Religious Liberty

This recent brou-ha-ha over contraception and religious liberty started me thinking about my own freedom of religion.  I am a Catholic, and thus am supposed to follow what the Pope and the Bishops (the hierarchy) teach.  But at this point things get a little confusing.

Pope John Paul II stated that the United States invasion of Iraq did not fit into the Church’s teaching of a just war.  In fact, modern warfare doesn’t fit into that doctrine at all.  My religious conscience totally agrees with that teaching.  So, as a private citizen will I be able to apply for conscientious objector status and not have to pay income taxes to support any war?  It seems to me that this would qualify under the religious liberty criteria.

Further, the Church teaches that capital punishment is wrong.  My religious conscience totally agrees with that teaching.  So, as a private citizen will I be able to not pay state taxes to equip and then use the execution chamber at San Quentin?  This is in violation of my religious conscience.

How about my having to pay taxes that subsidize the oil companies that produce the fossil fuel that is the cause of climate change?  Can I opt out of those subsidies?  My religious conscience dictates that I care for the earth that is the gift of God to humans to enable them to survive in the universe.  Contributing to climate change offends my religious conscience big time.  What about my religious liberty here?

Congressman Paul Ryan presented a federal budget that deeply offends my Christian ethics of preserving a preferential option for the poor.  I do not want to have my tax dollars go to pay the salary of someone so offensive to my religious conscience.  Can I deduct my portion of his salary from my taxes?  He truly violates my sense of morality, which is based on my religion.

As the hierarchy demands religious liberty for its own teachings, what about the religious liberty of those who do not follow those teachings?  Aren’t they to be considered?  Or is the hierarchy stating that only they have the right to religious liberty, and all others, if employed at a Catholic institution, have to find another job if they don’t like what the hierarchy is demanding.

This could go on for pages.  But I think I have made my point.  The hierarchy is way out of line here.  And as usual, they didn’t ask any women what their religious consciences told them.