Obama on birth control

[snopes]

Comment: There have been a lot of postings on Facebook today by friends
that have this quote that is said to be from President Obama. I have my
doubts it is really by him.

“No, you can’t deny women their basic rights and pretend it’s about your
‘religious freedom.’ If you don’t like birth control, don’t use it. Religious freedom
doesn’t mean you can force others to live by your own beliefs.”

[jimmy101_again]

A quick search doesn't turn up any evidence Obama said it. Indeed, others have claimed it and conservative web sites have stated is wasn't said by Obama.

Too bad, I wish he had said it since it is about the most concise and accurate description of what "religious freedom" should mean in the US.

[crocoduck_hunter]

Yeah, but I doubt a sitting president would actually say something like that out loud during his first term. The idea that we need to have tolerance for other peoples' beliefs even when they're trying to inflict those beliefs on everyone else is too firmly ingrained in the consciousness of the American public.

[barbrainey]

Regardless of who made this remark, the issue is whether or not organizations that are affiliated with a church or religion can be required by law, such as the "Obamacare" laws, to provide insurance payment for contraceptives for example. Not all religions consider birth control a sin, but nevertheless, no government should require a religious organization to cover it by insurance. If an employee want her insurance to cover her birth control, she either can get a job with a company that does or purchase supplemental insurance that does.

Barb Rainey

[GenYus234]

If I may channel JoeBentley for a moment, is the rule that the government shouldn't force a religious organization to cover birth control limited to just religious organizations or can any organization limit based on the personal beliefs of the owner? If the former, then why do certain beliefs allow limitations and other beliefs don't? If the latter, then what happens to a person who live in an area where nearly every person holds opposite beliefs?

[ganzfeld]

'Not all religions consider ____________ a sin, but nevertheless, no government should require a religious organization to cover it by insurance.'
chemotherapy
organ transplants
blood transfusion
medicine
any treatment but prayer

No, what insurance covers should be decided by science. What treatment a person refuses can be decided by whatever voodoo BS the patient wants.

[Xia]

Originally Posted by barbrainey

If an employee want her insurance to cover her birth control, she either can get a job with a company that does or purchase supplemental insurance that does.

What if it is being prescribed/taken for medical reasons?

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by barbrainey

Not all religions consider birth control a sin, but nevertheless, no government should require a religious organization to cover it by insurance.

I'm a little rusty on the scripture; could you remind me which book "thou shalt not pay for thy neighbor's contraceptives" is in?

If an employee want her insurance to cover her birth control, she either can get a job with a company that does or purchase supplemental insurance that does.

Whether her employer pays for it directly through a company-sponsored insurance plan or indirectly through a salary, he's still going to be breaking the eleventieth commandment by hiring admitted seed-spillers. So how about this instead: if an employer doesn't want to cover birth control, he can either offer only jobs without insurance or go work for someone else who will do the dirty work for him.

[Michael Cole]

Originally Posted by barbrainey

Regardless of who made this remark, the issue is whether or not organizations that are affiliated with a church or religion can be required by law, such as the "Obamacare" laws, to provide insurance payment for contraceptives for example. Not all religions consider birth control a sin, but nevertheless, no government should require a religious organization to cover it by insurance. If an employee want her insurance to cover her birth control, she either can get a job with a company that does or purchase supplemental insurance that does.

Barb Rainey

The three responses to this are good, but they fail to cover the most important reason as to why what you have said is wrong. Insurance Coverage is not for the benefit of the employer. It is part of the payment package of the employee - it is for their benefit.

Would you also be so accepting of an employer telling an employee as to what he could or could not spend his salary on?