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Matt Reed
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Robotmod

Joined: 16 April 2004
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:04pm | IP Logged | 1  

Just when you think we're making progress as a country, the highest court in the land does this...

"The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a setback to President Obama's healthcare law Monday and ruled that Christian business owners with religious objections to certain forms of birth control may refuse to provide their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives.

"In a major 5-4 ruling on religious freedom, the justices decided the religious rights of these company owners trump the rights of female employees to receive the full contraceptive coverage promised by the law.

"In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called it a “decision of startling breadth” in which the “court holds that commercial enterprises, including corporations, can opt out of any law, saving only tax laws, they judge incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs.” She said the ruling will leave thousands of women without the contraceptive coverage promised by the law. Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined her dissent.

"Two years ago, the court narrowly upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional on a 5-4 vote. Monday's decision will limit one aspect of the healthcare law -- the requirement that health plans include coverage for contraceptives. But it's one that could potentially affect large numbers of female employees."

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Absurd. 

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Steven Myers
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Joined: 10 June 2004
Location: United States
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:07pm | IP Logged | 2  

I'm pissed.
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:11pm | IP Logged | 3  

Flip it. Do you want the government telling you what you must do DESPITE your religious beliefs?

Religion makes a mess of everything!

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Steven Myers
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:24pm | IP Logged | 4  

The bigger problem is that health care is up to an employer and not provided to everyone as a right by the government. People should have the right to pursue whatever health care they want, and it should not be restricted by an employer.

There are religious people who do not believe in medicine, such as treating cancer (read the Skepdoc's columns in Skeptic for examples), if such a person owns a company should they not have to provide cancer treatment? What if the employer does not believe in vaccination?

Religion certainly messes up everything.
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Kevin Brown
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Joined: 31 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 8839
Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:28pm | IP Logged | 5  

The irony?

They buy a TON of their products from China and the country has a strict birth control regulation.  Also, the company holds about $73 Million in mutual funds with investments in companies that make abortion drugs.

I guess as long as they're MAKING money, they're ok with birth control.
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Stephen Robinson
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Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:28pm | IP Logged | 6  

Health care is part of a compensation package provided to
employees in exchange for duties performed. I don't see
the moral difference between that compensation providing
access to contraception in the form of health insurance
or the funds from a paycheck (the latter is just more
expensive and onerous to the employee).

Compensation is compensation. If I work for Muslims, can
they forbid me to use my paycheck to buy pork? If I work
for orthodox Jews, can they forbid me to use my paycheck
to get a tattoo? Why is health insurance somehow
different?

If you employ people, you can't prevent them from using
their compensation for perfectly legal services despite
your moral beliefs.

I would have more respect for the religious in this
country when there's evidence they interpret "Thou Shalt
Not Kill" as an absolute, which would put a stop to our
unending wars because there'd be no one to send over to
fight in them.
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Steve De Young
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Joined: 01 April 2008
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 12:29pm | IP Logged | 7  

The problem is an existing Federal law, signed by Clinton, that says that when it comes to a matter of religion like this, the Federal government is required to use the least invasive means possible to accomplish its goal. So in this case, there are a lot of ways in which the U.S. government could guarantee universal coverage of contraception for women that would be less invasive than requiring a third party (in this case a corporation) to cover it.

The obvious one, of course, the government providing it themselves. I really don't understand why people defend the affordable care act. Its not the free market, and its not a single-payer system. Its a half-assed compromise between the two and really makes no long-term sense.

And I say this as someone who has personally benefitted from Obamacare in terms of my own insurance coverage and costs.
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Michael Kane
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Joined: 05 July 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 481
Posted: 30 June 2014 at 1:11pm | IP Logged | 8  

The same Supreme Court that has been siding with the liberals of late , made a really good decision.  Congrats to Hobby Lobby, and the founding fathers. 
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Rich Marzullo
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Joined: 13 January 2011
Location: United States
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 4:23pm | IP Logged | 9  

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

I mean, did they even read the thing? Why do so many people insist on this country being a (Christian) Theocracy?
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Jeremy Simington
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Joined: 10 April 2011
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Posted: 30 June 2014 at 4:33pm | IP Logged | 10  

As angry as I am about this completely wrong-headed decision, I'm also optimistic. I think it will sway people who have been on the fence regarding the unwanted intrusion of religion into their day-to-day lives. Suddenly there is a gargantuan display of how religious zealots can negatively and unfairly influence the lives of millions. Coupled with the dramatic rise of the "nones", this will hasten the decline of organized religion in American society.
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William T. Byrd
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Joined: 04 August 2009
Posts: 209
Posted: 30 June 2014 at 5:03pm | IP Logged | 11  

Can I start a company and say its against my religion to allow my employees to have any health care at all? If they believe in God and that He will provide, He can heal them and not worry about doctors and hospitals and all that stuff.
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Robbie Parry
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Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
Posted: 30 June 2014 at 5:53pm | IP Logged | 12  

I have spent considerable time today calming down a US friend of mine (I like her, but she gets very emotional) over this issue.

What an ass. What the fuck does it have to do with them? My dislike of religion, on a scale of 1 to 10, is a 10, but in recent months - due to all sorts of issues - it's now an 11. I wish organized religion and all it's harmful byproducts would just fuck off. Sorry for anger, but my friend was horrified by this.

god isn't real. Creationism is nutty. Anyone who believes in that crap needs to take a long hard look at themselves. So why the hell is it allowed to make decisions like this?

Folks, tomorrow I'm coming over to the US and I'm setting up a store that will discriminate the hell out of religion. I'll refuse to serve religious people, I'll refuse to employ religious people, I'll refuse lots. Hey, maybe atheists should be able to insist that their taxes in no way, shape or form fund anything religion-related.

My goodness, religion (the world's longest-running scam) is venomous.
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