Catholics, Contraception and the New Health Care Law
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-02-02/catholics-contraception-and-new-health-care-law
As President Obama addressed the National Prayer Breakfast this morning, Catholic groups around the country were roundly criticizing him. Earlier this week his administration reaffirmed new regulations requiring employers to include birth control in their health care plans. Churches are exempted from the ruling. But Catholic groups had lobbied hard for the exemptions to include faith-based organizations such as Catholic universities and hospitals. The White House said no, now some Catholic groups are saying they will not comply with the new mandate. Join us to discuss the growing divide between church and state.
Guests
Julie Rovner
health policy correspondent for NPR, author of "Health Care Policy and Politics A-Z," and contributing editor for National Journal Daily.
Judy Waxman
vice president of healthcare and reproductive rights for the National Women's Law Center
Mark Rienzi
professor of constitutional law, Catholic University of America
Comments
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what about surgery on reproductive organs that is necessary but results in infertility, will they opt out of that?
There is conflation of individual religious freedom with corporate policy.
Religious organizations want separation of church and state when it is convenient to them... They believe that it is selective on their part...
If a religious organization wishes to participate in financial help originating from the government then it needs to follow the rules... and this includes accepting grants or participation in US Government backed student loans... This ought also to be the case in accepting government funds for social programs such as aiding the homeless, hspitals or the elderly... yes they are great programs and objectives, however they do not require acceptance of government funds. They may not be as fully funded, but that is the organization's choice... either comply with society or do it on its own through fully charitable donations. No one is forcing these organizations to take government backed funds.
Catholic laypeople were not demanding contraception of their bishops. None of us has ever expected or demanded that. This is an attempt by the Regime to divide the Church from its leaders.
wouldn't this issue be moot if a single payer health insurance program were available to u.s. citizens?
Contraceptives also have other uses besides planning for unwanted pregnancies.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): is a hormonal imbalance which causes irregular menstrual periods, acne, and excess hair growth. Birth control pills work by lowering certain hormone levels to regulate menstrual periods. When hormone levels are decreased to normal, acne and hair growth often improve.
Endometriosis: Most girls with endometriosis have cramps or pelvic pain during their menstrual cycle. Birth control pills are often prescribed to treat endometriosis and work by temporarily preventing periods. When hormonal treatment is prescribed continuously, young women will rarely have periods, or not at all. Since periods can cause pain for young women with endometriosis, stopping periods will usually improve cramps and pelvic pain.
Lack of periods (“amenorrhea”) from low weight, stress, excessive exercise, or damage to the ovaries from radiation or chemotherapy: With any of these conditions, the hormone “estrogen” is not made in normal amounts by the body. Birth control pills may be prescribed to replace estrogen, which helps to regulate the menstrual cycle. For girls whose menstrual periods are irregular (too few - or not at all), birth control pills can help to regulate the menstrual cycle to every 28 days and provide the body with normal amounts of estrogen. Normal estrogen levels are important for healthy bones.
The US govt. obliges all citizens to contribute to financing wars many of which individuals do not agree with and by law we can't refuse to participate. Also all health insurance as far as I know provides for transfusions although this violates the principles of some religions. Requiring that resources be provided for people who want contraception is not without precedent.
The contraception is one these "dogmas du jour". It was not an issue for most of Catholic Church's existence. It is just that a series of extremely conservative popes brought it to front.
A majority of SC justices are Catholic, per the guest (Judy or Julia--missed it).
Applying the right's demands on judges who are women, people of color, and gays/lesbians, should all these Catholics recuse themselves should this issue get to the highest court?
Or are we just going by Justice Thomas rules here?
The legal point of view: Regardless of personal point of views. These Church hospitals and whatever other institutions have a non-profit status which translates : they get tax breaks i.e. they are supported by taxpayers that is EVERYBODY, therefore they must obey by these rules if they don't want to fine, but no federal money and no tax break.
