Obama and Henry VIII: the single best op-ed column on the HHS mandate
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Feb 10, 2012
Of all the op-ed columns I’ve read about the Obama contraceptive mandate, this stands out as the most compelling. Mark Steyn at his best—which is very, very good.
There’s some excellent historical analysis here. Steyn observes that King Henry VIII assumed the power to decide what the Church should and should not do. Now President Obama seeks to exercise the same power. In 16th-century England, the Act of Supremacy, which gave Henry that legal authority over the Church of England, was soon followed by the Acts of Uniformity, designed to crush the few remaining holdouts.
Steyn’s column also includes a quote that should give us pause:
"We will soon learn," wrote Dr. Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, "just how much faith is left in faith-based institutions."
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
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