High Court Won't Hear Birth Control Case...

[bliss_eternal]

High Court Won't Hear Birth Control Case

Modified: 10/25/2007


Associated Press
High Court Won't Hear Birth Control Case
By Mark Sherman
Monday, October 1, 2007


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to enter a church-state dispute over whether some religious organizations can be forced to pay for workers' birth-control health insurance benefits, a growing trend in the states.

The court let stand a New York court ruling upholding a state law that forces religious-based social service agencies to subsidize contraceptives as part of prescription drug coverage they offer employees.

New York is one of 23 states that require employers that offer prescription benefits to employees to cover birth control pills as well, the groups say. The state enacted the Women's Health and Wellness Act in 2002 to require health plans to cover contraception and other services aimed at women, including mammography, cervical cancer screenings and bone density exams.

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Catholic Charities and other religious groups argued New York's law violates their First Amendment right to practice their religion because it forces them to violate religious teachings that regard contraception as sinful.

"If the state can compel church entities to subsidize contraceptives in violation of their religious beliefs, it can compel them to subsidize abortions as well," the groups said in urging the court to take their case. "And if it can compel church entities to subsidize abortions, it can require hospitals owned by churches to provide them."

Other Catholic and Baptist organizations are part of the lawsuit. Seventh-Day Adventist and Orthodox Jewish groups signed onto a brief filed in support of Catholic Charities.

Three years ago the court rejected a challenge to a similar law in California.

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excerpt from:
http://www.prochoicecalifornia.org/news/headlines/200710011.shtml

[Book Lover]

1. The answer seems simple to me

Stop hiring people if you don't want to comply with the civil laws regarding hiring. If you don't like our rules, go somewhere else.

[WildClarySage]

2. So, require the churches to cover objectionable services;

they aren't the ones breaking their wholly holy laws, it's the ones who utilize that service. They're not responsible for the immoral huzzies who take the pills, that's the huzzies' doings. Seems like the churches are not doing a good enough job of getting their message out there if there are folks having *gasp* recreational sex. Better get back in that pulpit and bully folks some more.