The continued chaos surrounding President Obama's decision (and later modification of the decision) to require all organizations employing people and offering medical insurance, including religious organizations, to make contraceptive devices or medications available to employees through their insurance haunts me. As a former pastor I understand the need to keep religious organizations separate from the government. Far too much harm has been done by religious groups using the civil government to enforce their doctrinal and behavioral edicts. Witness England, Italy, Iran, Sudan, and Indonesia, for instance. And far too much harm has been done by governments "taking over' valid religious expressions. Witness Communist China and the former USSR, for instance.
OK, we get it. But what about individual freedom? Suppose I am a Roman Catholic and my priests, bishops and cardinals tell me it is wrong (a sin) to use birth control. But I (an individual) decide to use it for my own sanity and health. Suppose I work for my church (or some other church).
May I have the freedom to choose vis a' vis my medical insurance coverage (or anything else) how I respond to the teachings of my church? Is my freedom to choose as an individual protected by the Constitution, or is the organization of religion (in this case, Roman Catholic) more protected than I am? If I am female, do I suffer discrimination in the workplace by being denied medical insurance coverage that other female workers in medical insurance plans take for granted?
Individual freedom?
Or, organizational freedom?
I confess I am surprised that libertarians, Tea Partiers and Republicans come down on the side of the organization and against the individual.
What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know.
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