May 24, 2012
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- When Bishop Richard Stika heard about the United States Health Department's mandate, he was shocked.
"What this administration is saying to us is 'You have to provide coverage for that which we believe to be immoral,'" he said.
The Catholic Church is against all forms of contreception; that's birth control pills, the morning after pill, even condoms. But Bishop Stika believes new rules requiring Catholic hospitals, businesses and charities to provide coverage for such things is a slippery slope.
He continued, "It has to do with abortion, it has to do with sterilization, potentially euthanasia and mercy killing. It opens the door, Pandora's Box, to a number of preventative, proactive practices that the government might deem to be health care, but we would think it's destructive of life."
And, he adds, destructive of the fundamental right to practice your chosen religion without persecution.
"You can do whatever you do in the confines of your own church building, but if you step out into the public spectre, all of the sudden we're getting condemned on both sides on a number of issues," he explained.
Over the weekend the bishop asked all East Tennessee priests to read his letter to their parishioners at Sunday mass. In it he said, "Catholics are either compelled to violate their consciences or drop health care coverage for employees and suffer the penalties for doing so."
During our interview Bishop Stika added, "This isn't only about the Catholic Church. It's about all faith traditions and what they believe to be morally acceptable."
We also spoke with several practicing Catholics who told us they're livid about the political use of the pulpit and what they called a further violation of the separation of church and state.
The Obama administration offers exemptions from the policy. Catholic organizations that don't hire people of other faiths can invoke the "conscience clause." But Bishop Stika pointed out, turning people away based on their religious beliefs is also against Church teachings.
