Sunday, January 5, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/03/politics/5-things-obamacare-contraceptives/index.html?hpt=po_c2
This article is about the legal issues behind ACA or "Obamacare". The problem some people have with the law is that small business companies are forced to provide contraceptive methods, even if the woman are religiously opposed to it. People are arguing that this contradicts our first amendment right of freedom of religion. Then these groups are subject to exemption because they are against the use of contraception.
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I support the women who are subject to exemption to the contraceptive methods Obama care is forcing. I love the way the stand up for their religion and understand the first amendment of our country. I also don't understand why Obama care is forcing contraceptive methods on business companies.
ReplyDeleteI don't think religious affiliations should be allowed to op out of providing contraceptive methods as a part of their healthcare plans. The voice and opinions of a company/organization do not necessarily represent those of the employees. And, though the current employees of these religious institutes may not want the contraceptives, this does not mean the future employees will be of the same mindset. This is kind of similar to the abortion debate, in the sense that, you do not have to actually use the contraceptives, however, it should be an option. It isn't fair to completely take away the option.
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate both sides of the argument. However, as far as I can tell, there is no additional cost for these religious organizations to provide coverage for contraceptives for their employees and no one is forcing them to make use of the access to contraceptives. Therefore, I think they're being a little ridiculous. I'm additionally going to go out on a limb and say that the women who work for very religious organizations like that wouldn't have any desire to use contraceptives anyways (though, if they did, is it really the employer's business?).
ReplyDeleteI agree with the Emilys. Religious organizations should not be exempt from providing contraceptives to their employees. I understand that it is against their beliefs, but, as Emily said, the employees may have a different view and they should have the support. Originally, I never would have thought that an issue like this would be such a big deal, but I can understand where the religious organizations are coming from.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that people are suggesting that individuals who work for this group must be provided plans with contraception in them—it violates their conscience. Madison, credited as the prime author of the constitution, stated that “conscience is the most sacred of all property.” Thus, freedom of conscience trumps all. How then, can the federal government constitutionally force any business or entity to do anything that it considers immoral. Thus, any business should be able to refuse to offer contraception (not to mention the stupidity of forcing anything to be covered under any valid plan). If the federal government begins forcing people to violate their conscience, it truly is the beginning of the end for liberty and our republic.
ReplyDeleteJust because Obamacare includes contraceptions as part of a health care plan does not mean the people with the plan have to use contraception. My parent's health care plan includes coverage for a hearing aid. I do not need or want a hearing aid so I simply do not use it. I don't need to go to the Supreme Court to have that provision removed. And as others have mentioned, a business or organization does not represent each individual's personal needs. Birth control and other contraceptives are a very personal manner. Obamacare is providing the option and there is nothing wrong with more options.
ReplyDeleteAndrew's point about the "conscience is the most sacred of all property" quote makes sense if you don't think about it. If we were to apply that idea strictly to everything in our country, things would be very different. How many people opposed to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have had to suffer the economic deficits our country has faced because of them? We often have to live with things going on outside our control that violate our conscience. There are people who oppose vaccinations; should businesses run by those people not have to cover vaccinations in their insurance plans?
ReplyDeleteThe organizations opposing the Obamacare contraception mandate really have no leg to stand on. According to the article, they don't even have to pay for the contraception! "But they contend in their suit that finding someone else to fulfill the insurance mandate ... is immoral because contraception coverage would be delivered ultimately and they oppose it." Concessions have been made so that they don't have to violate their conscience by paying for contraception for their employees, and yet they still resist because they have to sign a paper saying SOMEBODY ELSE can pay for it. That's simply ridiculous.
I agree completely with Emily Evenden. These religious organizations have no right to not give out contraception when it is being asked of them by Obamacare, they should not be exempt from it just because they are a religious organization. Employees could very well want the contraceptives and these organizations are preventing them from getting it.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how the organization do not have to directly pay for the contraception, just for a healthcare plan that includes it as an option. I related this to the employer paying the employee. Once the payment is made, the employee can do whatever she wants with the money, including buy things that the employee does not approve of. In this same way, the employer cannot control how the employees use the benefits of their insurance, but they must provide it. Once the payment for insurance is made, the plan is in the employee's control, not the employer because it is used by the employee, not the employer.
ReplyDeleteIt's been stated over and over, but only because it's logical and true. The morals of the organization do not and should not represent the employees. Having employees' rights limited due to an organization's religion violates their first amendment. It's like having beef banned in the cafeteria of a Hindu based corporate office. Beef should be an option available to the employees; no one is forcing them to eat it. Super simple stuff.
ReplyDeleteReligious organizations should have to provide contraceptives for their employees like every other organization. As stated by many of the others above me, the employees of religious organizations might feel differently than the organizations themselves. So even if contraceptives go against the beliefs of these organizations, I think it's essential the employees have access to them for their own personal benefit.
ReplyDeleteObamacare should not force contraception for women. It comes down to the person and what they want. Obamacare was made to make things easier. It is not making anything easier by forcing people to do stuff they don't want - especially on a sensitive subject such as this one.
ReplyDelete