There has been an ongoing battle about a federal requirement that states that all health insurance plans must include coverage for birth control. Today, 43 Catholic groups have filed around a dozen lawsuits challenging this law. The Catholic groups feel that requiring coverage of birth control violates their religious freedom.
To make a long story short, it comes down two main concepts. The Catholic groups believe that being required to cover birth control in their employer sponsored health plans, and their student health plans, violates their religious freedom. They feel that their religious belief should trump federal law. They aren’t interested in what their employee’s religious beliefs happen to be, or how lack of coverage for birth control will affect them.
The federal government feels that birth control is an important part of women’s health care. They have included it under the category of preventative care specifically so that women would have an easier time with the financial aspects of birth control coverage. The federal government feels that health care trumps an employer’s, or a university’s religious beliefs. They have compromised on this by allowing churches, synagogues, and mosques to be exempt from having to provide this type of coverage.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been a leading voice against the coverage of birth control. It is abundantly clear that Cardinal Dolan is pleased that 43 Catholic groups have decided to sue the Department of Health and Human Services today. Some of the plaintiffs include the University of Notre Dame, the Catholic University of America, the Archdioceses of New York, Washington, Dallas, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh.
Previously, other Catholic universities have filed lawsuits against the federal government for the same reason. Some of them include Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic school in North Carolina, and Colorado Christian University, which is located near Denver.
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, made an interesting statement. She said:
“It is unbelievable that in the year 2012 we have to fight for access to birth control”.
Personally, I agree with her. I understand that there are some people who feel that the use of birth control violates their own, personal, religious beliefs. I have no problem with people making an individual choice for themselves regarding birth control. However, I don’t feel that one person’s, or one group’s, religious beliefs should be the entire basis for the laws that affect everyone in the nation, especially when it comes to laws regarding health care.
Image by Vectorportal.com on Flickr