(From the Missouri Catholic Conference)
The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today, which protects the right of all U.S. citizens to operate their family-owned businesses in accordance with their religious convictions.
“This is an important decision that recognizes and respects the reality of religious practice in the work place,” said Tyler McClay, General Counsel for the MCC. “Most people operating closely-held, family businesses in America expect to be able to do so in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs without facing crushing fines and penalties. The U.S. Supreme Court today validated that expectation.”
After the HHS mandate was issued, the Missouri Catholic Conference worked with Missouri legislators to pass SB 749, a Missouri bill which protected the right of employers to opt out of providing coverage for abortifacient drugs in their health plans. The Missouri General Assembly passed SB 749 in September 2012, the Governor’s veto notwithstanding. A court challenge followed.
Federal District Judge Audrey Fleissig in St. Louis struck down SB 749 in March 2013, because it was inconsis-tent with federal law and the HHS mandate. “Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms what the Missouri General Assembly tried to do in 2012 with SB 749, notably protect rights of conscience,” said Mike Hoey, Executive Director of the MCC. “And the MCC is pleased that the principles established in SB 749 have been affirmed by the highest court in the land.”
3 comments:
HOORAY!!! An answer to prayer. Contraception should be preventive, not abortive. Most importantly, one won't have to support something he/she believes to be wrong. For once, I feel like the supreme court ruled in MY favor.
This decision by the Supreme Court has little to do with contraception. It is merely the Court's stamp of approval which will allow Hobby Lobby, Koch Industries, Walmart and other multi-billion dollar corporations that operate as "closely-held family businesses" to opt out of the laws they don't want to follow. What's next? All these people applauding the ruling should hope that "Mom and Pop" Walmart doesn't decide to adopt a religion that doesn't believe in Western Medicine. Then they could opt out of ALL health insurance for their 1.4 million employees.
How about businesses "believing" that refrigerating food wastes energy and costs money?
How about businesses "believing" that sell by dates on food are "the mark of the devil" and refusing to use them?
How about developers "believing" that sewer and septic systems are harmful to their belief in praying to prevent disease instead of relying the so-called germ theory? (If G*d had intended us to use microscopes he would told us how to make them in the bible.)
How about industrial pig farmers believing they have a "god given right" to "accidentally" have their wastes pollute the public waterways, and that the words Environmental Protection Agency do not appear in their bible?
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