Losing the war for the hearts and minds

Catholics like to fuss about the HHS mandate.  Of course at this point, I've found no evidence that the US Bishops weren't one of Obama's prime allies in his push to mandate his healthcare policy.  Yes, they cautioned not to step on their toes over issues near and dear to Catholics.  But they weren't too concerned about other parts of his policy and how it could impact Americans, or other Americans' rights for that matter.

Which isn't surprising since, apart from a few genital centered topics, the Bishops and the Democrats pretty much line up side by side in most issues.  Most Catholics are Democrat, most are moderate to liberal.  It's not shocking that the Bishops would be.  It could be argued the whole Church is going that direction.  I don't know for sure.

But I do know the Bishops had to have had their heads in the clouds when they thought they could stand behind Obama and yet somehow make sure they and their priorities would be protected.  They weren't.  And Obama unleashed a brilliant assault on those who still pine for the right to not be liberal.

Sure, it's in the courts now.  And people smarter about such things than I am say that the Church will eventually win.  That despite the fact that on the state level Church institutions have been compromising over providing such coverage for years, they will be victorious regarding the HHS mandate.  I guess there's an argument there, being on the federal level and all.

But that's not the battle.  The battle in any free society never starts at the federal level, or the presidency. It starts on the streets.  In the trenches.  In the hearts and minds of the population. You have to get people to support you there.  Then eventually, you win.

Fact is, most people are fine with the birth control coverage.  And even at the beginning a sizable portion of Americans were content with forcing religion to compromise.  That's because a growing number of Americans are accepting the Left's premise that traditional freedoms like speech and religion are not absolute anyway, but things like gender equality, sexual orientation equality, reproductive health and affordable healthcare are inalienable rights (that is, liberal values).  And when the traditional rights run afoul of the new rights, then those traditional rights just have to go.

That's the battle. That's the point.  Convince people that there is no Truth but liberalism, and eventually get to mandate the Truth accordingly.  Assuming the Bishops don't agree with that assertion, then they were played the fools.  Of course perhaps they do.  I don't know.  But if not, and if in some court case they cheer victory, I've got news for them.  They may have won a battle, but the war was lost almost before it began.