Court Rejects Religious Rights for Companies

[The Straight Story]

Court Rejects Religious Rights for Companies

(CN) - A Mennonite-owned cabinet business is not exempt from health care reform's mandate to cover contraceptives, a divided 3rd Circuit ruled, because for-profit companies "cannot engage in religious exercise."

Tackling the contentious issue of whether corporations are entitled to First Amendment rights, the federal appeals court in Philadelphia refused to issue a preliminary injunction to Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp.

Conestoga sought an order that would block the government from enforcing the Women's Preventive Healthcare regulations of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which requires employers to pay for contraception services for employees, among other things.

The carpentry business in central Pennsylvania is owned by the Hahn family and employs about 950 people. The Hahns' Mennonite faith teaches them that terminating a fertilized embryo "is intrinsic evil and a sin against God," according to their lawsuit against the Obama administration.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/07/29/59746.htm

[Myrina]

1. a little a'skeered of science, aren't they?

The Pill is not an aborificent. It PREVENTS fertilization in the first place.
D'oh!!

[longship]

2. This is fairly simple.

If a company cannot discriminate on religion in hiring, then they cannot discriminate on access to healthcare for their employees based on religion.

This is the only sensible conclusion.

If the religious don't want to use contraception that's their choice. But they cannot impose that on their employees simply because they don't like it. They just don't get to do that.

A good decision. I am gobsmacked that it wasn't unanimous.

[jmowreader]

3. You thinking what I'm thinking?

Does this apply to Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A? And how fast will they join in amicus on an appeal?

[surrealAmerican]

4. Good.

They're employees, not parishioners: they should not be compelled to abide by your religion's rules.

[Vashta Nerada]

5. I'm glad.

Don't the Mennonites realize contraception prevents fertilization?

[riqster]

6. I love the smell of napalmed Idiot-ology in the morning!

goes the weasel.

[AmBlue]

7. Poor widdle corpeoples...

I hope they didn't get their feelings hurt.