Friday, August 12, 2011

The War on Conscience

HHS and free contraceptives.
The regulations include only a narrow religious exemption that allows group health plans of “religious employers” to opt-out of coverage for contraception or sterilization. The exemption offers no protection for the personal conscience rights of individual health care providers or subscribers.

Furthermore, the HHS definition of “religious employers,” covers only organizations with the specific purpose to instill “religious values,” (i.e. not provide health care or an education) and which “primarily employ” and “serve…persons who share the religious tenets of the organization” (rather than serve all comers, as most Catholic health care and social service agencies do). The definition stands Catholic teaching on its head, according to Sr. Mary Ann Walsh of the USCCB, because it “ignores the underlying principle of Catholic charitable actions: we help people because we are Catholic, not because our clients are.”

The  result? HHS regulations, Sr. Walsh says, will “force church institutions to buy contraceptives, including drugs that can disrupt an existing pregnancy, through insurance they offer their own employees…[so] the religious order that runs a Catholic hospital has to foot the bill for surgical sterilizations. And diocesan Catholic Charities agencies have to use money that would be better spent on feeding the poor to underwrite services that violate church teachings.”(Read entire article.)
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2 comments:

Diamantina, aka Gentillylace said...

This is a shame and an outrage. Starting from the 2010 election, I have not been voting for Democratic candidates (despite my general leftism) as long as they endorse an platform that supports women's rights to have abortions -- and now, free contraception. Nor am I willing to vote for Republican candidates because of their pro-business, anti-social welfare policies. What can I as an individual do besides pray for better holders of public office and for voters to become less hedonistic?

Kyrie eleison! Gospodi pomiluy! Senhor, tem piedade! Lord, have mercy!

elena maria vidal said...

I agree, it is a difficult situation for anyone with a conscience.