The federal government is standing firm in requiring insurance to cover birth control, but is giving "religious-based hospitals, universities, charities, and other organizations whose primary purpose is not religious, an additional year to come into compliance with the contraceptive requirement." But soon-to-be-Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan said in a furious statement: "In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences."
Dolan, speaking for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also said, "To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable.It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty." The federal ruling covers birth control, sterilization and the morning-after pill. (Daily News: "New York and two dozen other states already require employers to cover birth control; the federal policy will force a change in the other states.")
While some call this "nothing less than a direct attack on religion and First Amendment rights," Planned Parenthood's president Cecile Richards said, "Doctors and public health experts agree that increased access to birth control is not only one of the best ways to prevent unintended pregnancies, it also improves health outcomes for women and their families."
Some of the religious-based institutions may decided to drop coverage rather than face fines.
