Leaders of the Catholic Church are feeling betrayed and bewildered by the Obama Administration. The problem, as they see it, are new federal rules released last week that require employers to provide all forms of contraception that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration without co-payments or deductibles for health insurance policy holders. This, of course, flies in the face of their religious beliefs.
Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has called the rule "a literally unconscionable attack on religious freedom," as reported in The Wall Street Journal
Now, the question becomes: does Obama lose the Catholic vote over this issue? I say no, but that does not mean that he should not rethink the exemptions already put in place for religious institutions and extend them to Catholic organizations such as hospitals, schools and charities. There are myriad reasons why this should be done, ranging from selfish political motivations to legitimate religious grievances with contraception among them.
Catholic hospitals and schools and the like welcome those with different religious affiliations to make use of whatever service they are providing. They do so in a conciliatory fashion and in the case of hospitals, for example, tread carefully not to proselytize. However, if a non-Catholic, or non-Christian for that matter, is utilizing one of these organizations, they should not be surprised to see religious undertones manifest themselves through icons or through actions.
I am wild about the food at a Jewish deli where I regularly dine and although the deli has no formal affiliation with the religion, should I be surprised that the Star of David is prominently portrayed on their sign? Should I be taken aback when the old men who usually populate the Deli are talking about scripture? The answer is a resounding no.
Now, I am not comparing a Catholic school or hospital to a Jewish deli, but even apples and oranges are both round. If someone who is not Jewish looks for employment in one of the shops in Great Neck Long Island, which I have visited often, should they be upset that they do not get to work on Saturday because the shop is closed for the Sabbath? The answer is another resounding no. People who do not share the same faith as the religious institution that employs them should be prepared to have the dogma of that religion affect some aspects their working lives.
