When Will They Come For You?

I am sure that most of you have heard or read the quote by Martin Niemoller. It is quoted in different ways/orders, but it goes something like this:

"First they came for the Communist, and I did not speak out because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Trade Unionist, and I did not speak out because I wasn't a Trade Unionist. Then they came after the Jews, and I did not speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came after the Catholics and I did not speak out because I was a Protestant. And then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."

I can't help but think of this with the current HHS mandate being forced on all Americans, which violates the beliefs of many people. I say it that way, because a lot of people think that only Catholics are against contraceptives and sterilization, but it isn't just a Catholic teaching. There are many other groups who have teachings/beliefs similar to the Catholic church. I know that the above quote was in regard to the atrocities performed by Nazi Germany, especially against the Jews during the Holocaust. And I do not mean to make light of the suffering and horror that Jews were made to endure during that time. But I do wonder what sort of slippery slope we are on. If the government is allowed to force citizens and private businesses, churches, and colleges to do something that goes against their conscience, where will we end up?

Perhaps we begin by forcing the Catholics to contracept. Then, the government decides to mandate that all people drink 1 glass of red wine every day because it is good for your heart and it will possibly help cut health care costs by decreasing heart disease. How would the Baptists and many other Protestant denominations feel about that? And then, the government begins mandating that all high school take a dance class to learn about different cultures and for a phys ed credit. Again, many Protestants would be upset about such a mandate. And what if then, the government, in their regulation of health care, decides that all patients have to accepts blood when it is needed, regardless of how the patient feels about it. That goes against the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I realize that these mandates seem ridiculous right now. But 50 years ago, no one would ever have thought that the government would be able to force the Catholic church to offer contraception.

What beliefs do you hold most dear? Even if you're a Catholic who doesn't agree with teachings of the Catholic church about contraception/sterilization, you should still be very alarmed about this. Even if you're not Catholic and you have no problems with contraception, you should still be very alarmed about this. Because if the government can force the Catholic church to do things that go against it's teaching, what is going to stop the government from forcing you to do something that goes against your beliefs?

Slippery slope indeed...