CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Legal analysts warned that the government\u2019s new proposals on the HHS mandate do little to expand religious freedom protections for employers that object to it.<\/p>\n\t\u201cThis unilateral redefinition of religious freedom undermines the sanctity of religious freedom for all people,\u201d said legal expert Brian Walsh, \u201ceven those who are not affected and have no objection to these products and services.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tWalsh, the executive director of the American Religious Freedom program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, spoke with CNA on Feb. 4 about the latest development regarding the federal contraception mandate.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe idea that the administration can unilaterally make these decisions should be concerning for all people of faith,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\tOn Feb. 1, the Obama administration announced its intent to modify the federal contraception mandate, which requires employers to offer health insurance coverage of contraception \u2013 including some drugs that can cause early abortions \u2013 and sterilization.<\/p>\n
\tReligious organizations and businesses owners who have conscientious objections to these requirements have contested the requirement. More than 40 lawsuits are currently challenging the mandate on the grounds of religious freedom.<\/p>\n
\tThe Obama administration said that it would simplify the terms under which an objecting employer may qualify for a religious exemption, dropping requirements that such groups exist to inculcate religious beliefs and both hire and serve primarily members of their own faiths.<\/p>\n
\tReligious groups do not qualify for the exemption are instead offered an \u201caccommodation\u201d under which their employees will be offered a parallel health insurance plan that covers the objectionable products and procedures.<\/p>\n
\tThe government argues that this contraception coverage can be offered for free because it decreases childbirths and provides women with health benefits that lower their overall health care costs.<\/p>\n
\tHowever, the administration\u2019s announcement has drawn criticism for failing to address the religious liberty concerns surrounding the mandate.<\/p>\n
\tThe Alliance Defending Freedom \u2013 which is handling several religious freedom lawsuits challenging the regulation \u2013 explained that the \u201cnew exemption is simpler than before but continues to cover only a sliver of religious organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThis is because the exemption still relies upon a section of tax code that categorizes churches, their conventions, auxiliaries and religious orders, the group explained in a Feb. 1 blog post.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cStill not covered by the new exemption\u201d the blog post explained, \u201care virtually all non-church religious nonprofit organizations,\u201d including aid organizations, hospitals, schools, independent food pantries and religious publishers.<\/p>\n
\tWalsh agreed what while \u201ca few more ministries\u201d are now exempt, \u201cthe mandate itself is just as objectionable and offensive as it was when it was issued a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tFor those groups that fall under the accommodation, he said, the government has proposed \u201cnothing more than an accounting gimmick,\u201d which many religious employers still consider morally unacceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tHe also observed that non-religious employers that object to providing the contraceptive coverage are offered no relief under the mandate.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI think what\u2019s most deeply disturbing,\u201d Walsh said of the revision, \u201cis that after a year of internal deliberation, the administration still believes that it has the power, on its own, to redefine American religious freedom and restrict protections of those freedoms in a way the federal government has never before considered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tRep. Chris Smith (R- N.J.), who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus in the House, also spoke out against the announcement.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe so-called new policy is the discredited old policy, dressed up to look like something else,\u201d he said in a Feb. 1 statement.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe mandate remains a serious violation of religious freedom,\u201d he said. \u201cOnly the most na\u00efve or gullible would accept this as a change in policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tSmith explained that the proposed changes are \u201cneither an \u2018accommodation\u2019 nor a compromise,\u201d as they offer \u201cno relief for small businesses run by people of faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIn addition, he said, the new proposal offers no real option for charities, hospitals or schools that wish to provide insurance that \u201cdoes not violate their moral or religious beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tOrganizations that cannot in good conscience accept the terms of the \u201caccommodation\u201d could face \u201cruinous fines,\u201d Smith observed, and if these organizations are forced to shut down, it would harm the most vulnerable members of society, whom they serve.<\/p>\n
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Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2013 \/ 04:06 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Legal analysts warned that the government’s new proposals on the HHS mandate do little to expand religious freedom protections for employers that object to it.<\/p>\n
\t“This unilateral red…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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