Contraceptives are also used for the following non-family planning purposes:
Menstrual Cramps: When over-the-counter medications don't help with severe cramps, birth control pills may be the solution because they prevent ovulation and lighten periods.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Symptoms of PMS such as mood swings, breast soreness, and bloating, along with acne can occur up to 2 weeks before a young women's period. Birth control pills may be prescribed to stop ovulation and keep hormone levels balanced. Symptoms may improve, particularly when oral contraceptive pills are prescribed continuously.
Heavy Menstrual Periods: Birth control pills can reduce the amount and length of menstrual bleeding.
Acne: For moderate to severe acne, which over-the-counter and prescription medications haven't cured, birth control pills may be prescribed. The hormones in the Pill can help stop acne from forming. Be patient though, since it takes several months for birth control pills to work.
Other Medical Benefits:
Because there is less menstrual bleeding when taking birth control pills, you are less likely to get anemia (low number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues). Birth control pills lower your chance of getting endometrial (lining of the uterus) cancer, ovarian cancer, and ovarian cysts.
limiting what a person is allowed access to is discrimination, not only to women but also their husbands. I hear a huge play on words in how your guests are responding to callers. In it's most basic form, if a religious institution employs those of other religions they should not limit any of their employees access to contraceptive.
Churches are quick to bring up the separation of Church and State but they take the States Money and don't want to comply with the restrictions that follow.
Many religions consider abortion murder, it is immoral to force people to pay for an activity that in their eyes is murder. This is exactly why the Federal government has NO place constitutionally to be involved with health care. It's obvious most here have no respect for law or freedom.
To think that in this day in age there are people who think birth control is wrong make me sick. If you are one of these sick freaks who believe birth control is wrong, pleae do humanity a favor, go to your local cliff, and jump off. Thanks
I have been listening to your show this morning and feel compelled to send a message. I am frustrated that my rights under my religion, Catholicism, are not equally being protected as those individuals who protest anything that even hints at Christianity or other faiths practicing what they believe. Furthermore, another point that isn't being addressed is the data showing half of the pregnancies are unplanned or unwanted, I'm not sure how it was said. Isn't that another important point to consider here? Why is that happening in itself. It seems to mean the sancitity of marriage is being tossed aside in our society. Finally, I reiterate that I am frustrated my freedom of religion is continously eroded within society at large.
It seems to me that if the Roman Catholic Church wishes to impose its religious beliefs on everyone in the United States (never mind the world) it should start to pay its full and fair share of taxes. Catholic hierarchy uses our roads, their institutions avail themselves of police and fire protection, they use municipal power where available. Catholic hospitals take medicare and medicaid payments. If they are going to use the benefits of our society they should be obligated to pay their fair share. Only when they are fully dues paying members of our society should they even be allowed to voice their opinions about what non-Catholics choose to do with their own bodies.
Contraception will prevent unwanted children from being born. Does the Catholic Church provide unlimited orphanage and placement facilities for the children that would be born if they manage to prevent women from having access to birth control? Until and unless they do, they should keep their noses out of women's bedrooms.
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Would simply mandating that institutions may choose to continue offering policies as they now do, but additionally be required to offer 'riders' to cover these exemptions, to be paid by the employee, perhaps offer both sides an out? This would be very similar to how vision and dental coverage is now offered at many organizations. In this case, one guest has already stated that the monetary difference is almost nill, so perhaps the cost would even be negative, ie a refund, or just very minimal.
If this is a public health policy, and it is cheaper for the insurance companies to insure for childbearing choice, the Church can very well teach its view but the public health good ought to allow that health insurance offer the coverages that promote the general welfare. Service organizations with consciences informed by their religious views certainly can teach this self discipline. Self discipline is not the job of public health. It is the job of personal choice. It is religion which is voluntary. To establish its views under the rule of law for public service organizations that they operate is establishing those religious views in the public service. I believe the separation of church from public policy must take place on the level of each person's choice.
As a Catholic it is between myself and God if I CHOOSE to use any form of contraception, or if it should be necessary for my daughter. Even if it is offered in the insurance it does not mean that it has to be used, it just makes it available. Lots of great Catholic women use contraception for many different health reasons.
Hello Diane,
What I hear is that:
1) The church does not want to be forced to do something against its beliefs.
