the stance. Helms' tweet: "Chick-fil-A doesn't like gay people? So lame. Hate to think what they do to the gay chickens! Lost a loyal fan."  [What would they do to our Lord if he was on earth today and took this stance?  It's the same thing they will do to his followers]

July 19, 2012

On the Chick-fil-A Facebook page, the company posts a statement saying it's staying away from further discussion of the gay marriage debate. "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena," the posting said. Company spokesmen sent the same statement to NPR when we requested an interview.  [This is what you will see when groups are persecuted for standing up for their beliefs.  Will the Catholic Church stand strong?]

July 20, 2012

The Jim Henson Co., which controls the popular Muppets characters, announces on its Facebook page that it's cutting off its collaboration with Chick-fil-A in response to Cathy's comments. Coincidentally, the Jim Henson Creature Puppets that were to be distributed in Chick-fil-A kids' meals through August were pulled due to "product safety" reasons a few days later.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino writes a letter to Chick-fil-A vowing to block the fast-food chain from opening a franchise in Beantown. "There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it," the letter reads. Since the move by Menino, a Chicago alderman and the San Francisco mayor have followed suit, saying the company should stay out of their cities.  [No one seems to be bothered by the discrimination against Christians]

July 23, 2012

In response to the firestorm, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee calls on Christian customers to show support for the company and stick up for Cathy's values. "The goal is simple," he announced, calling on Americans to help those who honor "the godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, Aug. 1." As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, Huckabee's Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day already had more than 279,000 RSVPs.

Meanwhile, gay and lesbian groups have called for same-sex couples to kiss at Chick-fil-A stores on "National Same Sex Kiss Day" Aug. 3.

The following article shows the widespread support in labeling Dan Cathy a homophobic bigot and his speech defending traditional marriage as hate speech.

Chick-Fil-A Gay Flap A 'Wakeup Call' For Companies  

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A has long stood by its Bible-based roots, keeping stores closed on Sundays and donating millions to Christian causes. But when its president, Dan Cathy, went public to defend his company's stance against gay marriage, he set off a considerable controversy that has everyone from politicians to puppets weighing in.

First telling the Baptist Press his company supported the "biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy then told the radio program The Ken Coleman Show, "I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about."

The backlash spread swiftly. [Does anyone wonder how a "Christian" nation such as the USA has claimed to be, can have a backlash against someone upholding Christian principles?] Boston's mayor pledged to block the chicken sandwich stores from opening in Beantown, a Chicago alderman said he'll try to stop a franchise from opening in his ward and the Jim Henson Co. cutoff its Chick-fil-A collaboration. Because it's a private company, it will be difficult to measure the bottom-line impact of all the attention.

Social Media Spread
Americus Reed, a marketing professor at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who studies brand loyalty, says Cathy underestimated what might happen once his comments to a niche religious publication and a syndicated radio show spread to a wider audience.

"I think this is part of the wake-up call for companies to understand that social media makes these decisions very, very risky," Reed said, "because it's much easier now for these messages to get out to consumers and consumers to virtually organize."  [This is why persecution of Christians can happen so quickly now, especially when all of the elite of society, including and especially the MSM, are anti-Christian. ]

What does a famous chicken sandwich have to do with a polarizing political issue? The connection has long been clear to gay rights groups, which have tried to call attention to the millions of dollars Chick-fil-A, through its charitable arm, has donated to opponents of same-sex marriage. But never before has the Atlanta-based chain been thrust into such a swirling controversy over its faith-based positions.

Support For Gay Rights
But other companies see the risks of going public on controversial issues differently. This year, a handful of big brands have made headlines for taking the opposite side — supporting same-sex rights and benefits.

Starbucks coffee cup quote

"From time to time we are going to make a decision that we think is consistent with the heritage and the tradition of the company that perhaps may be inconsistent with one group's view of the world," Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, said at a shareholder meeting in March.

He explained the coffee giant's pro-gay positions were about making its employees proud — and aligning with its corporate values.

"Since we made that decision there has not been any dilution whatsoever in our business, and as you can see, shareholder value has increased significantly," Schultz said, citing revenue growth in the face of efforts like DumpStarbucks.com, led by pro-family organizations.

The lure of dollars from a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market is another likely motivator for taking certain social stands. Marketing firm Witeck-Combs estimated the LGBT market's buying power at $800 billion last year.  [Money, not values, will always be the bottom line for corporate America.  And the money is on the side of the militant homosexuals.] 

"I think it's a sign of the times to try and speak to other groups that potentially one has not had a connection with, and that's just part and parcel with trying to grow your market," Reed said.

But beyond the big bucks, corporate reputation specialist Sekou Bermiss says companies may be motivated to contribute to community good.  [Supporting militant homosexuals is now seen as "community good."]

"More and more, you see firms that are trying to or feel obliged to certain issues in society, [to] do some greater good in society," Bermiss said.

Boycotts And Bottom Lines

Target Ad promoting
same sex marriage

Starbucks, Target and General Mills all stepped into the same-sex marriage issue by supporting gay marriage legislation in their home states. [Why is corporate America becoming involved in anti-family legislation?  What is the real agenda and who is really behind it?]  Each face ongoing boycotts led by the American Family Association and the National Organization for Marriage for doing so. The National Organization for Marriage said it's uncertain whether its boycotts are having an impact on businesses.

And after JC Penney hired Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson, the socially conservative group One Million Moms called for her firing.

"They wanted to get me fired and I'm proud and happy to say that JC Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson," DeGeneres said on her show. The retailer also started running Mother's Day and Father's Day ads featuring same-sex couples.

JC Penney ad featuring lesbian couple with child

But Reed says companies that make a social argument for business gain should be prepared to change course if an outcry leads to longer term losses.

"Most brands are keeping their heads down because these are very controversial sorts of strategies. And it probably makes sense — good business sense — to not weigh in on these issues," Reed said.

That's a lesson Chick-fil-A seems to be learning quickly.

It declined requests for an interview, but in a statement said, "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate to the political arena."

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the lines are being drawn very sharply between Christians and non Christians, and that the government, mainstream media, the entertainment industry and corporate America are all siding with the non-Christians.  As we can see with Chi-fil-A, when the heat is turned up, these organizations that support Christian belief will back down and bow to the pressure.  We know that the Catholic church - the true Catholic Church - will never bow to the pressure and will suffer the persecution that will come from standing strong.  We must each individually ask ourselves, how will we stand in the face of the storm?