After President Obama came up with a compromise for his plan of mandating free contraception, Catholic bishops around the nation have protested. They do not want Catholic hospitals and medical institutions to pay for birth control as they are opposed to it anyway. For an article discussing this issue, please see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/contraception-debate-catholic-usccb-tension_n_1333524.html
Obama’s plan was to make contraceptives coverage free because not everyone has the money to pay for it even when they need it. These bishops need to realize that there is a separation between church and state. While they have a point by saying their Catholic Hospitals should not be paying for something they do not believe in, if a Catholic institute is the only way a person can receive healthcare that person should be able to get contraceptives if needed. Health care should not be based on a religion. It should be based on what it best for the patient. To help someone ease their life is better than complicating it just because of a religion. While religion is important, you should not force it onto someone who has a different religion. These bishops should not be appealing to the government because church and state are supposed to be two different things. Do you think these bishops are right to try and deny these people access to contraceptives?
This post makes me think about the 14th amendment which is the Full faith and credit clause. This makes it so the government ensures fairness amongst everyone. This means that if he were to force the Catholic hospitals to carry birth control pills, they would have to force everyone to carry them, they can not just force one religion, or sect. I also agree that there should be a separation between church and state, and that people should not be restricted on whether or not they can have their birth control if they can not afford it. There are always some people that are not the most religious for example, if they are catholic, but do not always follow their faith closely. Therefore they would want to go to a Catholic hospital, but could still want birth control pills. I feel that this should be the same through all religion. I personally think that everyone should have to carry Contraceptives for those who can not afford them, and not to deprive those same people of something they need based on their religion.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's vital for the option whether or not someone uses contraceptives to be available. On the flip side of that, hospitals could be able to choose whether or not to carry the drugs as well. If it's against someone's ethics to use birth control, don't prescribe them to your patients. The article even talks about how there is indecision amongst the bishops about what to do with this piece of legislature. The fact is that women don't have to use contraceptives, that IS a choice, and something that people shouldn't mess with. Officials in the Catholic hierarchy are upset about that fact, and the idea of contraceptives being readily available upsets them. Not only do these men have no place in the clearly separated affairs of State, but they have no place in the bodies of the Ameircan woman.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think contraceptives and birth control should be available to everyone. In my views, I don't think it's right to deny anyone contraceptives. If it's part of the Catholic Religion for a couple to wait to have sex until they are married, that should be a personal matter. If Catholic institutions don't want to pay for contraceptives for their employees or students that should be their choice, but I do think it would be to their disadvantage. There has been a lot in the news lately about law student Sandra Fluke of Georgetown University(an institution of Roman Catholic affiliation), being scrutinized for arguing that birth control should be provided to female students. Apparently that makes her a “slut” according to Rush Limbaugh. She talked about how expensive birth control and contraceptives could potentially be, and he turned it into that she has so much sex she's running out of money, and that she's wanting to be paid to have sex through having her contraceptives paid for. This is extremely degrading her and really to all women. Men, like Rush Limbaugh are talking shit as if they don't have sex at all. Has anyone else heard anything on this topic?
ReplyDeleteI also agree with some of Healey's points, that no one should be denied contraceptives, as well as that it is a personal matter. It should not be up to the hospital to chose whether or not the person can have the contraceptives but the person. I think it can be offered but not forced upon some one and able to be rejected. This is where i believe that someone should be able to make their own choices. Also i think it might be a good idea to have a warning, if a hospital knows someone is very religious maybe warn them before giving this to them just so they can also know what they are getting them selves into.
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