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Thursday, February 07, 2013

Government Shouldn’t Define ‘Church’

Under pressure from religious and conservative groups, the Obama administration has offered another compromise on the issue of birth control coverage within the Affordable Care Act. While exempting churches and some religiously affiliated institutions, such as hospitals and universities, from supplying the coverage, the new proposal calls for their employees to receive stand-alone private insurance policies providing birth control coverage at no cost. Insurance companies will foot the bill, but only the naive can possibly think the cost won’t find its way back to the institution in the form of higher health premiums.
Numerous lawsuits filed against this and other portions of “Obamacare” will proceed and for good reason: the federal government seems intent on setting rules on matters of conscience and worse, defining what constitutes a church, or religious institution.

One of the litigants is Hobby Lobby, a chain of craft stores, whose CEO, David Green, is an evangelical Christian. Green says, “We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate.” That mandate includes, in addition to contraceptive coverage in employees’ health care, “preventive services,” including “morning-after” pills and other drugs, which Green considers abortifacients. After Hobby Lobby’s appeal to Justice Sonia Sotomayor was rejected, the Christian Post reports the company then made plans to “…shift the beginning of its employee health plan to temporarily avoid $1.3 million a day in fines for each day since Jan. 1 that it did not comply with the Affordable Care Act.” (According to the new health care law, businesses with more than 50 employees that refuse to comply can be fined by the IRS $100 per day per employee.) Hobby Lobby’s appeals continue.

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Socialism is here people , communism is here people , get used to it , you guys voted this idiot in for your leader, so , suck it up and give up your rights, your religion and your money.

Anonymous said...

I will continue to support any business that has to fight for their rights. Religion is being attacked in our country and it boggles the mind how this man got re-elected. But he did and if there is any buyers remorse over this I would suggest you get out and vote in the mid terms for republican candidates. At this point it's about the only way.

Anonymous said...

The ACA is just another ponzie scheme like ss....just way more expensive!

Alex said...

After Hobby Lobby loses its appeals, I hope they get fined to a point where they are driven out of business.
Of course, Jesus wouldn't want healthcare for all.

Anonymous said...

9:16. Jesus would not have forced it down your throat against your beliefs either. He perhaps would try to convince you to view it his way. So what you are suggesting is that Jesus was a communist?

Anonymous said...

So 9:16 I would assume you are in favor of our government telling us what to buy, where to go, etc., etc.?

You do realize we live in a supposedly FREE REPUBLIC whereby our Founders LEFT the tyrannical government of Europe to live here with freedoms of choice?

Or not. You must be on the take? Tell me, how much does the Nobama govt give you? Just curious.

Anonymous said...

9:16 Jesus may have wished everyone healthcare but I believe he would let you choose your own and not require someone else to pay for it. You must be a registered Democrat Communist, or at least voted that way.

Alex said...

9:40, I don't think that Jesus was a communist because that kind of goes against the whole religious thing.

I am pretty sure that Jesus was a liberal. Here are a few definitions of liberal and you tell me if they fit JC:

1. Not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms.

2. Open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

3. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.


Anonymous said...

Obviously Alex is willing to discard traditional values by referring to Jesus as JC. Man hope you don't own a gun because you surely need mental help.

Alex said...

Yes, I am willing to discard traditional values. Sometimes it's good. You know we discovered that the earth was round by discarding traditional values. Just an example.

I do own a Glock 23 if you must know.

Anonymous said...

Alex, please don't hurt yourself with it. Oh and as a true Democrat, I'm sure it's registered.

Anonymous said...

What??? Someone wishing another DOESN'T own a gun. Blasphemy!!! I thought that everyone was supposed to own at least twelve guns and 14,000 rounds of ammo and sleep with them every night!!! Oh my. Could I have been wrong? You mean NOT everyone should be packing on Main Street. I must be on the wrong web site!