Last week President Barack Obama announced that insurance plans must cover birth control free of charge. This was a huge step for women’s rights, but the Roman Catholic Church is still fighting the issue.
Federal officials granted the church a yearlong extension to begin providing these services, and gave insurance companies until Aug. 1 to comply. However, this extension — which also means employees of church-affiliated organizations have to wait a year for these benefits — does not make the church happy.
Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the Washington Post, “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences. The Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand.”
The Catholic Church is against birth control because it believes use of contraceptives promotes sexual activity outside of marriage. Acting on this belief often leads to unplanned pregnancies, and even abortion. It has been proven time and again that prohibition does not work. Catholics are against abortion because it kills a fetus, but if birth control and contraceptives were more widely available the number of abortions would decrease.
Using birth control does not mean a woman is promiscuous, and even if it did it is her right to do what she wishes with her body. It may mean that women are having sex before marriage, but most people do. A study by the federal National Survey of Family Growth showed 95 percent of the respondents have had premarital sex, which means some Catholic’s have to be included in this number. Access to birth control just means they can participate safely in something they are already doing. At the same time, no one is forcing them to use birth control.
Although birth control is primarily used as a contraceptive, it has other health benefits as well. It can reduce menstrual pains such as abdominal cramps, back pain, headaches and a range of other symptoms. It can also assist women who have issues with abnormal periods.
There are many reasons to make birth control available and none to restrict it. President Obama’s decision is a victory, despite how strongly the Catholic Church might feel about it. Religion doesn’t have a place in the government anyway, much less insurance companies.
– See more at: file:///Volumes/argonaut$/stories/sections/opinion/stories/2012/Jan/27/separation_of_church.html#sthash.vJyALQtq.dpuf
Federal officials granted the church a yearlong extension to begin providing these services, and gave insurance companies until Aug. 1 to comply. However, this extension — which also means employees of church-affiliated organizations have to wait a year for these benefits — does not make the church happy.
Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the Washington Post, “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences. The Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand.”
The Catholic Church is against birth control because it believes use of contraceptives promotes sexual activity outside of marriage. Acting on this belief often leads to unplanned pregnancies, and even abortion. It has been proven time and again that prohibition does not work. Catholics are against abortion because it kills a fetus, but if birth control and contraceptives were more widely available the number of abortions would decrease.
Using birth control does not mean a woman is promiscuous, and even if it did it is her right to do what she wishes with her body. It may mean that women are having sex before marriage, but most people do. A study by the federal National Survey of Family Growth showed 95 percent of the respondents have had premarital sex, which means some Catholic’s have to be included in this number. Access to birth control just means they can participate safely in something they are already doing. At the same time, no one is forcing them to use birth control.
Although birth control is primarily used as a contraceptive, it has other health benefits as well. It can reduce menstrual pains such as abdominal cramps, back pain, headaches and a range of other symptoms. It can also assist women who have issues with abnormal periods.
There are many reasons to make birth control available and none to restrict it. President Obama’s decision is a victory, despite how strongly the Catholic Church might feel about it. Religion doesn’t have a place in the government anyway, much less insurance companies.
– See more at: file:///Volumes/argonaut$/stories/sections/opinion/stories/2012/Jan/27/separation_of_church.html#sthash.vJyALQtq.dpuf