WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) June 28, 2012 – The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul today.

Reactions among ministries were swift.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the court “rewrote Obamacare and then upheld its constitutionality. This decision is monstrous and upends the constitutional limits on federal power.

Ministries and conservative groups vowed to fight. The American Center for Law and Justice said it was already working with lawmakers to repeal the law and a group of young activists promised to mobilize to make Obama a one-term president.

Felton criticized Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by former President George W. Bush, for siding with the more liberal wing of the court, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor

“That the Chief Justice would join the court’s liberal block to legislate from the bench is shocking. Instead of calling the law Obamacare, we can fairly call it “Robertscare,” he said.

Felton also criticized Kagan for not recusing herself “despite unanswered questions about her role in defending Obamacare while working in the Obama administration also taints the High Court’s decision.”

Judicial Watch filed an amicus curiae brief with the High Court on Feb. 13 challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare, specifically the “individual mandate.” In its brief Judicial Watch maintained that the “individual mandate” provision of Obamacare, which requires every American citizen to purchase health care insurance or pay a penalty, is unconstitutional — whether considered under Congress’ commerce power or taxing power.

“This is a stunning decision to uphold ObamaCare as a tax,” said Mat Staver, founder and president of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law. “Congress relied upon the Commerce Clause, not the Taxing and Spending Clause. The Court ignored the intent of Congress, which did not intend the mandate to be a tax but rather a penalty. Rulings like this on  ObamaCare undermine the confidence of the people in the competency of the Supreme Court to follow the rule of law. Today’s decision damages the image of the Supreme Court and is bad for America.”

Paul T. Conway, former chief of staff for the US Department of Labor and former deputy secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, called Obamacare “one of the largest tax increases in American history.”

“It will be paid for by young Americans, whose dreams and plans for the future have already been derailed by failed policies that have denied their access to full-time, meaningful jobs in their chosen career paths,” he said. “Young adults know they will pay the true costs of President Obama’s legislation — over a trillion dollars more in federal spending, more waste and fraud, increased American debt, and the inability to keep or choose healthcare plans that best suit their needs as individuals.”

Conway, who now heads a nonprofit, Generation Opportunity, said he expects young people will mobilize to get GOP candidate Mitt Romney elected.

“Elections have consequences, and young adults will be organizing themselves far more actively than some might assume — they will not settle for leadership that ignores their concerns, limits their freedoms, and continues to bankrupt their futures,” he said.

The ACLJ represented more than 100 members of Congress and 145,000 Americans in challenging ObamaCare before the Supreme Court.

“Today’s decision is extremely disappointing,” said Jay Sekulow, ACLJ’s chief counsel, in a letter to supporters. “With this decision, the mandate to buy health insurance that covers abortion stands, the abortion surcharge stands, the abortion-pill mandate that violates religious liberty still stands; but we will not stand idly by and let this happen.”

Sekulow wrote that the ACLJ was already working with Congress to pass a repeal of Obamacare.

The Rutherford Institute also filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, challenging the “Individual Mandate” provision of the law.

“By interpreting the individual mandate provision as a lawful tax upon the American people, the Supreme Court has authorized a hand-out of taxpayer money to insurance corporations,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “This unprecedented exercise of federal power further strengthens the federal government’s dominance  over American citizens and sets a precedent for corporate America to rule supreme.”

Teams from Faith and Action and the National Prolife Center actively prayed in front of the Court the entire time the arguments were being heard.

“The day before the decision we encircled the Court with prayer, placing 3,300 flowers on the sidewalks around the court as a reminder of the number of innocent babies killed every year in America as a result of abortion on demand,” said Rev. Rob Schenck, lead missionary of Faith and Action.

“This opinion may allow the government to compel people to pay into the system, but it can’t compel any of us to abandon our most deeply held convictions,” he said. “This is a moral, spiritual and ethical crisis. People of conscience will need to make difficult decisions, including engaging in conscientious objection or even respectful civil disobedience, which may bring painful penalties with it. It’s time to be prayerful, brave, and strong. From here on we will need help from God and from one another.”

The National Right to Life organization said the fight was now on to get Republican presidential candidate Romney elected. Romney said in part the campaign is now about Obamacare.

“All voters who care about the value and dignity of human life must do everything they can to elect Mitt Romney and a Congress who are committed to repeal of ObamaCare,” said National Right to Life President Carol Tobias. “If President Obama wins re-election, it will mean massive abortion subsidies and it will put the lives of millions at risk through systematic government-imposed rationing of lifesaving medical care.”

One group said it would not obey the law when it goes into effect.

“We will not comply with this socialistic and oppressive law that forces us to not only purchase insurance we may not want, but more importantly, forces us to violate our consciences and fund abortion coverage,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation. “We must demand that Congress change the law for the good of our nation. If Congress will not change it, we still will not comply.”