Obama’s War On Faith?

I consider myself a person of faith.  And although I strive to be sensitive to those of other faiths (and to those who eschew faith altogether), I believe strongly that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution lies at the foundation of what makes the United States great and strong.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

You have likely noticed by now that the the media is all abuzz about the conflict raging between American religious leaders and the Obama Administration’s proposed policies regarding mandated health care coverage.  If you’re not yet familiar with this subject, here is a short article from Reuters news service on the issue.

The big sticking point for many religious leaders in the U.S. is that the proposed law would force religious institutions who provide employees with health care insurance to offer insurance plans that make available to their employees certain birth control, abortion-related drugs, and sterilization procedures that many of the employers and employees find morally objectionable.  In other words, in the view of many of these leaders, the federal government is forcing employers and employees to spend their own money to fund medical procedures that will result in the voluntary taking (or prevention) of human life.

After an initial bi-partisan outcry against the proposed policy, the Obama Administration proposed an amendment intended to resolve this conflict.  The amendment essentially allows the employer sponsoring the health plan to not have to pay for those particular aspects of the health insurance plan.  Rather, the insurance company would be required to reach out to the employees and offer, for free, those services found morally objectionable by the employer.

In response, a large number of very influential religious leaders, political leaders, law professors, and other scholars have expressed through a letter to the Administration, serious concerns about this proposed compromise.  An excerpt from this letter reads:

This is a grave violation of religious freedom and cannot stand.  It is an insult to the intelligence of Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other people of faith and conscience to imagine that they will accept an assault on their religious liberty if only it is covered up by a cheap accounting trick.

Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated issues of the last 50 or more years in America.  Religious freedoms, on the other hand, have enjoyed relatively peaceful protection over that same time period.  What do you think?  Is this an issue of religious freedom that we should be concerned about.  Or is this about something else?

I’d love to hear your astute thoughts on this subject.  Hit reply to this email and let me know what you think!