Modern Day Daniel

One of my favorite people in the Old Testament is Daniel. As you remember when Jerusalem was invaded by the Babylonians - see Nebuchadnezzar - they had several goals. One of course was to lay waste to Jerusalem.....which happened over and over again. But Nebuchadnezzar, no flies on him, had another goal. Instead of just invading and taking any 'ole thing, the edict was to find "Children in who was no blemish but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom and cunning in knowledge and understand science and such as had ability in them to stand in the King's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." Nebuchadnezzar wasn't just any Babylonian, he was a Babylonian with a clear goal. Take slaves, but take smart ones. He had a city to build....with hanging gardens....remember?

So enter Daniel, one of the greatest in the Old Testament and his three friends. Their names were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.....we know them better by their Babylonian names, Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar, and then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. The king provided for them a daily portion of the King's meat and wine. He did that because he thought it would be the best for them...the King decided what was best for them, very important point...... However these young men would not eat the meat nor drink the wine, they had been given a strict law about what food they could eat...and they wanted to follow what they had been taught. They wanted grain....and no matter what the King wanted they were not going to go against the covenant they made.

These young men followed God not the King.....in the end they were brought before the King and their health was ten times better than the magicians and astrologers who had followed the King...

Now why am I bringing up this story....a great story.....but why?

We are living it today.

There is a mandate (a mandate is something you are forced to do) in Obamacare that contraception must be provided by every health insurance provider. Seems benign, most women use contraceptives. But here is the problem. President Obama is telling Catholics they must provide contraceptives. Must....you must. It does not matter that your religion forbids it.....you must. And it does not matter that most Catholic women use contraceptives. What matters is our government telling a religion that they must obey President Obama and not the God they worship. The military would not allow Priests to read the letter from the Catholic hierarchy over the pulpit 2 weeks ago furthering the perception of denying free speech. Sorry Catholic hospitals, built with Catholic money donated by Catholics....we the government tell you what you can do with the tenants of your religion.

Nebuchadnezzar would be so proud.

It doesn't matter if you are Catholic or not, this is a shot over the bow for all people of faith. ....this administration is telling us that the government is to be bowed to....the government is the last word...they know best.

Oh really?

Push back? You ain't seen nothing yet.