TO THE EDITOR:
The bishop's column on no absolute right as [reprinted] in the Oakland Catholic Voice has been troubling me since I first read it.
The heart of the essay against guns was that there are no absolute rights. Therefore, I assume you do not believe in the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
If you apply your argument to the part of the First Amendment of the Constitution that says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," then that too is not an absolute right. It can be "balanced with the legitimate rights of other people." President Obama has merely done that for us with the Affordable Health Care Act by forcing all companies and institutions to include contraception and the day-after abortion pill as part of their medical coverage.
Somehow, I don't think the 43 Catholic institutions and several Christian-owned companies that are suing to overturn this requirement would buy into your argument. Without absolute rights, what is to stop an overreaching government from complete domination of its citizens.
Gerald Mercola
Pleasanton, Calif.
