The Patriot Post® · 'Accommodation' for Contraception Mandate

The Obama administration on Friday released its final rule on ObamaCare’s contraception mandate. In short, Barack Obama has responded to losing the court case against Hobby Lobby and finding himself somewhat limited in forcing business owners with religious objections to abortive contraceptives to provide those contraceptives to employees. But his response is essentially a mandate to do it anyway. “Women across the country should have access to preventive services, including contraception,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell. “At the same time, we recognize the deeply held views on these issues, and we are committed to securing women’s access to important preventive services at no additional cost under the Affordable Care Act, while respecting religious beliefs.” All women have access to birth control at their local Walgreens. The issue is who pays for it, because it ain’t free. In effect, the government is dictating what companies must provide, and then placing the burden of proof and exemption on those employers. According to O. Carter Snead of Notre Dame University, “In effect, the final rule allows the government (through the Department of Labor) to hijack the employer’s own contract and forcibly modify it in a way that contradicts the sincerely held beliefs of the employer.” As with any number of other leftist social engineering schemes, some “rights” are more equal than others. And when two are in conflict, the religious liberty of Christians will always be sacrificed on the altar of leftist social preferences.

Update, July 14: Ask the Little Sisters of the Poor how the “accommodation” is working out. Not well.