Tag: Contraception mandate

Current

On By BrianIn Current Collection

A weekly collection of current news and issues in the church, country, and world.

The debate on the Hobby Lobby decision continues, so here are a few of my own thoughts, followed by some good posts from others to ponder.

1. Much of the outcry against the decision seems to be that an employer could be involved in such a private, personal matter as birth control.  And I agree.  But of course Hobby Lobby didn’t ask to be in that position.  It was the Obama administration that made birth control public policy by requiring employers to pay for it.  As soon as you require someone else to pay, it is no longer a private matter, but a very public matter involving other people.  If you want to keep birth control a private, personal choice, save your money and pay for it yourself.

2. Which brings us to the second point: what is the purpose of insurance? I have life insurance to support my family in case I die unexpectedly.  I have car insurance to cover the costs if I have an unexpected car accident.  I have life insurance to pay the bills if I get an unexpected disease or my health in some other way deteriorates unexpectedly.  The point is that insurance is designed so the many can cover the costs of the few who have the unexpected happen.  So where does this leave birth control?  Good question, because birth control has nothing to do with the unexpected – certainly not in the way of a disease or other health failure.  If you want some form of birth control, save your money and buy it.  Why should you expect your insurance company pay for it?

3. The answer to that last question of course is because there is a large group of people who want sex to be completely free without any possibility of pregnancy, and of course someone else should fit the bill to make sure there is no pregnancy.  But last time I checked, sex without pregnancy was not a Constitutional right.  Again, if you want birth control, pay for it yourself.  Take responsibility for your actions and stop expecting (or demanding) a handout.

4. While I am not necessarily against birth control in general, any birth control that could cause an abortion shouldn’t even be on the market, let alone be mandated in insurance policies.  It would be nice if the current administration would stop trying to shove their pro-abortion views down our throats.

5. Finally, there is the issue of priorities.  The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, not free birth control.  And that is as it should be.

Here are some other helpful takes on the issue:

Was Hobby Lobby All Wrong About Emergency Contraceptives? – Kevin DeYoung

A Simple Solution to Healthcare Woes: Separate Health Insurance from Employment – Leslie Loftis (The Federalist)

A Company Liberals Could Love – Ross Douthat (The New York Times)

Non-hysterical comments welcome….

 

Passion News

On By BrianIn Current Collection

Here are some good posts regarding some important recent news items:

Massachusetts Eliminates Gender Distinctions in Public Schools – Gospel Coalition
The long and short of it is that a boy can now claim to be a girl and shower with the girls, and the girls will be disciplined if they complain….

Arkansas Adopts Restrictive Abortion Law – NY Times
New law prohibits abortion after 12 weeks, but the lawsuit is coming….

Why Should Evangelicals Care About the Contraceptive-Abortifacient Mandate? – Gospel Coalition – Good overview for those who have missed past posts on this important issue.

An Evangelical Looks at Pope Benedict XVI – Russell Moore
With the choosing of a new pope yesterday, here is a helpful reflection on the last one.

Passion News

On By BrianIn Current Collection

Today I am beginning a new semi-regular feature called “Passion News.”  The point is to address important items of news for people seeking to live with a passion for God and compassion for people in response to Christ’s passion for us.

For this first post, we need to consider the Obama administration’s plan to require even religious organizations to include birth control in their health insurance policies.  This is a big problem for Catholic organizations, as the Catholic Church rejects the use of birth control.  But it should also concern anyone who is pro-life, because the birth control that must be included in these policies includes methods that cause abortions.  And it should concern anyone who believes in freedom of religion over anyone’s pet policy whether it be from the left or right.

To learn more, a good place to start is this article from Christianity Today.  You might also check out this FAQ at the Gospel Coalition.  Influential evangelical leaders like Rick Warren and Charles Colson are calling evangelicals to stand with the Catholic Church and have raised the possibility of civil disobedience.  The Catholic Church has pledged not to give in.  Considering that 1 in 6 people in this country use Catholic hospitals, I’m betting that the government will have to give in if the Catholic Church stays firm on this issue.  The Obama administration can hardly fine that many hospitals out of existence – talk about a medical and political nightmare! 

In response to the backlash, President Obama offered what he called a compromise, which does nothing to end the issue or solve the freedom of religion infringement. 

Meanwhile J. E. Dyer at Patheos points out that the more things we want (or allow) the government to control, the less room there is for relious freedom. 

And in the most recent news, a House committee held a hearing to review the administration’s policy, inviting several clery from various religions.  Read this article to see the incredible disdain some of our government officials have for clergy and the freedom of religion.  Compassion for people requires us to act better than these folks.