In regards to the people who oppose the White House contraception insurance mandate, here’s what I say:
This mandate (though “mandate” is a scary, forceful sounding word) does not, in fact, force people to take birth control. It just expands insurance coverage to include birth control, among a long list of other things beneficial for women’s health like annual pap smears, breast exams, etc. If you truly believe that people should not be using birth control, then fine. Do not use birth control! Try and make a strong case to individual people as to why they should not use birth control. Talk to your neighbors, friends, etc.
But whatever you do, don’t use the government to propagate your religious beliefs. Separation of Church and State exists because we have lots of people in this country who believe different things. We have people who believe that some guy walked on water and was really good at banging out Filet-o-Fish sandwiches. There are also people in this country who believe cats are the devil’s familiars (they are), who think the moon landing was faked (*coughElicough*), who wipe standing up (how?!). We’ve got Mormons, Quakers, lizard people, etc. Just as (I’m guessing) you don’t want to live under Sharia Law, I don’t care to live under Canon Law or any other kind of religious edicts either. Even among the Christian community, many different denominations consider birth control to be acceptable, appropriate, and certainly not an equivalent to “murder” or even abortion (which is a whole ‘nother box of matches; I’ll talk about this some day when I feel like getting my blog firebombed).
Let’s talk about birth control and how awesome it is, and why some people would choose to take it. Many sexually promiscuous single ladies use birth control, it’s true. They have every right to, because it’s their bodies. (I personally think ALL sexually active single ladies should be on it, but again, it’s their bodies and I do not have the right to force them to do this). Many married couples also use birth control. They are healthy, happy, and having sex like couples who love each other are wont to do, within the confines of a committed relationship, recognized by their pastors and priests and God and such. They use birth control because hey, we are still in a recession, and not surprisingly, the Duggar lifestyle isn’t terribly appealing to most American families right about now. (Or any time). In addition to the main function of allowing a woman to choose not having kids just fall out of her uterus annually, it also helps relieve menstrual pain and regulate flow. I have a number of friends who are not currently sexually active, but use birth control anyway so that they don’t turn into “Carrie at the prom” every month. It also helps some women who have acne problems. There are many merits to taking birth control, only some of which allow total hussies to keep on hussying.*
In sum, your right to exercise freedom of religion does NOT entail the right to force your religious beliefs upon me, or anyone else who does not believe the exact same thing as you.
I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote…I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.
…Whatever issue may come before me as president — on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject — I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise.
–John F. Kennedy
* – straight up hussyin’ is totally okay in my book. Not sure about those of you reading older editions.
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