Almost a month ago, Mr. Obama launched his “contraception” campaign in a blatant attempt to win over women voters and to shift the debate away from economic issues.  Since that time, the left – and even some conservatives – have distorted the issue.  Some fiscal conservatives have missed the relevance of the issue completely.

The “contraception issue” is not about birth control or even social conservatism.  It is about whether the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights can be trumped by a “right” made up by the left out of whole cloth.  Obamacare requires religious institutions to pay for health insurance that will provide contraceptives and drugs that induce abortions.  Most Christian organization – at least those not corrupted by the leftist cult of death – oppose abortion.  The Catholic Church and other organizations oppose both abortion and contraception.  Yet, Obamacare, in the name of women’s health, will deny these institutions the right to the “free exercise” of their religion and thus to living out their religious beliefs.  If the first amendment can be invalidated by the left, then none of the other rights are safe.

The “contraception” issue is about economic freedom.  The power of the federal government has grown to the point where federal regulators can force a private company to provide the “benefits” the federal government dictates.  The federal government has invaded the contractual process and set itself up as the final authority.  The mere audacity of the move should make both employers and employees nervous because it removes the process from their control and makes it subject to the political winds from Washington.

The subversion of the contractual process by the federal government is nothing new.  However, Mr. Obama has made a blunder with his recent foray because the contraception issue is the perfect issue on which to unite both fiscal and social conservatives against Obamacare.

Many fiscal conservatives have largely missed this blunder.  Instead of welcoming a potential alliance with social conservatives on the issue, they have characterized it as a “distraction” and “a waste of time.”  They have written columns entitled:  ”Is the GOP spending too much time on social issues?”  Others have lambasted the church leadership because some of them supported Obamacare and are now just “getting what they deserve.”  This is insanity.

Fiscal and social conservatives should unite on this issue.  It is an all hands on deck type of emergency.  If the issue is lost or the churches are forced to cave in under the threats – such as the Vatican being placed on the list of potential money-launders by the State Department – then the whole conservative movement suffers.  Those religious institutions who originally backed Obamacare should realize that a federal government capable of taking over one-sixth of the private sector is one capable of suppressing religious freedom.  The only answer is full repeal of Obamacare.  Even if Mr. Obama should relent and issue a waiver to religious institutions, those religious institutions must press for full repeal.  Mr. Obama lies and the waiver is not worth the paper it is printed upon.  Just ask Bart Stupak.

Fiscal conservatives must realize that the issue is not simply a social issue but strikes at the heart economic liberty.  Nor is it a losing issue.  Two weeks after the launch of the campaign, Obama is at his lowest in the polls and sinking fast.  The “distraction” has proved to be a potent issue against Mr. Obama.  Women are not the simpletons that Mr. Obama thought and his pandering to the leftists like Fluke only makes him more toxic to anyone but the radical left.

Evangelicals and Jews should also stand together against the federal mandates and against Obamacare.  It is not merely a Catholic issue.  The mandate already applies to all religious institutions.  But the danger goes even further.  A federal government that can dictate that Christians must sacrifice religious beliefs on the altar of “contraception” and “women’s health,” can also dictate that kosher meals are not in the interest of “children’s health.”

The issue is so serious that resistance to Obamacare should proceed even to the direct defiance of the law.  Religious institutions like the Catholic Church should not close the charities nor should they comply with the new regulations and thus compromise their faith.  Nor should they pay the fines that come with non-compliance.

The Catholic Church and its bishops should stand firm and defy the law and the subsequent fines.  The Catholic Church and its Protestant cousins operate according – or at least it should – to the will of God. The Church does charity because Christ commands it. The Church opposes the murder of innocent children because it violates God’s law. The state has no authority to contradict the commands of God. See also Acts 4 and Daniel 6.

The Church should make its intent to defy the law plain, accept responsibility for their actions, and then set a date to turn themselves into the Department of Justice for imprisonment. Call a press conference on that date and let the American people see the Catholic Council of Bishops present themselves for arrest rather than submit. Let the American people see Protestant leaders stand in solidarity and submit themselves for imprisonment.

I sit on a board of a related agency affected by the new regulations. I would rather go to jail than submit. I will stand with the Catholics and the Protestants – just give me a time and place.

My fear is not that Mr. Obama and his minions will succeed against the church.  The church has survived much worse.  Mr. Obama will soon end up on the ash-heap of history along with all those who set themselves in opposition to God.  My real fear is that the church will submit and not fight.  But even then, God will preserve a faithful remnant.  He always has.