Letters: The bishops’ contraception battle

Re “Losing faith in nonpartisanship?,” June 13, and “Bishops defend their fight,” June 14

What am I missing? I thought the exercise of faith meant doing what you believed to be right in spite of temptation.

Generally, Mormons don’t smoke or drink even when cigarettes or alcohol are offered to them. Why don’t American bishops trust Roman Catholics not to use contraceptives even when they’re free?

Religious freedom is being able to act on our beliefs without being coerced or denied that right of choice.

Joanne Tatham

Irvine

Of course the Catholic leaders will say that their quarrel with President Obama over his administration’s contraception mandate is not about politics. Their tax-exempt organization isn’t supposed to influence politics or legislation.

However, Cardinal Donald Wuerl’s quote shows the bishops are trying to do exactly that: “I would right now like us to see all of our energy directed at every level, whether it’s at the executive, the legislative or the judicial, to changing [the birth control mandate]. Once that has been resolved, we can get on with the rest of our work.”

The church is trying to exert control over our government, which should cost it its tax-exempt status.

Gaylon Monteverde

El Cajon

This country was founded on a bedrock of religious freedom. The government is prohibited from imposing religious tenets; a church may decree what is appropriate for its own members but not for the rest of us.

The Roman Catholic bishops, however, are being hypocritical in defending their religious freedom while insisting on imposing their beliefs on the non-Catholic employees of their institutions. Health insurance, including birth control and other women’s services, is regulated by secular, governmental authority.

Women’s access to healthcare under our laws must not be taken from them by any church.

Scott McKenzie

La Cañada Flintridge

ALSO:

Letters: Can women save Earth?

Letters: Researching same-sex parents