When negotiations were underway in 2009-10 for the ObamaCare bill, Senators and Congressmen were led to believe that religious organizations would be exempt from a requirement that healthcare plans offer 'free contraception' to their clients, according to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Texas is one of seven states suing the Obama Administration in federal court for breaking its promise to offer exemptions for religious organizations and mounting a frontal attack on the religious freedom of churches, church schools, and religious charities by forcing them to provide freebies that violate their belief system.
Joining Texas in the lawsuit are South Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, and Ohio.
Religious leaders and conservatives cried foul when it was announced that a key provision in the new ObamaCare law requires health insurers to provide free contraception, including birth control pills and the so-called 'morning after' drug to induce abortion.
Attorney General Abbot stated that even most Democrats in the Congress were not aware that ObamaCare would force religious groups to engage in practices that violate their beliefs.
This, said Abbott, shows that Nancy Pelosi was being quite literal when she stated at the time, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."
The crux of the issue has nothing whatsoever to do with abortion or contraception and everything to do with religious freedom, guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. The religious groups in question are not attempting to prevent women from using contraception. Anyone is America is free to use whatever drug is prescribed for them by their physician as long as they are willing to pay for it, or at least shell out the co pay.
What concerns religious groups is a government, which is apparently raging out of control, that purports to dictate to churches that they must provide free contraception, at their expense, to church employees, even if the church believes that such practices are against their conscience.
And the fact that the mandate has been kept in the ObamaCare law in spite of the fact that the Administration gave its word that religious entities would be exempt is all the more evidence that this government will not only lie, renege on its promises, and deceive, but overtly undermine one of the foundational principles of the nation--freedom of religion.
Be sure to catch my blog at The Liberty Sphere.
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