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More Oppose Contraceptive Mandate The letter concerns the March 2012 publication of the HHS’ proposed set of rules about the contraceptive mandate, which allow “an exemption from the mandate for a narrowly defined set of ‘religious employers’ [mainly churches] and the related administration publications and statements about a different ‘accommodation’ for non-exempt religious organizations.” The letter notes that while the various signatories may differ in their views about “the moral acceptability of the contraceptive drugs and devices that comprise the contraceptive mandate,” the groups are “united in opposition to the creation in federal law of two classes of religious organizations: churches—considered sufficiently focused inwardly to merit an exemption and thus full protection from the mandate; and faith-based service organizations—outwardly oriented and given a lesser degree of protection.” The letter explains that the so-called accommodation for certain religious organizations “honors acts of worship while burdening those whose faith leads them to service in our common life. Among its many troublesome aspects, the scheme moves us further toward an unconstitutional, unhistorical, and unhealthy naked public square.” The letter urges Secretary Sebelius to “[e]xtend to faith-based service organizations the same exemption that the regulations currently limit to churches.” It points out that this change would “bring the preventive services regulations into line with the long-standing, respected, and court-tested provisions of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which provide a specific employment exemption for every kind of religious organization, whether they be defined as ‘a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society.’” In related news, on June 15, the Catholic Health Association (CHA) also sent a letter to HHS Secretary Sebelius, describing the proposed religious accommodation as “unduly cumbersome” and “unlikely to adequately meet the religious liberty concerns of all our members and other Church ministries.” The letter from CHA president, Sister Carol Keehan urges the Obama administration to broaden the religious exemption to “actually exempt objecting religious organizations from the mandate by expanding the definition of religious employer to include them.” The letter explains that, according to CHA’s proposal, “an organization would be covered by the exemption if it ‘shares common religious bonds and convictions with a church.’ This definition would exempt from the contraceptive mandate Catholic hospitals and health care organizations as well as other ministries of the Church.” Related resources: Copyright © 2012. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.
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