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The birth control flap
Feb. 9th, 2012 05:39 pmOk, the Catholic church and others are claiming that their freedom of religion is being infringed by requuiring the health plans for employees to include birth control benefits.
This is BS. What the media and others *should* be doiing is asking why the "religious" organizations in question wish to infringe the religious freedom of their *employees*.
After all, it's not remotely proper for them to force their *employees* to abide by the rules of a church they may not belong to.
If people challenged it *that* way, it'd place these jerks in a bind. Because they *can't* justify forcing people to follow religious rules that said people don't want to follow.
ETA: Consider the reaction if the Jehovah's Witnesses or Seventh day Adventists objected to having to include coverage for blood transfusions. Or the Christian Scientists (or several other churches) objected to having to pay for health coverage *at all* (because they believe prayer is the only valid way to deal with health problems.
Those are *exactly* analagous to the Catholic church's position. If the Catholics are allowed to claim religious freedom to not cover birth control for employess that wish to use it, then those other faiths should be allowed to drop those *other* items. You can't have it both ways.
This is BS. What the media and others *should* be doiing is asking why the "religious" organizations in question wish to infringe the religious freedom of their *employees*.
After all, it's not remotely proper for them to force their *employees* to abide by the rules of a church they may not belong to.
If people challenged it *that* way, it'd place these jerks in a bind. Because they *can't* justify forcing people to follow religious rules that said people don't want to follow.
ETA: Consider the reaction if the Jehovah's Witnesses or Seventh day Adventists objected to having to include coverage for blood transfusions. Or the Christian Scientists (or several other churches) objected to having to pay for health coverage *at all* (because they believe prayer is the only valid way to deal with health problems.
Those are *exactly* analagous to the Catholic church's position. If the Catholics are allowed to claim religious freedom to not cover birth control for employess that wish to use it, then those other faiths should be allowed to drop those *other* items. You can't have it both ways.
