From Fox News: The battle over the Obama administration's contraceptive coverage rule is far from over despite the "accommodation" announced Friday, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other groups voice serious concern about a policy they claim still intrudes on religious freedom.
President Obama announced the rule change in a bid to calm the tumultuous debate which had spread to the Republican presidential campaign trail and beyond. The original policy would exempt churches and house of worship but require religious organizations like schools and hospitals to provide free contraceptive coverage. Under the change, religious organizations could refuse that coverage, while insurers would nevertheless be required to offer it to any employee who wants it.
The change was initially met with a reserved response. While many Democrats praised it and Republicans dismissed it, nonpartisan groups like the Conference of Catholic Bishops said they were reserving judgment.
But the Conference, after earlier calling the change a "first step in the right direction," issued a lengthy statement overnight blasting the plan. And they joined others in calling for legislation in Congress to reverse the policy, something Republicans said they were not abandoning despite Friday's announcement.
"We think there needs to be a legislative fix to protect our religious liberties," Bishop William Lori, a member of the Conference, told Fox News on Saturday. "I think that our First Amendment religious rights are far too precious to be entrusted to regulatory rules."
Lori and the rest of the Conference said they want to see the "mandate" rescinded altogether. They pointed out several lingering concerns. They said the change appears to make no consideration for religious insurers or self-insuring religious employers -- or for religious for-profit employers and secular nonprofit employers.
The statement from the Conference, more broadly, expressed concern that the requirement would still facilitate contraceptive coverage even if an employer objects to it.
This should come as no surprise. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius is anti-religion and pro-abortion. She is as evil to babies and Hitler is to the Jews. She probably thinks this plan is too weak. Further, Obama has shown, despite his claims to be Christian, that he is anti-Christian, so Obama probably thinks his solution is just fine, but then, Obama does not in reality but instead lives in Fantasy land surrounded by yes men and women.
Even though the Catholic Bishops have taken the lead in this matter, other Christian denominations are also involved. And Obama has not sought the advice from any of them,
From my stand point, this all was unnecessary- Obama, with his liberal policies, already had much of the Catholic leaders votes. These Bishops and other Catholic so much to support Obama but now Obama has put them on the defensive, so much so, that many Churches are now talking about this issue in the pulpit and in the newspapers.
Then why did put out his edict? The only thing I can think of is that Obama has such a huge ego- Hugo Chavez huge- that he just wanted to say to the Christian Churches is "See what I can do to you- don't try and fight me". All this edict is about is to stroke Obama's ego and to intimidate others into not fighting the Obama administration on other issues. But this issue has come back to bite them in the ass.
Let's just hope the Catholic Church and others will not back down.
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