The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ignored the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in ruling that Belmont Abbey College must include health care coverage for artificial contraceptives for employees of the college.
Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society sent a letter to the EEOC, stating:
It is ironic that the federal agency responsible for protecting against discrimination has so blatantly engaged in an inexcusable violation of religious liberty in its Belmont Abbey ruling.Belmont Abbey President William Thierfelder adds:
No Catholic college or other institution should be required by government to violate the Catholic Church’s clear moral teachings.
As a Roman Catholic institution, Belmont Abbey College is not able to and will not offer nor subsidize medical services that contradict the clear teaching of the Catholic Church.Reilly and Thierfelder make good points, but I'm not entirely convinced. A Catholic college hires non-Catholic employees. Offering contraceptives in the employee health care plan is not the same thing as endorsing their use.
However, there is a legitimate issue regarding government mandates increasing the cost of health care. When the government requires a health care plan to include additional coverage, it increases the cost of the coverage.
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