The 'religious freedom' ploy to block healthcare coverage of birth control

[cbayer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2013/jul/05/religious-freedom-ploy-healthcare-birth-control

Rightwing Christians are abusing the right to religious liberty to impose their views on others and restrict access to contraception

Jill Filipovic
guardian.co.uk, Friday 5 July 2013 10.30 EDT


Now, even for-profit firms under religious ownership are seeking exemption from providing healthcare plans that include contraception. Photograph: Tim Ireland/PA

Freedom and liberty should be fairly simple: you don't step on my toes or impede my right to live according to my belief system, and I'll do the same. Unfortunately, reality is a bit more complicated than that, especially where religion is concerned. Increasingly, rightwing Christians aren't happy with being allowed to practice their own religion without interference; they want the right to mandate their beliefs across the board and call it "religious freedom".

The conservative reaction to the Obama administration's contraceptive policy is case is point. Although 99% of American women who have had sex have also used contraception and the vast majority of Americans support contraceptive access, a small handful of religious organizations and individuals oppose the use of birth control and don't want it offered in employee health plans.

The Obama administration came up with a compromise: houses of worship don't have to include contraceptive coverage in their employees' health plans. If there are other religious non-profits that object to contraception, they can be totally hands-off when it comes to birth control coverage; they won't have to pay for contraceptive coverage, nor will they have to contract or arrange for it. A third party will come in and formulate separate plans that cover contraception for employees at those institutions.

In other words, employees will have the right to affordable contraception if they want it, but employers that have a legitimate religious objection won't have to pay for it or otherwise take steps to obtain it to their employees. We're not talking about churches here; we're talking about religiously-affiliated non-profits, like hospitals, charities, social services groups and universities, which employ large numbers of people who don't share the religious beliefs of the owners.

more at link

[Freddie]

1. Their objection, since they don't have to pay for it,

is the fact that being employed by them gives a woman *access* to contraception. Talk about nitpicking, spiteful, petty bullshit.

[trotsky]

2. Yes, but if contraception is against their religious beliefs...

so long as we give "religious belief" special protection from criticism, it's a valid tactic. And they're using it.

[Freddie]

4. The true solution of course is single payer

Or any other means of ensuring universal, affordable coverage that would remove employers from the equation (except for paying a payroll tax). That's why the recent decision to delay the ACA employer mandate is not a bad thing as we should move away from direct employer involvement in health care.

[cbayer]

6. Agree that this is a bogus argument and glad to see the Obama administration

standing up to it.

[Mc Mike]

3. +1, thanks, cb.

Excellent article, with a ton of excellent points.

As a Democratic US Catholic, I've been watching the repug Bishops push their b.s. 'religious freedom' fake issue, in print, in homilies, in prayers. The church doesn't pay taxes, they get donations from catholics tax free. We pay taxes, then the church applies for tax dollars for their charitable non-profit work. They can't discriminate in hiring based on religion for those endeavors, so they can take the tax dollars and the rule of law that goes with them and shut their whiny mouths, or don't beg for my tax dollars, and stick with their 'deeply held moral beliefs''

Nobody is demanding the clergy go on the pill, nobody is ordering Catholics to violate their faith's tenets and go on the pill. The repug bishops are just aiding the repugs in their attempts to force their beliefs on 'non-believing infidels'. Using religion to nslave others while calling it religious freedom. There's a special spot in hell for lying hypocrites who use this kind of double think to advance an evil cause. At least in my religious viewpoint.

[cbayer]

5. Great to have your input, Mc Mike.

I agree that this is much more about politics than it is about either healthcare or religion. The whole "religious freedom", when it comes to this issue, seems wafer thin (pun intended).

Welcome to the Religion group.

[Mc Mike]

8. Thanks for the welcome.

Their arguments don't even have to be plausible or consistent; they have the power of the mass media bullhorn, and get to shout complaints of their 'victimization', by the powerless, to the roof-tops. Tactically speaking, it's reminiscent of climate change deniers claiming a big money making conspiracy by environmental groups against the poor oil companies. Also reminiscent of repugs crying about the 'far left bias' of the corporate media, constantly, using all mass media resources to retail their tales of woe.

Thanks again for the Guardian article and discussion. Their reporting is getting better all the time. Whatever is going on there, I wish it would catch on with US print sources.

[cbayer]

9. Agree with you about what it takes to get heard in this country.

And the general public is never that interest in good news. They love stories of persecution.

The Guardian is consistently good when it come to reporting on religion. There are a couple of good websites, Religious Dispatches being the best.

Hope you will visit the group more.

[Mc Mike]

11. Will do, cb. nt.

[LostOne4Ever]

7. The Obama administration should never have made a compromise in the first place

It was pretty obvious others would try and use the same excuse to get out of having to provide birth control and now they are going a step beyond that!

[cbayer]

10. The compromise seemed to make sense at the time, but I think it

doesn't in retrospect. It just left the table open.