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Judi Lynn

(160,501 posts) Wed Mar 23, 2016, 06:32 AM Mar 2016

U.S. high court confronts Obamacare contraceptives challenge

Last edited Wed Mar 23, 2016, 09:17 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Reuters

Wed Mar 23, 2016 1:58am EDT

U.S. high court confronts Obamacare contraceptives challenge

WASHINGTON | By Lawrence Hurley

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider appeals by Christian groups demanding full exemption on religious grounds from a requirement under President Barack Obama's healthcare law to provide health insurance covering contraceptives.

The court was set to hear a 90-minute oral argument on seven related cases focusing on whether nonprofit entities that oppose the requirement for religious reasons can object under a 1993 U.S. law called the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act to a compromise measure offered by the Obama administration.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare, was passed by Congress over unified Republican opposition. It is considered Obama's signature legislative achievement. Conservatives have mounted numerous legal challenges to the law, with the Supreme Court in 2012 and 2015 issuing high-profile rulings leaving it intact.

Among the groups challenging the requirement is a Colorado-based order of Roman Catholic nuns called the Little Sisters of the Poor that runs care homes for the elderly.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-contraception-idUSKCN0WP0A9

Corrected link, thanks to a helpful DU'er. Sorry for the mistake.

10 replies

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Highlight:

U.S. high court confronts Obamacare contraceptives challenge (Original Post) Judi Lynn Mar 2016 OP

How far would this religious freedom go? greymattermom Mar 2016 #1

Seems like elderly women are already exempt. TreasonousBastard Mar 2016 #2

Your religious freedom stops farleftlib Mar 2016 #3

Do these people have a life? NonMetro Mar 2016 #4

Is there a link to the lower court ruling? 33taw Mar 2016 #5

Does this mean the conservative women, religious women do NOT use birth control. rladdi Mar 2016 #6

Religious will push the world to its greatest extent if we allow that. It is not about rladdi Mar 2016 #7

Reuters story updated at link: U.S. top court divided over Obamacare contraceptives challenge Eugene Mar 2016 #8

The extension of this challenge would be devastating elljay Mar 2016 #9

Wouldn't it be simple enough qwlauren35 Mar 2016 #10

greymattermom

(5,754 posts)

1. How far would this religious freedom go?

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 09:25 AM

Mar 2016

So if I have a religions objection to eating pork, can I prevent my employees from buying pork with their pay? Benefits are considered part of your annual compensation package, along with salary, right?

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)

2. Seems like elderly women are already exempt.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 09:26 AM

Mar 2016

farleftlib

(2,125 posts)

3. Your religious freedom stops

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 09:41 AM

Mar 2016

where my right to accepted and necessary forms of healthcare begins.

This is not a freedom of religion issue. It's giving bigots the opportunity to force their repressive beliefs down our unwilling throats.

NonMetro

(631 posts)

4. Do these people have a life?

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 10:34 AM

Mar 2016

What do these Nuns, Priests, and Bishops do all day? Sit around discussing the grave moral danger of contraceptives? What is this obsession of theirs with other people having sex all about? Seriously: why are all these holy-holy's so focused on what other people are doing in their bedrooms? And they're so "concerned" about being complicit by "authorizing" it? "Authorize?" What kind of exalted opinion do they have of themselves that they think they are "authorizing" everyone else to have sex without anyone getting pregnant?

I do wonder how many hours a day these holy people sit around thinking about sex. I think they do that a lot! Don't you?

33taw

(2,439 posts)

5. Is there a link to the lower court ruling?

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 11:17 AM

Mar 2016

rladdi

(581 posts)

6. Does this mean the conservative women, religious women do NOT use birth control.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 12:51 PM

Mar 2016

If so, GOD save this nation.

rladdi

(581 posts)

7. Religious will push the world to its greatest extent if we allow that. It is not about

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 12:53 PM

Mar 2016

religious beliefs since most Catholics and Christians use birth control. Very few use the withdrawn method.

Eugene

(61,843 posts)

8. Reuters story updated at link: U.S. top court divided over Obamacare contraceptives challenge

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 01:31 PM

Mar 2016

Source: Reuters

World | Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:50am EDT

U.S. top court divided over Obamacare contraceptives challenge

WASHINGTON

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to be headed toward a possible 4-4 split over a legal challenge launched by Christian groups demanding full exemption on religious grounds from a requirement under President Barack Obama's healthcare law to provide health insurance covering contraceptives.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, who often casts the deciding vote in close cases, appeared more aligned with the court’s three other conservatives in favoring the Christian groups. The court’s four liberals appeared likely to side with the Obama administration. Only eight justices are considering the case following the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in February.

The court heard a 90-minute oral argument on seven related cases focusing on whether nonprofit entities that oppose the requirement for religious reasons can object under a 1993 U.S. law called the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act to a compromise measure offered by the government.

A 4-4 split would leave in place lower court rulings that rejected the challenges mounted by the Christian groups but would set no national legal precedent.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-contraception-idUSKCN0WP0A9

elljay

(1,178 posts)

9. The extension of this challenge would be devastating

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 04:05 PM

Mar 2016

Catholic Health Association is the largest non-profit healthcare provider in the US, with more than 600 hospitals and 1400 facilities. In many places, the only local hospital is Catholic-affiliated. Imagine what would happen if these hospitals demanded to only provide Catholic-sanctioned healthcare? They are already refusing to perform abortions; what if they make decisions about prolonging life, about family planning, about medical procedures that are against the family's wishes, against best medical practices, but in accord with Catholic religious doctrine? The ACLU is suing Trinity Health on this very issue.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/853374

qwlauren35

(6,145 posts)

10. Wouldn't it be simple enough

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 07:33 PM

Mar 2016

to only hire people who don't use contraceptives? Catholic women? Women who are menopausal? Give them a questionnaire?

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