Obamacare's Contraceptive Mandate Challenged by Christian School

Health care law is back in the federal courts

Obamacare may be back in front of the Supreme Court this time next year after the court ordered the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to examine the issue of mandatory contraceptive coverage and the employer mandate, according to Politico.

Liberty University, a conservative Christian college, contends that Obamacare's contraceptive mandate violates the school's religious freedom, and that the employer mandate, which requires employers with over 50 employees to provide health coverage, goes beyond the power granted to Congress's under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause.

This case is separate from a 2010 lawsuit challenging the law's individual mandate, which was upheld in a 5-4 decision this June.

The school said the court's contentious summer decision didn't address the employer mandate or contraceptive coverage mandate. The court agreed. The Fourth Circuit should hear oral arguments next spring, Politico reports, though no date is set.

The Obama administration, Bloomberg reports, hasn't objected to Liberty's case.

Via Politico and Bloomberg

Should employers be required to provide contraceptives, even if it goes against their faith?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

There is a natural contraceptive known as abstinence. obama does not have the authority, right, nor mandate to shove his family planning values down the throats of a patriotic conservative Christian college. Amen to Liberty University (beautiful name, btw), fight the good fight!

[Jet_Silverman]

Once an organization steps outside of a purely religious role, they should have to follow the same rules everybody else does.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@Jet_Silverman - I disagree. I believe this college should not be forced to violate its principles. This college had these beliefs before obama took office and should not be forced to abandon those beliefs. The war on Christianity will be defeated. I hope Liberty University stays strong and fights this unholy and unjust law until the end.

[dances-weebles]

then you abstain... but don't expect normal people to do so.

[Jet_Silverman]

@Neo_NtheMatrix they can keep their beliefs. We would be much better off and much more advanced without Christianity. It's pure superstition. If only getting rid of Christianity were as simple as making a school buy insurance.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@dances-weebles - I'm married, and I can afford more kids so I'm not worried. I'm talking about the ones who don't want to take responsibility for themselves and would rather rob hard working taxpayers to pay for their contraception. It's not morally or ethically just. It's wrong and we will not take this lying down. More power to Liberty U.

[Litdes]

Religious freedom is a personal, not institutional freedom. To allow institutions tosubstitite their judgment or morals views for individuals violates the first and fourteenth amendment's.

[FFX_VA]

The same was said about freedom of speech until the Supreme Court said otherwise in the Citizens United case.

[Litdes]

@FFX_VA citizens united did not address freedom of religion. The decision is also irreparably logically flawed. It will be overturned upon appeal eventually, because the legal reasoning behind it is, at best, dubious.

[MongoAPillager]

is this college a private institution ?if so they are allowed to make policy as they see fit,but I hope no one is fooled into thinking this issue has anything to do with wo new rights,its just a made up justification,a vehicle if you will

[Litdes]

@MongoAPillager no institution, private or otherwise, may subvert the free will of individuals. Which is to say they may not reject reality, and substitute their own.

Freedom of speech and free will are still in play.

[MongoAPillager]

@MongoAPillager @$4^ touchpad. Women's rights

[jessejaymes]

Simply unbelievable that the right wing cares so much about abortion yet they oppose other birth control. But why wouldn't they? They care so much for the fetus but so little for the child once born.

[Jet_Silverman]

They just want to punish women for having sex.

[jessejaymes]

@Jet_Silverman I am not in favor of abortion beyond incest, rape, mother's life but you get that down by promoting cheaper, easier, more accessible alternatives. I think you may be right. The right wing just wants to put women "in their place". Kinda like the Taliban.

[Jet_Silverman]

@jessejaymes I'm not in favor of abortion, just choice. It seems to me to make a lot more sense to use birth control, but no birth control method is perfect. Well, except for waiting. (Until you reach menopause.) :)

[LGRepublican]

The same logic could be applied to the left as well. Why is it a "a woman's body" and her "choice" until that choice means taking responsibility for using means to NOT get pregnant, then it suddenly becomes someone else's problem. By the same token, why is it a "woman's choice" to have an abortion and the man has no say but if the woman decides to have the child the man needs to take responsibility? BTW, I'm a pro choice Republican.....

[jessejaymes]

@LGRepublican So you are in favor of men controlling women?

[MongoAPillager]

this administration cares not about contraception one way or another,what they are seeking is legal precedent to carry on their march against the christian ideology

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

The war against Christianity is real. Yet, liberals can't afford to admit to it.

[martydotcom]

@Neo_NtheMatrix Just have a single payer, let the individual decide what policy coverage they want not the employer

[Litdes]

@Neo_NtheMatrix the reality is quite to the contrary. Religion may be assaulting the areligious, however. No one is stopping you from believing whatever fiction you care to believe. That religion may NEVER carry the weight if law.

[Jet_Silverman]

@Neo_NtheMatrix wish it were real. Imagine how much more our society could have achieved if it didn't constantly have to fight against Christianity in order to progress.

[MongoAPillager]

out of chaos comes order.create the problem for which you already have the solution

[DerivePI]

As already determined by the Supreme Court, the government isn't requiring healthcare insurance to be provided by the employer, its just "taxing" said employer in the event certain healthcare insurance requirements aren't provided. The obvious solution for Liberty College is to drop insurance coverage for its employees and pay the tax.

[PNWest]

Sounds reasonable to me.

[LGRepublican]

Or they could just cut everyone's hours under 30, forcing people to buy their own. That's what many employers are either doing or planning on doing.

