This letter argues that requiring religious employers to pay for birth control, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs compromises their religious freedom. The letter supports the Blunt Amendment and Arizona Birth Control Bill, which aim to exempt religious employers from being forced to provide or pay for preventative services they object to on moral grounds. While people have a right to access these services, no one should be forced to violate their beliefs by paying for others' services.

1. Letter to the editorWhen I read control is wrong. Therefore, evidence of a medical necessity nies. Also, there is a big, moral
Bailey Za- forcing religious employers to to the corporation, which many difference between Viagra and
putil’s ar- pay for these things compro- critics have called an invasion birth control. According to
ticle “What mises their religious and moral of privacy, state Representa- some religious beliefs, birth
the Hell?” beliefs. If they refuse to com- tion Debbie Lesko, sponsor of control is comparable to abor-
in the April ply, they will be heavily fined. the bill, has clarified the term tion. In other words, using
edition of Luckily, the HHS Mandate “corporation.” She has stated birth control is killing some-
The Torch, has a way for religious employ- that the woman would need to one who might have been con-
my first ers to opt out of paying, right? provide the evidence to the in- ceived. (It is important for me
thought was Wrong. In fact, most religious surance company, and she has to state here that not everyone
“What the hell?” but for a very employers do not fit the re- said that she intends to amend shares this belief, but there are
different reason. Miss Zaputil quirements to opt out. To fit the bill to say “insurance com- many who do.) Viagra does not
seems to be under the same the requirement, the employer prevent concep-
delusion as the Obama Admin- must employ and serve mostly tion, therefore it
“
istration: that the payment people of the same beliefs. This is not considered
for birth control is a women’s excludes religious hospitals, It does not matter what morally wrong in
rights issue. charities, schools, and other some religions like
Women are free to use birth organizations who serve the beliefs you hold, everyone can Catholicism.
control. Abortion is perfectly general public. agree that forcing others to Miss Zaputil at-
legal. Men are within their Both the Blunt Amendment go against their own beliefs is tempts to make
rights to have surgery to be and the Arizona Birth Control unconstitutional. this an issue over
sterilized. These things are be- Bill attempt to protect reli- women’s sexual-
tween the patient and his or gious employers from being ity and women’s
her doctor. The issue that both forced to contribute to things rights. I wish to
the Blunt Amendment and the they deem immoral. The Blunt pany” instead of “corporation.” make very clear that this is-
Arizona Birth Control Bill at- Amendment seeks to protect This process of providing sue is over religious freedom.
tempt to address is who should any religious employer from evidence to an insurance com- I will say that women have ev-
pay for contraceptives, steril- having to pay for preventa- pany that a drug is medically ery right to control their own
ization, and abortion. tive services. “Preventative necessary is nothing new. bodies. They have the right to
Miss Zaputil mentioned both services” means, of course, When a medication is billed obtain preventative services.
the Blunt Amendment and contraceptives, sterilization, to an insurance company, the The same goes for men. This
the Arizona Birth Control Bill and abortion-inducing drugs. company may ask for what is issue is about people wanting
completely out of context. She I would not call these “critical called a “prior authorization” others to pay for their own pre-
failed to mention the new leg- health services” as Miss Zapu- from the doctor before they ventative services. It does not
islation that prompted these til did. will pay for it. The doctor then matter what beliefs you hold
bills as responses. It is called The Arizona Birth Control has to fill out forms explaining – whether you are Catholic,
the HHS Mandate, and it heav- Bill also attempts to allow reli- to the insurance company why Muslim, Protestant, atheist,
ily infringes on the freedom gious employers to reject cov- the medication is necessary to agnostic, Wiccan, or anything
of religion. According to the erage on preventative services. the patient. After this, the in- else – everyone can agree that
HHS Mandate, all employers However, it includes a way for surance company will usually forcing others to go against
are required to pay for an em- women to have birth control cover the prescription. their own beliefs is uncon-
ployee’s birth control, steril- covered if it is medically nec- Miss Zaputil also claimed stitutional. Forcing religious
ization, or abortion-inducing essary. “Medically necessary” that Viagra is “hypocritically employers to pay for preventa-
drugs. Many religious groups would include to prevent ovar- covered” by insurance compa- tive services they believe to be
are against abortion, and some ian cysts, hemorrhaging dur- nies. This is a misleading state- morally wrong is an extreme
(Catholicism, for example) ing menstruation, or other rea- ment, as it is not universally infringement on religious free-
believe that any kind of birth sons. As for having to provide covered by insurance compa- dom.
Hannah Catron
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