Church outside Seattle sues state over mandatory abortion coverage

The Bothell-based Cedar Park Church, a religious right bastion in secular, liberal terrain, is suing to overturn a state law requiring that health insurers offering maternity care coverage also cover abortion services.

The challenge is to the Reproductive Parity Act, championed by such groups as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, and signed into law last year by Gov. Jay Inslee.

"We are resisting the state imposing their religious belies on the church under penalty of fines and imprisonment," Rev. Joe Fuiten, pastor emeritus and a longtime Christian conservative activist, wrote in a Facebook message.

"We're standing for the rights of people of faith to not be forced into being complicit with something inconsistent with our faith," added Rev. Jay Smith, senior pastor at the church.

Cedar Park, an Assembly of God congregation, draws about 1,500 worshipers on a given Sunday, and has 185 employees to whom it offers health coverage.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/church-outside-seattle-sues-state-over-mandatory-abortion-coverage/ar-BBUJTaK