2) It wants to force its employees at its religiously affiliated organizations to comply with the church's beliefs.
The church is arguing that it is not right to be forced while they themselves want to force their beliefs on others. It can't be both ways. I understand the dilemma. It sucks.
If costs are the matter the church can pay more (pay the amount for plans that do not include birth control) and let the employees choose which plan to use.
"Many religions consider abortion murder, it is immoral to force people to pay for an activity that in their eyes is murder. This is exactly why the Federal government has NO place constitutionally to be involved with health care. It's obvious most here have no respect for law or freedom."
Not true. All religions and this included Catholic one in past, do address issue after the first trimester and are neutral before.
The more I listen to Mark Rienzi the more he seems to reinforce the wall of ignorance shutting his faith off from medicine and science. Ain't doing his side any favors.
Was there no Pill-taking Catholic available to be on this panel?
"The Pill" is also used for acne treatment...do employers deny that also based on beliefs?
Also, the "belief" that the morning after pill is an abortion pill is ignorant, but then again science and religion are mutually exclusive.
And yes the Catholic guy is a total ass.
The male guest keeps saying, let the government pay for contraceptives if they want it covered. Well, if the government pays for it, we are all paying for it. The monks will be paying for it through taxes (or do they pay taxes?). As Federal funding for abortions has been stripped, funding for birth control will be next on the religious right's agenda.
Mr. Rienzi's principal concern is, I suppose, his religion, if not law. He expresses the difficulty some monks have in preaching one thing regarding birth control, while their worldly duties require another. I would refer Mr. Rienzi and the monks to Matthew 22:20-21:
20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
New International Version (NIV)
The point at issue here really is not contraceptives. The point is that the government is defining what constitutes a religious institution and doing so in an extremely narrow fashion. It is reducing religion to worship. Worship is certainly an important part of religious practice but it does not exhaust religious practice. To say that Catholic universities and hospitals are not "religious institutions" is to completely miss the fundamental motivation for their existence. Teaching and healing are, from their perspective, religious activities. The Health Care Law specifically allows for religious exemptions. It is the HHS that is in error in so narrowly defining what constitutes a religious institution.
The problem I see with a particular Catholic perspective is that it seems to require that believers have control over what others do and also how anythining they may touch in in any way, whether dierscctly or directly, not be associated in any way with anything that is contrary to theri beliefs. so, their taxes may ot fund abortion or contraceetotio they find unacceptqble, their insitutions whose missions are not religious cannot offer insurance that an employeee may choose to uise for something they see as unacceptable, etc. As a result, on eht one hand, tey cry foul wen they are mandated to offer insurance to emplyees that includes contraceptive coverage and, at the same time, demand that gtovernment funds, since they incloude their taxes, do not fund unaceptable contraceotion, family planning, abortion, and the like...and further, fight to have abortion banned or severly restricted based on their Catholic viewpoint without regard to other religious perspectives. Seems like they want to impose their religious views on everyone, despite claims to the contrary.
I think the Obama administration has drawn an appropiate line on this issue and hope they will do the same and reverse restrictions on federal funds for contraceptives, abortions, and the like. This would be true freedom of religion and separation of church and state. When religions begins to impose on others, it is time to stop it.
It seems that "contraception" is available at any drugstore or quick shop in the form of condoms. Contraception is prevention of conception, correct? Conception occurs after sperm and ovum join, correct? Many of the drugs labeled "contraceptive" destroy the post conceived fetus. Natural family planning is a form of contraception, correct? Seems like another opportunity for government and secular society to block good services provided by christian organizations.
Ok, so what you're saying is that in order to participate in society, they have to adopt some straitjacket system of values issued from the federal government.
What about roads? If a road runs in front of a church, and since it benefits from that government road, does that mean the church has to abandon all its principles simply because of that?
No, you have it exactly backwards. The federal government cannot discriminate against who can choose to participate in programs that are funded from general taxation. Just as the federal government cannot offer programs and funds to only one religious sect, it cannot bar a particular religion from participating by forcing them into a Hobson's choice: keep their values and be prohibited from participating in programs paid for by general taxes, or accept abandoning their values just to participate in society.