OPINION: On 20 Jan 2012, FRCAction reported that the Obama Administration re-iterated that all insurance providers must cover the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and devices. The FRCAction artilce related that the mandate “includes drugs that work after conception to destroy life rather than prevent it.” The article continued, “The statement included a postponement of one year for religious groups that do not already carry contraceptives and additionally would not be exempted under last year's narrow definition of 'religious employer.'”
In a news release issued on 20 Jan 2012, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called the Obama Administration's decision “literally unconscionable.” The news release quoted Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as saying, “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.” Dolan continued, “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable. It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty.”
The range of FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and devices includes abortifacients which cause various forms of death after conception. According to a Priests for Life article, “These methods are called 'abortifacients' because they do more than just prevent pregnancy. The Pill, the IUD, and other hormonal contraceptives such as the morning after pill, Depro-Provera and Norplant can cause an abortion of human life.”
The executive fiat of the Obama administration will force religious based organizations, which respect the sanctity of life, to pay for services designed to kill the most defenseless of humans, those who are still within the womb of the mother. The issue is especially troubling for Christian denominations such as Catholics which believe, “...respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not the master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator.” (Humanae Vitae, 14)
On 1 Feb 2012, the Obama Administration posted an explanation of how the Administration would enforce the Affordable Care Act. The White House Blog stated, “Under this policy, women who want contraception will have access to it through their insurance without paying a co-pay or deductible. But no one will be forced to buy or use contraception.”
On 3 Feb 2012, the USCCB accused the White House Blog of misrepresenting the facts. In a point by point analysis of the misleading statements, the USCCB release pointed out, “The statement that no one will be forced to buy it is false. Women who want contraception will be able to obtain it without co-pay or deductible precisely because women who do not want contraception will be forced to help pay for it through their premiums. This mandate passes costs from those who want the service, to those who object to it.”
The White House Blog concluded, “The Obama Administration is committed to both respecting religious beliefs and increasing access to important preventive services. And as we move forward, our strong partnerships with religious organizations will continue.”
The USCCB responded, “False. There is no 'balance' in the final HHS rule—one side has prevailed entirely.” The USCCB statement continued, “Such action violates not only federal conscience laws, but President Obama’s executive order assuring 'faith-based' organizations that they will be able to serve the public in federal programs without compromising their faith.”
A 20 Jan 2012 USCCB press release related that “Cardinal-designate Dolan urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in protest.” The release quoted Cardinal-designate Dolan, who said, “Let your elected leaders know that you want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored and that you want the administration’s contraceptive mandate rescinded.”
When a pregnant woman walks into the office of a doctor, the physician receives two patients. One might ask, how is it then, anyone would believe it is health care to kill one of those patients? We also might ask, why is our government promoting the death of its citizens before they are born?
The measure of a society is how it treats the least among them. The most defenseless person is the child while it is still in the womb of the mother. We were all once so and the child who faces any form of abortion could have been us. The question is, who will rise to protect the least among us if we all look away?
Cited Articles and Posts:
FRCAction (20 Jan 2012)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (20 Jan 2012)
Priests for Life (Not Dated)
Humanae Vitae
White House Blog (1 Feb 2012)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (3 Feb 2012)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (20 Jan 2012)
