I don't believe Catholics in most 1st world countries take a scrap of notice of what anyone in the hierarchy right up to the Pope himself, says about politicians and political parties who defy the church. Catholics in these countries have known for decades that leftwing liberal parties are essentially anti-christian and morally "progressive", but regardless of what even the Popes themselves have said at times, Catholics vote almost en bloc for leftwing liberal political parties.

I would very much like to see Catholics prove my cynicism wrong at least this time.

Jews are another group that votes almost en bloc for the very political parties who most defy their own Jewish scriptural teachings on issues such as abortion and homosexuality.

Certainly.

Republicans - who actually were the source of the insurance mandate idea and the first to put it into effect within the US - are cynically using the issue as a wedge to drive against Democrats. The plan of attack is the same was with their anti-abortion legislative crusade: attack a little piece, carve out an exception, make a crack, then widen it.

Once you have an American consensus that religious institutions - and not just them, but their "affiliates," who aren't churches and who sell goods and services to anyone - should be able to dodge the mandate on the grounds of conscience, then any employer should have a shot at dodging the mandate's requirements on the grounds of conscience. Anything goes. Then the whole Obamacare thing falls under its own weight: a mandate which doesn't mandate anything isn't a mandate.

In this case, if the mandate falls apart, it's fine with me. You don't have to be a Republican to deplore a law which requires American citizens to hand over their income to private insurers, many of whom enjoy monopoly power to set prices in their markets. I think there is only one moral way to provide coverage to all Americans, and incidentally, it's a way that will reduce at least 11% (and probably more like 20%) of the cost we collectively pay for health care in the United States. I'm talking about expanding Medicare to all citizens, with its much lower overhead costs and no profit-taking. If we did that, and applied price controls to patented drugs as other Western nations do, we could easily reduce our health care bill by thirty percent or more while providing basic health care to everyone.

It still enrages me that the President caved into to the insurance and drug lobbies when he pursued health care reform. They're the exact cause of out-of-control costs and unaffordability of health care for millions of Americans. So long as we have them in the loop, our per capita health care costs will be drastically out of whack with that of other Western nations.

When the market satisfies public need, leave it alone. When it doesn't, government needs to step in.

What is wrong with sex?

The irrational and unfounded fear of a society on sexual runaway is yet another scare tactic advanced by those who wish to impose their will upon others. Regardless of the statements by the ignorant, and except as anecdote, people do not have sex with animals, dead people or have bacchanals where sex is pursued without inhibition. Sexual repression and guilt lead to far worse things than do a random tryst. This is about power. Power of the male hierarchy entrenched over ages. Heavens help us if women have the same sexual freedom from sanction men enjoy.

Please ask you wife and daughter about the"little angels" and if they share your misguided belief that they should continue to bow to the power holding sway over their health and choice.

The next argument will be life begins with desire. How one can say they are against abortion and then state they are against contraceptive health is nuts.