[Libertyiskey]

So say they do that paying a tax penalty and have to lay off employees and cut wages on them. Then the union they're part of makes the school pay more causing them to go bankrupt and shut down and this school were people could go to school is shut down and now people seeking their education are out of luck.

So they don't want to do something and you think it's ok to make them do it or make them pay more money not to do it. What's wrong with freedom of choice? If people want to go or work for a college that provides contraceptives in their insurance then let them, if they want to go or work somewhere that doesn't provide insurance let them do that as well.

Why must the government be involved in this?

[DerivePI]

@Libertyiskey - because we lost.

[paperdragons81]

Awsome keep em tied in court till we can get rid of it, I hope more americans will challenge till we can get rid of it!!

[martydotcom]

Great, another blow for women. Just because you pay for insurance that someone else determines may be used for contraception does not mean you are for contraception. Know what stops abortions? Contraception! if ever there was a reason to have a individual obtain their own insurance (single payer) rather than employer sponsored this is it

[dances-weebles]

yes.

[mimi57]

No, if it goes against their beliefs they should not be required to provide it. Prayer was taken out of school because a fraction of a percent was against it. Nativity Scenes are not permitted because the atheists are
"offended" by it. If you don't like the beliefs of the Christian School, leave and go where your beliefs are embraced. Non- Christians do not want Christian views pushed on them and I agree. However, those who
find the beliefs of that school contradictory to what they believe, should find a school or workplace that can
accomodate those beliefs. It's all about attention...the "war" on women...Please!

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

It's not a war on women, it's a war on Christianity. As long as faithful Christians like you and I remain vigilant, we will not have to worry about obama forcing his family planning values down our throats. Go Liberty U!

[Tralee]

Exactly! If you are working for a Catholic school or hospital or charity, you know going in the rules, if you can't abide by them, get a different job. A teacher lost her job and lost her court case at Ursuline Academy right here in DE because her name was bold and beautiful on a full page add of Pro-Abortion women. She lost her job, tried to sue and lost because Ursuline is a private Catholic school for girls (mu daughter went there), all teachers had to support the teachings of the Church and what they thought privately, was their business, but to have her name published in the paper was just too much.

[hwyangel]

I so agree. I mean , personally I don't drink so I don't go to bars. I don't care for 99% of television programming so I don't own a TV, I don't believe in porn so don't go to adult book stores. It would be really nice if people could adopt the same attitude of respect and "tolerance" concerning things like Christian schools, boy scouts, and Christian hospitals and clinics.

[Ashstop]

NO!!! Obama is the most anti Christian president we've ever had, if it was another religion besides Christian the original mandate would have had opt out options included!

[Hireman]

Simply, no. Employers pay for labor. Prevention of a result from an optional action should rely solely on the individual

[CanisCanemEdit]

IMO: WHEN there is a conflict between the job you have and the coverage you want, perhaps you should look for another position that has the benefits you seek.

[FollowTheMoney]

NO

[bsking]

no. only atheist employers should be forced to supply birth control. it can't go against their believe because they don't have any

[Kellso]

NO!

[MRMacrum]

No employer is required to provide contraception. The question was poorly worded. This is about insurance companies being required to pay for contraception as part of a benefits package. There is nobody requiring anyone to take advantage of contraception. Maybe the Christian school should make their employees sign a Norquist type pledge to not use contraception if they are so against it. This is just another attack on the Affordable Healthcare Act.

[whataGOVwehave]

Well its cheaper than abortions

[FollowTheMoney]

What ever happens with Obama-care, Congress needs to live with the same programs they force on us.

[jeffbrightone]

Clearly, the Supreme Court led by Justice Roberts caused major damage to the US Constitution and undermining the freedom and liberty of every American as Roberts surprisingly called the denouncing of American basic human right "a tax". Roberts appeasement to Obama and the fact that he found the twisted way to approve the Obama care bill made the Supreme Court to lose much of its reputation as defender of the US Constitution and the American people found that they cannot trust the Supreme Court when it prefers to appease Obama rather than protect the rights of the American people. Therefore, any decision of the Supreme Court is unpredictable and changes direction faster than the wind.

[seedtick]

This is not about how each person feels about contraception. It is about a government mandate that forces an organization to go against its Christian beliefs. I don't care whether you agree with a particular belief or not, you must respect a person or organizations right to believe as they please. Anyone can use a contraceptive device if they choose to do so....but they should pay for it themselves.
the SCOTUS got it right on this.

[Denizen_Kate]

This is not about forcing a religious organization to conform to non-religious rules. This is about a church doing business as a corporation, then expecting that the rules coverning corporations don't apply to them. If a religious organization does not want to comply to the rules governing businesses, they should stay out of business.

[seedtick]

@Denizen_Kate Sorry, Kate, guess who started many of the early colleges in our country? That's right...churches. They don't force anyone to go to church or to enroll in religious studies. And, if you don't want to enroll there because they are a religious school, you don't have to. Neither do you have to work or teach there if you don't wish to. These schools are not funded by tax dollars because they are private schools. So, to mandate how they spend their money is wrong. And, besides that, contraception is not healthcare.

[CoreyMondello]

Its a federal law, it should be respected. Many didnt want to respect federal las that make a black person 100% human either, but they had to regardless of the states laws. Conservative Christians are such babies, they also whinned when Thomas Jefferson told them that making Quakers fund their churches wasnt nice, and not lynching too. Christians are in the majority in the USA but always claim victim. They have laws protecting them more than any other group in the USA. they are a disgrace and are destroying the country. id like to outlaw them and bring back some roman laws that allowed tossing them into lion pits for entertainment.