In no sense did I imply that American Christianity is defined by the Catholic church; I wrote of “Christians” and “religion.” How you see something else is a mystery to me.

Your assessment is essentially correct, of course. Christianity, more specifically, white Protestant Christianity, not Catholicism, has been the culturally established religion in the United States since colonial times, Never officially or legally established but certainly culturally.

Christianity is being culturally disestablished in the United States. I’m supportive of this trend, although I lament growing religious illiteracy. Actually, as a Protestant minister, I think the cultural establishment has been harmful to Christianity. We talk about the “fall of Christendom” all the time in my United Church of Christ circles.

The Roman Catholic Church, tracing its establishment back to Emperor Constantine, has never been comfortable with democracy, greatly preferring imperial forms of civil government. The entire structure of the RC Church is modeled on imperial forms of government.

The moral authority of the American Bishops to make this kind of demand on their parishioners evaporated with the sexual abuse scandal. It is nothing more than an attempt to bolster a crumbling empire, not the last attempt, but ultimately a futile one.

Lastly,
Now I’m sure many Catholics are troubled by the decisions of the HHS that require Catholic organizations to provide contraception and/or other medical procedures which they believe to be contrary to their moral beliefs.
Actually it looks like the majority of American Catholics have no problem with contraception.

Christians have simply assumed an establishment of religion here from the beginning, despite words contrary in the Bill of Rights. And for more than two centuries, their assumption has been indulged and paid unwarranted–even illegal–respect.

Now things are changing for religion in truly unprecedented ways. One result of those changes is that churches now are required to play by the same rules as everyone else. Adoption? Birth control? Family planning? Even abortion? No more religious exemptions; if you enter the public arena, you abide by the public law.

This play-by-the-rules thing is new to them, and they are shocked by it. And so far, they have only lied about it. Like the man above, they claim a breach of religious liberty, but refuse to note that it is a “liberty” they never had.