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<p>No, their primary function is NOT always to “suppress a natural and healthy bodily function.” Please talk to a gynecologist. Your understanding of bcpills isn’t rooted in reality. There are many, many uses of bcpills, of which pg prevention is merely one.</p>
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<p>The Almighty–Dollar!</p>
<p>MD Mom,
Many Catholics struggle with many Church teachings. However, most of those who have issues with those teachings have never taken the time and effort to study them in any detail, relying instead on hazy memories of grade school catechism and what they read in the mainstream media. But instead of making that effort, they sit in the pews and seethe. Doesn’t make much sense to me, but it seems to work for a lot of self-identified but marginal Catholics.</p>
<p>Regarding the legality of this mandate, you are overlooking the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 which was passed in reaction to the Smith. It applies only to the federal government not to the state mandates.</p>
<p>And it’s no news that many Catholic-affiliated institutions are Catholic in name only. This is particularly true of hospitals and universities run by angry nuns (or ex-nuns) or members of dying religious orders. Much better, IMO, for the Church to leave the health care business entirely. Let the government serve the poor, sick, and needy.</p>
<p>“They find it difficult to access affordable birth control. They find it difficult to take a day off of work to take two buses across town to our clinic, the only clinic of its kind in nine counties.”</p>
<p>To quote Al Neri, “Difficult. Not impossible.” Where there is a will, there is a way. If you want to have sex without having babies, you find that way, or you just say no. </p>
<p>And I might add that even the Guttmacher Institute statistics reveal that few women reply “could not afford it” when asked why they don’t use birth control.</p>
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<p>So far in this thread you’ve shown a low opinion for women who want their medical needs taken care of in one place and now for the majority of Catholics in America. Not to mention many nuns and religious orders.</p>
<p>It must be lonely at the top.</p>
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<p>And who should the Church be serving?</p>
<p>Obtaining basic medical services should not be under the label of “difficult but not impossible.” I’m thankful that my government, and not the Bishops and their fans, are in charge. If I wanted to live under Catholic rule, I’d move to the Vatican.</p>
<p>Cartera
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<p>Not sure how much cheaper than $0.00/Free/donation optional, and easier than clinic open nights and weekends one could make a product. Yes, you need to get yourself to the provider.</p>
<p>“Regarding the legality of this mandate, you are overlooking the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 which was passed in reaction to the Smith. It applies only to the federal government not to the state mandates.”</p>
<p>Part of the RFRA was overturned by the courts in 1997. And as there is virtually no way that provision of preventive health services is going to, in and of itself, be ruled a “religious practice”, I doubt it would even get a hearing at a lower court level.</p>
<p>So let me see: Catholic institutions, Catholic hospitals, Catholic charities, Catholic schools, colleges, and universities should no longer be considered Catholic. The 98% of sexually active Catholic women - many of whom attend mass regularly - should no longer be considered Catholic. The hundreds of thousands of Catholic women who have (and who continue to have) abortions far out of proportion to their share of the population should no longer be considered Catholic. Angry nuns are no longer to be considered Catholic. Same for ex-nuns. Members of dying orders the same. </p>
<p>Pretty soon all that’s left is a couple of elderly priests in dresses.</p>
<p>Won’t get any argument from me about single-payor health care, though. Medicare for all would be just great in my book.</p>
<p>pug and pizzagirl,
My statement was correct. The primary (not sole) function of birth control pills is to suppress ovulation, a normal and healthy bodily function. That a minority of pill users take the pill for other medical conditions – many of which are not actually treated by the pill, which merely alleviates some symptoms – does not change its primary purpose. Which is not alleviation of or prevention of a disease, since pregnancy is not a disease.</p>
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<p>So you’re saying that free birth control, and the exam necessary to get the prescription, is available - all over the country?</p>
<p>Of course they are not treated by the pill, the entire point is to alleviate the symptoms! Good grief. </p>
<p>How old are you, claremarie?</p>
<p>cartera: well…not sure about the Aluetian Islands …</p>
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<p>Right now the Church is a little busy in court. It could ordain women to help out, but that is REALLY a sin. If they would ordain women, those women would not need birth control (theoritically).</p>
<p>dietz, Let me congratulate you on having the smarts to live where you do. In fact, I think I’ll start passing out a flyer at our family planning clinic asking these women why they insist on being poor in a rural area. Boy, if they could just stop being poor and this area could stop being rural, my work on the board would be so much easier. Why didn’t I think of this before?</p>
<p>I’m also going to submit that we change our goal from providing easy access to affordable family planning services to “Difficult but not impossible is all women deserve!”</p>
<p>As far as availability, it does depend on location. I often think of my dinky home town in Iowa where it was difficult to get doctors to set up practices, and certainly no free clinics were available. So many of the issues involved in this kind of decision impact the poor who probably are not the ones responding to surveys either and saying they cannot afford it.</p>
<p>pug: I am confused. From your post, the base problem with access is being poor and rural…your clinic serves a poor and rural area providing BC services. How would forcing Catholic providers to include BC address the core problem of poor and rural. Is your clinic more difficult to reach than a local Catholic facility?</p>
<p>Dr.s employed by a Catholic provider can write scripts for BC pills all day any day. This script can be taken to your clinic for example…how about setting up a mechanism whereby the script is faxed to your facility and the medication is then USPS’d to the patient. There are creative and inexpensive/free (to the client) opportunities. It’s just easier demonize an organization that has always held this particular position.</p>
<p>Mini: The part that was overturned was the attempt to apply the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to the states through the 14th Amendment. It applies to actions of the federal government. </p>
<p>That law basically reinstated the rule that any law impinging on the free exercise of religion is looked at with the ‘strict scrutiny’ test, which is a high standard.</p>
<p>clairemarie, I’m confused by this:</p>
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<p>So then, it’s your position that employers should be able to pick and choose which employment laws they obey, depending on their claimed religious beliefs? </p>
<p>I don’t want to pay for birth control, it’s sinful. I don’t want to pay for lung cancer, Mormons are forbidden from smoking. I don’t want to pay for blood transfusions, I’m a Seventh Day Adventist. I don’t want to pay for psychiatric treatments, I’m a Scientologist.</p>
<p>Where does this end? My conscience forbids me from paying overtime? I have a religious objection to the building code? How can we possibly allow this?</p>
<p>If I’m a woman who cleans hospital rooms for a living, I’m entitled to get all the benefits the law prescribes. After all, I took the job because I needed a job, not out of sincere religious belief that I should change sheets. I’m probably not a Catholic. It’s just a job, and I’m entitled to my benefits. If the Catholic church wants to run a business, they have to follow the law.</p>
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<p>Wow, is this ignorance or smugness? </p>
<p>I grew up in rural Virginia and there was no where in my area to get free birth control. The closest Planned Parenthood location is in a neighboring state.</p>