Notre Dame Sues Over Obama Birth Control Mandate

[shawn703]

Source: ABC News

The University of Notre Dame is suing Obama administration officials over the mandate requiring most employers to cover birth control.

The school said Monday that the mandate violates religious freedom by requiring many religiously affiliated hospitals, schools and charities to comply. President Barack Obama offered to soften the mandate to accommodate religious groups, but U.S. Roman Catholic bishops say the change doesn't go far enough.

Other religious colleges are already suing the Health and Human Service agency and administration officials over the mandate. Still, observers had been closely watching for Notre Dame's next step.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/notre-dame-sues-obama-birth-control-mandate-16395444

[atreides1]

1. Okay

Then the federal government needs to make sure that none of these "affiliated" hospitals, schools and charities are collecting any tax payer money!

[still_one]

10. That is actually the answer, but instead they want to have it both ways. No one forces anyone to

take birth control.

Maybe the church doesn't realize they are not in charge of all people, and there are non-Catholics who work at Notre Dame

[Great Caesars Ghost]

14. Well said!!!!!

Comply or lose federal funding.

[Larkspur]

2. ND is my alma mater but I don't agree with her in this case

but I'm not surprised that she filed the lawsuit.

Hopefully, the Courts will see that the onus is on the insurance companies to provide birth control and not the religious affiliated institutions.

[polichick]

3. TAX these religious organizations to the max!

[Dawson Leery]

4. End all taxpayer subsidies to Notre Dame.

Should I ever have children, there is NO chance they will ever attend any school with a religious affiliation.

[Iliyah]

5. Agreed

it time to tax these religious groups.

[HockeyMom]

6. Not just Catholic Universities, schools, etc.

There is also a class action suit by PRIVATE Catholic business owners. A bishop issued a statement saying that any private business who pays for birth control, is committing a MORTAL SIN, in addition to the woman using it.

[SharonAnn]

7. Bachelors in dresses. Supposedly celibate men wanting to control women.

What's wrong with this picture?

Honestly, they're offending more of the remaining practicing Catholics than they realize.

[aquamarina]

8. This is just one more reason

why private health insurance offered by employers DOES NOT WORK. If the government offered insurance then each family or person could pick the coverage they need with no interference from anyone or anything else.

[longship]

9. ND, you want to play in the political sphere? That's fine with me as long as you pay taxes.

At, not the corporate rate, but the personal rate for the middle and lower classes that you so shamefully prey on.

Screw them.

[jwirr]

11. Why can they sue when they are exempted?

[DallasNE]

12. I Truly Don't Understand The Problem

Last edited Tue May 22, 2012, 12:49 PM - Edit history (1)

I have heard both sides of the argument but it seems like a huge stretch to say that this prevents Church affiliated institutions from practicing their religion. How? There is no cost involved and just because there is coverage does not mean anyone has to take advantage of the coverage. It seems to me the Catholic Church wants the government to be the enforcement arm of the Church on wayward members that would apply for the benefit and that would be a clear violation of the establishment clause. In other words, the Catholic Church is misapplying the First Amendment by saying that the language following the "OR" applies when what they propose would trigger the language before the "OR".

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR prohibiting the free exercise thereof

[cstanleytech]

13. I say fine have an opt out option for them and others like them.

And after that tack on a provision that no federal money can be spent or loaned to schools that opt out including federal student loans.