If Catholic hospitals and universities are given the option to not offer contraceptives to their employees, then why can't a Muslim organization do the same? Or a Jehovah's Witness publishing house refuse to offer coverage for blood transfusions? Or Christian Scientist employers not offer health insurance at all? That is the flavor of some questions being asked by only a few people in blogs and news articles on the internet, in my opinion far too few.
A religious entity such as a Roman Catholic hospital or Baptist nursing home as a matter of course hires workers who may or may not be practicing the same faith as their employer does. It is not legal for such places to discriminate against prospective employees in the matter of their personal religious practices or non-practices. This is as it should be, especially considering that hospitals and other health care facilities as well as universities and colleges accept public funding in the form of health care payments through insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid or in the form of government-sponsored grants and loans. Additionally, such places are tax-exempt. It is abhorrent to me that any organization claiming to be Christian (or any other religious identity) would then seek to legally impose such beliefs and practices on their employees via not offering insurance with reproductive health care.
Your scruples as an entity doing business in the United States should not be able to dictate the medical behavior of any of your employees, period. If you don't want to know about someone in your employ having an abortion, then don't ask them. If you would feel violated because your insurance company made contraception affordable to a woman employee because she was seeking to space out her pregnancies, not have a pregnancy, or as treatment for endometriosis, then again, don't ask. Your conscience as a tax-exempt organization ought not to trump an employee's medical choices. Period. If you think that you should be exempt from the laws of this country, then get out and take your hospitals and universities to some other country. Period. Harsh? Too bad. I am personally tired of being expected to kowtow to religious folks and lobbies who want to impose their ways of being upon any minority. So stop it. The conscience of the individual is sovereign over any religious mandates. Stay out of my healthcare decisions.
To the Bishops and to the organizations who do not want to provide contraceptive care under your health insurance plans, I have one thing to say to you: Suck it up.
To the President who was seeking a compromise so as not to alienate any potential voters in an election year, I have one thing to say to you: Your "compromise" smacks of cowardishness.
radical sapphoq says: President Obama and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: FAIL.
Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57376781-503544/battle-over-contraception-rule-wages-on/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/catholic-churches-distribute-letter-opposing-obama-healthcare-rule/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/santorum-insurance-shouldnt-cover-birth-control-at-all/2012/02/10/gIQAJZaY4Q_blog.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/birth-control-may-now-be-wedge-issue-against-gop/2012/02/10/gIQAbzVO4Q_blog.html
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/02/13/why-i-skipped-mass-today-practicing-catholic-objects-to-bishops-arguments-over-bi
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2011/09/30/religious-exemptions-contraceptive-coverage-denial-still-constitutional
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/13/146795687/catholics-take-side-on-contraceptive-insurance-debate
http://news.yahoo.com/top-republican-wants-vote-birth-control-mandate-170357694.html
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13285
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/11/local/la-me-0211-church-mandate-20120211
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/04/local/la-me-0204-contraception-20120204
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12044/1209835-152-0.stm
http://www.uscatholic.org/news/2012/02/obama-compromise-contraceptive-mandate-unacceptable-bishops-say
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72751.html
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Sheldon+Alberts+Obama+gaffe+birth+control+rule+helping/6143015/story.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/12/usa-contraceptives-idUSL2E8DC0HZ20120212
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/09/10365739-catholic-tv-network-sues-us-over-birth-control-mandate
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/09/10365844-catholic-bishops-birth-control-stance-harms-employees-bioethicist-says
http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-021.cfm
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/bishops-renew-call-to-legislative-action-on-religious-liberty.cfm
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120213/world/US-Catholic-bishops-reject-compromise-on-contraception.406536
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/women-113696-health-catholic.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72669.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/feb/09/america-pro-choice-majority?newsfeed=true
http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2012/02/dolan-cites-obama-promises-on-birth-control/
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/10/holy-war-against-birth-control/
http://www.nationofchange.org/obama-s-breach-faith-over-contraceptive-ruling-1328371594
http://www.prolife.com/BIRTHCNT.html
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/11/15/142358413/the-pill-not-just-for-pregnancy-prevention
http://www.medicinenet.com/hormonal_methods_of_birth_control/page2.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/ask-dr-cullins/cullins-bc-5398.htm
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0129.htm
http://www.catholicforum.com/forums/showthread.php?30369-Birth-control-sterilization-for-medical-reasons
No comments:
Post a Comment