If the Catholics can restrict birth control on their employees' insurance ....

[IggleDoer]

I would like to propose that all health insurance policies be required to cover all costs of circumcision and that all children be retired to be circumcised.

Please don't turn this thread into a discussion on the merits of whether to circumcise or not. I'm not a biblical scholar, but I am pretty certain that G-d directly said more about circumcision than about preventing pregnancies.

On a related note, are Jehovah's Witnesses complaining that they have to pay for their employee's coverage for blood transfusions?

Of course the insurance companies would like to do away with coverage for circumcisions, birth control, transfusions and probably a whole lot more. They would probably charge the same for the insurance coverage either way, but would not have to pay out for these services, and would enhance their bottom line. Would the Catholic Church be willing to pay the same for health insurance whether or not it included birth control coverage? I would doubt it.

If all other things were equal (i.e. not in the current job market), a prospective job applicant would have to weigh all the benefits of taking a job with a Catholic organization versus any other employer since their health insurance coverage might not be "as good." In order to be competitive, the Catholic employer would have to "sweeten the pot" and improve the employee's salary by perhaps the $50-100 per month cost of birth control. In effect, what the Catholics are paying is that they want to pay LESS to their employees than other employers do and then complain that everyone else is prejudiced against them. In this case the "victim" benefits by paying it's employees less.

[Icicle]

1. It's not about conscience

Here's my reasoning on the subject.....

The Catholic Church isn't into birth control. Okay, we've known about this, and even though most Catholics (98%? I've heard varied numbers) use birth control anyway, it's still a sticking point with the Church. That's ok, whether it's absurd or not is not an issue, it's one of their religious tenets and they have the freedom to believe as they like.

The issue we have been discussing recently arises from an area in which the Church has become more than just a church, and is now an employer. As an employer, they have to accept rules for the employment of employees that are not set by the Church, but are made by us mere mortals. As an employer, they have to respect their employees' beliefs. Period.
There are various employment laws reinforcing this. They would like to paint this issue as discrimination against the Church, when in reality it's an employer discriminating against employees and then hiding behind the skirt of the Church when we call them out on their discriminatory policies.

[Spazito]

2. Exactly!

The RCC has a choice; either accept the rules governing businesses on healthcare coverage or get out of the businesses. This choice is the same every other business has and the RCC should NOT be given an exception, these are businesses, full stop.

[IggleDoer]

3. Absolutely

Play the victim, avoid their extensive history of victimizing others

[Motown_Johnny]

5. The Church is run by old men who have never had sex in their lives,

the idea that they are dictating federal policy concerning the birth control choices of sexually active women is ridiculous.

If they don't want their employees using specific types of birth control then they should preach, not legislate. What next? Will The Church start running retail stores and restaurants just so those employees can also be denied something the old men don't like?

President Obama should stand his ground on this one. I think it is not just the correct policy but in the long run it is also the correct politics. Most people will agree that the leaders of The Church should not be setting this policy once the uproar that currently exists dies down a bit.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

9. Never had sex in their lives?

Good one.

[Motown_Johnny]

11. face it, some of these old men never have

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. You are right.

There are some really good men who are Catholic Priests that don't let the hypocrisy of the church get in the way of fulfilling their vows and following God.
Duckie

[mainer]

4. I like the Jehovah's Witnesses analogy

Seems to fit perfectly.

[Worried senior]

6. The church

doesn't want the government to stick it's nose into church business but they don't mind voicing their opinions on government when it's suits them.

[Ilsa]

7. A comment about "Another employer"

In some smaller cities the only hospital is owned by the Catholic medical corporations or whatever they are called. A nurse or respiratory therapist may not have a choice about who she/he works for. There may not be another local option. And in Texas, that usually means you can count on a long drive to commute to work.

Great post, though.

[tsuki]

8. Ever since they got caught with their pants down, or is it their cassocks up(?),

they have been ramping up the War on Women to cover their collective child raping immoral asses. And the club is too small. They all knew, and if they all knew, they participated either by deed or cover-up.

I am sick of their hypocrisy. We got stuck by the state of Florida with one of their "hospitals". It is the worst hospital that I have seen in my 65 years. My family knows to take me to the neighboring county if I get ill.

Superstitions should not be allowed to hold monopolies on health care and dictate the terms according to some of their "morals".

Don't want to follow the law? No monopoly, no federal funds, and yes, it is that simple.

[bawieland]

10. But what about...

... reporters at the Christian Science Monitor? Are they not supposed to get any health care coverage at all?

[IggleDoer]

13. Good analogy

Bottom line is that government programs are supposed to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

If the RCC gets their way, would others look for loopholes and would the whole health insurance program fail. Would the RCC then pick up the tab for all the uninsured. Actions have consequences.