Score- Missouri Synod Lutherans 1 Jesuits 0 As to Religious Liberty Today ( Birth Control Mandate )

LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday, Feb. 16., to discuss the recent U. S. Health and Human Services Ruling regarding contraceptives. On behalf of the LCMS, Harrison spoke to the issue violating citizens' freedom of religion and freedom of conscience

I sometimes don't think Catholics of some relative importance realize the Constitutional issues , and the historic moment we the Church are in as to the birth control mandate as Americans.

This issue is much bigger than the Catholic Church. Which is one reason why so many diverse faith communities are coming together on this.

I was reminded of this yesterday when I read R. Jeffrey Grace post yesterday at The Editors of AMERICA magazine think the USCCB goes too far. I think Mr Grace points out so well the faults of their argument.

To a put more charitable face on it the political naive of the editors at American would be amusing if it was not so dangerous.

We are dealing :

-with an administration that took a major federal grant away from services to the most vulnerable because of our beliefs

-that basically misled ( lied if I may be so bold) to the highest leaders of the American Church that we would be facing this issue if the Health Care Bill passed

- In a major Supreme Court case argued there is no such thing as the ministeral exception

The Bishops at the very least have a reason to be wary or "Trust and Verify". The forces that are pressing this are veterans. This will not be romper room

Which bring us to a rather historic moment today that occurred in Congress today. Get Religion has a good overall post called In HHS flap, media prefer politics to religion . In part of this piece:

...Earlier today, the head of my church body did something that may be a first: testified before Congress. It may have happened before but I doubt it. We just don’t believe the job of the church is to testify about a given bill or not. We’re steadfastly bipartisan. We took no position on the health care bill that has yielded this situation. It was a pretty big day for Lutherans of my stripe. The Rev. Matthew C. Harrison testified (view/read) along with a Catholic bishop, an evangelical professor of moral philosophy, a rabbi and Torah scholar, and a Baptist professor. They were all united in their view that religious liberty is under threat. Precisely one of the witnesses has the same position as the Catholic Church on birth control, so it was clearly not a hearing on religious views of birth control. ...

Pretty important

Recall all the stories how Michelle Bachmann might have a Catholic problem because of past Church's views.

The Missouri Synod hold similar views that so many were calling problematic for Congresswoman Bachmann.

However I have huge doubts neither the media , nor many Catholics of , will get the importance of this speech by the leader of the Missouri Synod Lutherans. This again is not a "contraception issue" but a much bigger religious liberty issue. It is time some get out of the very small Catholic bubble and realize that. Vid is above . Here are his remarks in full.