as seen on tv
Senator
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-court-contraceptives-20140324,0,7435606.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fnation+(L.A.+Times+-+National+News)#axzz2wsj12Zhq
On Tuesday the supreme court will hear arguments by Hobby Lobby – a store chain founded by fundamentalist Christians – that the Obamacare's requirement that cover birth control is a violation of religious freedom. I’m not sure why SCOTUS agreed to hear this case. On the face of it, there doesn’t seem to be much merit. When secular law meets religious dogma, secular law wins. Allowing dogma to prevail would be a violation of the separation of church and state.
An analogy – let’s imagine there’s another business operated by fundamentalists. “Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)-mented.” Their Islamic view is that the will of Allah, as revealed by his prophet Mohammed, is that unbelievers should be killed without mercy, on the spot. Thus, their “good book” compels them to blow up kids waiting in line to see “The Lion King” or spectators at the Boston Marathon. To refrain from blowing up random people puts their souls in jeopardy of eternal damnation, they would argue.
This is, of course, a preposterous example. But the principle is the same. Religious sentiment cannot trump laws passed by congress – no matter how popular the religion or unpopular the congress. If you don’t like the law, then repeal it. Don’t seek redress from religious sympathizers in the courts.
If religious dogma could trump duly passed laws, then slavery would never have been abolished; plural marriages would be commonplace; and pre-teen girls would be sold like livestock at “Bride Mart”.
Obamacare, as unpopular and flawed as it is, doesn’t compel the founders and employees of Hobby Lobby to actually USE birth control; just to purchase an insurance policy where birth control one of about 150,000 other covered procedures
If the law COMPELLED birth control – or abortion – like the Chinese Government does – then I’d be siding with Hobby Lobby. But not on religious grounds. On the basis of human rights, instead.
On Tuesday the supreme court will hear arguments by Hobby Lobby – a store chain founded by fundamentalist Christians – that the Obamacare's requirement that cover birth control is a violation of religious freedom. I’m not sure why SCOTUS agreed to hear this case. On the face of it, there doesn’t seem to be much merit. When secular law meets religious dogma, secular law wins. Allowing dogma to prevail would be a violation of the separation of church and state.
An analogy – let’s imagine there’s another business operated by fundamentalists. “Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)-mented.” Their Islamic view is that the will of Allah, as revealed by his prophet Mohammed, is that unbelievers should be killed without mercy, on the spot. Thus, their “good book” compels them to blow up kids waiting in line to see “The Lion King” or spectators at the Boston Marathon. To refrain from blowing up random people puts their souls in jeopardy of eternal damnation, they would argue.
This is, of course, a preposterous example. But the principle is the same. Religious sentiment cannot trump laws passed by congress – no matter how popular the religion or unpopular the congress. If you don’t like the law, then repeal it. Don’t seek redress from religious sympathizers in the courts.
If religious dogma could trump duly passed laws, then slavery would never have been abolished; plural marriages would be commonplace; and pre-teen girls would be sold like livestock at “Bride Mart”.
Obamacare, as unpopular and flawed as it is, doesn’t compel the founders and employees of Hobby Lobby to actually USE birth control; just to purchase an insurance policy where birth control one of about 150,000 other covered procedures
If the law COMPELLED birth control – or abortion – like the Chinese Government does – then I’d be siding with Hobby Lobby. But not on religious grounds. On the basis of human rights, instead.
