“Allow us to practice our faith, unencumbered
By government intrusion”, the spokesperson said.
Our clinics’ and hospitals’ days are now numbered—
They want us to change, but we’d rather be dead.

It seems like a joke, but it just isn’t funny,
Insisting we play by the federal rules—
But “no strings attached” is how we like our money,
To use for adoption, for kitchens, for schools

We’re forced to have standards! We’re forced to make offers
Of service to which we are rightly opposed!
Our money, which comes from the government’s coffers
Is needed—without it, our clinics are closed!

It just isn’t fair we are forced to these choices
Like those we’re preventing our clients to make
So faithful believers are raising our voices…
Our right to be prejudiced pricks is at stake!

Slight rant, after the jump:

I heard the opening line about half an hour ago on Fox News (yeah, I know, but I was still in bed, with a cuttledog curled up at my feet, so I figured my blood pressure could take it). A catholic lawyer talking head (I didn’t get his name–if you did, I’d be happy to identify him) was talking about the issue I wrote about yesterday–the attempt by catholic bishops to reframe their institutionalized bigotry as religious freedom. “Allow us to practice our faith, unencumbered by government intrusion” was his take-home talking point. Of course, that’s not what they really want. They want government intrusion, in the form of little green pieces of paper. Their choice is not between their values and the law; their choice is between spending their own money or spending yours and mine. If they want to spend your money and mine, then they have to follow the law. If they want to treat women as second-class citizens, and gays as farm animals, they don’t get the government intrusion of my money.