Dear Mr. President: In your May 2009 speech at Notre Dame, you said "Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion and draft a sensible conscience clause." You promised to provide conscience exemptions for those whose faith forbids their participation in evil. You have broken that promise by forcing the Catholic Church to participate in health plans that cover sterilization, contraception, and drugs that cause abortions. As Catholics we believe these practices are intrinsically evil. You are refusing to respect our 1st amendment constitutional right to religious freedom.  It is unprecedented and unconstitutional to force citizens to commit actions that violate their conscience. Turn away from intolerance and leave in place conscience exemptions that have served us well since 1973. Restore Catholics' constitutionally protected rights. Religious freedom is the lifeblood of the American people and the cornerstone of American government.

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