The new accommodation President Obama announced Friday afternoon would seem a good compromise, but as of Friday afternoon, there was a growing list of religious organizations weighing in, saying in short, “We’re not buying it.”
The Becket Fund says it still leaves out scores of organizations, and for-profit businesses that have religious objections.
The Catholic Broadcaster EWTN — Eternal Word Television Network — which was part of a lawsuit filed yesterday against the mandate, said in a statement through the Becket Fund that “This is a false ‘compromise’ designed to protect the President’s re-election chances, not to protect the right of conscience,” and that “Hundreds, if not thousands, of religious institutions are still left out in the cold and will be forced to violate their religious convictions.”
The Catholic League’s president Bill Donohue issued a statement saying “Obama’s latest ploy just adds insult to injury.”
Donohue goes on to add that “If the insurance plan of a Catholic institution must cover services it deems immoral, then such a health care plan is offensive, plain and simple.”
The Alliance Defense Fund, an evangelical legal organization, also issued a statement saying, “The Obama administration’s rule change doesn’t change anything. Employees will still pay for this coverage. Through this sleight of hand, the administration is forcing indirectly what it can’t do directly. It is still forcing people of faith to subsidize practices and treatments that violate their values, their morals, and their religious beliefs.
The Catholic Church led by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has been fighting against the provision in the Affordable Care Act that mandated all companies provide contraception and other benefits that violated church teaching. Churches were exempt from the mandate, but that left scores of church institutions like schools and hospitals still subject to the requirement.
After a few weeks of mounting political tensions the Obama administration announced this new compromise. There are many religious groups that applaud and support the change.
A spokesperson for Wake Forest School of Divinity’s Center for Religion and Public Affairs issued a statement saying that the president’s accommodation ” … both resolves the religious liberty concerns and respects the interests of Americans who would like to have these important health benefits… The plan rightly recognizes that the government should not force religious communities to pay for or provide services forbidden by their faith.”
The USCCB issued a statement that expressed cautious optimism saying … “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sees initial opportunities in preserving the principle of religious freedom after President Obama’s announcement today. But the Conference continues to express concerns. “While there may be an openness to respond to some of our concerns, we reserve judgment on the details until we have them,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of USCCB.
The USCCB, led by New York’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan … Has been raising the battle cry of religious liberty for several months now … Over issues like abortion and gay adoption. The contraception mandate is part of a larger concern over religious freedoms.
And a source I talked to this morning told me that the bishops are still going to send the message that they will not back down. The accommodation may just be the calm before the storm.
