Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, this is a direct attack on women’s rights in the United States by the Catholic church.

Let’s be clear about what Obama is fighting for. This is the war between the Catholic church’s rights and women’s rights in the United States.

The Health Care Reform bill states that only religious organizations that primarily employ and serve their parishioners would be exempt from the requirement to provide insurance that covers birth control. Churches are exempt from providing insurance that includes birth control to women, but Catholic-run hospitals, agencies and colleges are not.

This mandate is very important for women in this country, and whether or not the Catholic church has the right to inflict their religion on women who are employed by them to serve the general population in Catholic organizations in the United States.

Obama believes that every woman should have access to birth control through the insurance provided by her employer. I agree wholeheartedly!

I find it fascinating to listen to all the other MEN who are weighing in on this issue – primarily the bishops and Republican candidates who are rallying to the side of the male dominated Catholic hierarchy rather than the women who be directly affected by this health mandate for women. As usual, they are distorting the facts. I can hear their arguments now, “How dare Obama attack the very fabric of the Catholic church!” Never mind the needs and rights of the women, they shouldn’t even have the right to vote let alone control their reproductive health! I mean, nobody would actually SAY that, but I’m confident that many of them think that way. Who do all these guys think they’re kidding? These aren’t necessarily Catholic women who we’re talking about; these women are hired under the clause that these organizations may not discriminate based on religion to begin with. Think about that. If these organizations can’t discriminate when they hire someone, what should give them the right to refuse to comply with other employer laws surrounding that employment? Oh it’s women, and the Catholic church is holding steadfast that they should be able to continue to refuse women fundamental health care rights because THEY don’t believe women should have those rights. Controlling women is nothing new for the Catholic church, but preserving the rights of women is the job of our represented officials - Obama, Democrats and Republicans not excluded.

If the Catholic organizations who serve and are staffed by the general population can hire outside of their religion, in fact, not be allowed to discriminate based on religion in their hiring process, why then should they be granted immunity from our other laws when it pertains directly to women’s right to control her own reproductive health care?

This is not a war perpetrated by Obama against the Catholic church, but rather it is a war perpetrated by the Catholic church against women who are employed by Catholic agencies, but who do not necessarily belong to or believe in the Catholic doctrine.