I agree with Dad29

Jeff Wagner was dead-wrong on this issue.

A teacher at Appleton Xavier High School (a Catholic School) fired a teacher who underwent in vitro fertilization - which is a direct violation of Catholic doctrine, and therefore a direct violation of the contract this teacher signed.

If you need a brief summation of what the Church believes regarding reproduction, here it is:

We believe the purpose of marriage is (aside from companionship) to provide for the creation of children and the raising of children in stable, traditional, family units. We believe children are a gift and blessing from God. We also believe that marital relations are sacred, a special and loving bond shared between husband and wife, and that using contraception to prevent pregnancy is a violation of natural law and God's will.

Likewise, we believe the act of conceiving a child cannot be seperated from the natural act of marital relations. Therefore, some fertility treatments are illicit - specifically, those that replace the marital act rather than aid a husband and wife in conceiving via marital relations.

This is why in vitro fertilization is against Church teaching. So is having a surrogate mother.

But to be clear - things like cesarean sections, adoption, and fertility medication are licit. You are an idiot to think that these things would also be illicit, or someone who's either ignorant or vindicitive toward the Church's teaching.

If you have a problem with the Church's teachings, then become an Episcopalian.

So the teacher in this case was warned against having in vitro fertilization, and chose to ignore a vaild and binding contract. So she was fired.

Dad29 equates Jeff's reaction, which is basically that the school shouldn't fire this teacher unless it investigates the personal lives of every other teacher (so the fired teacher is "treated fairly"), to being arrested by the IRS:

When the IRS nails you for some offense, do you plead to the Tax Court that the IRS "should examine every other taxpayer to determine whether THEY have any reportable offenses" as your plea?

And that since the IRS has NOT affirmatively and continuously monitored every other taxpayer, that the Tax Court should simply ignore your offense?

What's worse is Jeff is one of the few conservative voices in the media, and I had always hoped I could rely on him - and others with similar (usually sensible) positions - would defend religious freedom in this case.

Because that's what it comes down to: the right of this school (and therefore the Catholic Church) to adhere to its faith.

Especially in an era where we see traditional Christianity and Catholicism attacked on an almost daily basis from the increasingly liberal, secularized culture.

Take Massachusettes for example. Catholic Charities had to shut down a vital and important adoption program because state law was inflexible - the Charities had to allow same-sex couples to adopt children. Even though the practice of homosexuality is also a violation of Church teaching and in spite of the fact Massachusettes has many other adoption agencies that do allow same-sex couples to adopt.

On a regular basis, Christian student groups are either forbidden or restricted on college campuses. The ACLU supports silencing a valedictorian because she mentioned "God" and "Christ" in her graduation speech. (Remember, this is the same ACLU that issues nary a peep as school children in California are taught how to be good Muslims).

In schools throughout the nation, holidays like Kwanzaa, Hanukah, and Ramadan are allowed to be celebrated or talked about yet Christmas - even the secular images of Santa, Christmas ("Holiday") trees, and red/green designs - are verboten.

If you want to talk about fair and equitable treatment under the law, all the above instances are clear violations of that and the First Amendment. Which guarantees all people the right to freedom of religion - whether they are in schools, in city hall, or on the street corner.

But obviously, those rules are only applied to Christians.

In the past week, a federal judge ruled Wisconsin cannot discriminate against religious charitable organizations when state employees want to make charitable contributions to such organizations. The judge even had to remind the federal government in his ruling (which sets good precedent for the on-campus discrimination of religious groups): "Every single organization has a right to appoint directors and key personnel who support the mission and philosophies of the organization." [Emphasis mine].

I hope Jeff is able to revisit this topic - however briefly - and rethink his position. I've met Jeff before, and he's a very nice guy. I listen to his show every day at work and usually agree with him.

But on this, I cannot agree. And frankly I'm very hurt by the way in which he characterized the Church and the school. If nothing else, an apology would be nice.