In contraception battle, both sides overreach
From USA Today
The continuing battle between the Obama administration and the Catholic Church over birth control, almost 50 years after the issue was settled for virtually all women in the U.S., can be summed up in one word: overreach.
President Obama wants virtually all women who get health insurance at work to receive free birth control as part of their plans. That’s a laudable goal, but one with constitutional limits. Though churches were exempted, the Catholic Church bristled at the idea that its affiliated organizations — Catholic colleges, charities, hospitals — were being told to increase access to birth control, contrary to the dictates of the faith. And rightly so.
After weeks of heavy pressure, the administration beat a partial retreat. But then the church overreached. It sued to get the contraception mandate tossed out — for all employers, not just religious ones. In effect, it is attempting to apply its view of contraception to non-Catholics. Never mind that huge majorities of Catholics ignore the church’s teachings on contraception.
[Full article here]