Viewpoints: Religious freedom and insurance coverage for contraception

USA Today: Contraception Mandate Violates Religious Freedom
In an election-year hothouse, the issue has quickly become caricatured as the Obama administration's "war on Catholics" versus the Republicans' "war on contraception." It is neither. The administration tried to strike a balance and simply failed. The First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom deserves more weight than the administration allowed (2/5).

USA Today: Kathleen Sebelius: Contraception Rule Respects Religion
The public health case for making sure insurance covers contraception is clear. But we also recognize that many religious organizations have deeply held beliefs opposing the use of birth control. That's why in the rule we put forward, we specifically carved out from the policy religious organizations that primarily employ people of their own faith. ... The religious exemption in the administration's rule is the same as the exemption in Oregon, New York and California (Kathleen Sebelius).

Los Angeles Times: An Affront Catholics Agree On
Liberal and conservative Catholics don't agree on much, but they're both outraged by a new rule on contraception coverage. ... The fragile liberal-conservative alliance opposing the rule on contraceptive coverage seems unlikely to hold for long, much less to extend to other issues on which Catholics at either end of the spectrum may find common ground. Yet it is refreshing to see that no matter how disaffected from their church's teachings some Catholics might feel, they believe that its organizations have a right to act in accordance with its principles (Charlotte Allen, 2/5).

CNN: Bishops Don't Speak For Most Catholics On Contraception
Recently, the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Religious Liberty argued that the Obama administration's requirement that most health insurance plans cover contraception goes against "the mandate of Jesus Christ." But Jesus said nothing about contraception coverage, of course, or most any other issues related to sexuality. So, what is the issue? (Keith Soko, 2/4).

Arizona Republic: Obama Riles Progressive Catholics
In 2008, Catholics went big for pro-choice Barack Obama. By a percentage greater than his overall margin of victory, Catholics fell hard for hope and change. It was among the least appreciated, but epochal, events of the presidential election. ... Now, with astonishing political calculation, Barack Obama is throwing away all that good will (Doug MacEachern, 2/4).

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Religious Objections Ignored
The decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to reject the appeals of scores of religious leaders and retain a very narrow "religious" exemption from Obamacare's so-called contraception mandate has ignited an uproar among Catholic leaders, as well it should -- because it's hard to fathom a government dictate more offensive than this one (James C. Capretta, 2/6).

The Detroit Free Press: Catholic Church Should Stay Out Of Fight Over Insuring Birth Control
I am a Catholic, go to Mass every week, serve on the Parish Council and am morally opposed to abortion. But when it comes to contraception, I am in a different camp -; and I am not alone. Ninety-eight percent of Catholic women of reproductive age have used birth control, including me. So have my sisters, my nieces and almost every other Catholic woman I know. Twenty-eight states -; including Michigan -; already require contraception to be covered by health insurance, and for good reason (Victoria Kovari, 2/6).