It’s American health care, not Catholic

Much has been made by the offended religious of the implementation of the expanded contraception mandate being an infringement on their religious liberties. It is easy, even reflexive, to be offended when state rules are in conflict with your religious beliefs, but it misses some very important points as they apply to religious liberty.

First, it is the NIH, NAS, AMA, HHS and other scientific/secular bodies that define what health care is and is not in these United States. It is absolutely not the purview of religious organizations to define such. In a nutshell, we dispense health care here — we do not dispense Catholic health care.

Second, religious nonprofits are participants, like any other, in a vast, lucrative health care marketplace along with other secular nonprofit and for-profit entities. If an organization is offended by some characteristics of that marketplace, they are at liberty to not participate in that marketplace.

If the Catholic Church or any other institution were to walk away from their hospitals and clinics, there would be a long line of qualified, capable buyers to assume those operations with nary a hiccup. Of course, the Catholic Church would also be walking away from a numbingly large revenue stream and their bragging rights of being a major health care provider.

There also is offense taken by some religiously affiliated organizations that provide health coverage to their employees that they must provide products that include such contraception coverage. But 28 states already mandate contraceptive coverage in health insurance policies and religious organizations have not crumbled.

No offended religious adherent is required to utilize any of the covered contraceptive/reproductive services. No offended religious organization is required to participate in a marketplace that they find objectionable. No religious organization sits at the table that defines what is and is not health care.

Mike Bruno

Geneva