Catholic Church Doesn't Like Mandatory Preventative Care for Women

The Catholic Church is unhappy. Last month, some provisions of the new health care bill went into effect. Included in that initial group of provisions is the requirement that new health care policies include coverage for preventative care — everything from cancer screenings to vaccinations to birth control. Guess which one of those things the Catholic Church has a problem with?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services asking that certain reproductive health care services — such as birth control and voluntary sterilization — not be included in the provision. Since the Catholic Church frowns upon women taking full ownership of their reproductive lives, they are loathe to offer their female employees the opportunity to do just that. In fact, they feel it is unfair to all Catholic employers, not just the Church.

The fact that non-Catholics are employed by Catholic groups does not matter to them. The realities of unplanned, unwanted pregnancies does not phase them. The simple, obvious truth the mandatory coverage for birth control does not mean mandatory use of birth control does not deter them.  That millions of American women who aren't Catholic and don't work for Catholic organizations would lose this reproductive health coverage in the process probably does not sound like a bad thing to them.

Well, it is a bad thing. Church or not, employers do not have the right to force their views on your health care. To suggest that some women shouldn't get equal rights and access because of their religion is, frankly, Un-American. Dr. Tiller, the abortion provider murdered last year, had a slogan: Trust Women. Though I doubt they'd ever listen to that advice, the Catholic Church could learn a thing or two from him. Trust women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families, and you don't need to literally make a federal case over contraceptive access.

Photo credit: OliverN5