One Small Step for Religious Freedom, One Giant Step for the Constitution

Having previously written condemnation about the Obama Administration’s disrespect for constitutional religious liberty, I must now commend the Trump Administration.  Arguing for the protection of religious freedom, the Trump Administration has opened the door for employers to withdraw from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate requiring them to provide birth control coverage … at no cost to employees.

Under new rules issued by Department of Health and Human Services, religiously affiliated institutions that find the requirement opposed to their religious principles, or non-religious employers who find it morally objectionable, can stop providing this coverage. 

The birth control mandate when first issued under the ACA exempted only houses of worship.  This provoked a host of lawsuits among which was that of Hobby Lobby – a closely held business controlled by an evangelical Christian family.  That lawsuit made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which granted an exemption to these kinds of “closely held” businesses.

We now have, in this new blanket release for employers with religious and moral objections, an important and meaningful step toward reviving and restoring the integrity of our precious religious freedom … that was under siege during the 8-year Obama Administration.

Lawsuits against the Trump Administration are now starting to flow.  The American Civil Liberties Union claims, “The Trump Administration is forcing women to pay for their boss’s religious beliefs ... the government cannot authorize discrimination against women in the name of religion or otherwise.”

The total disinterest of those on the Left regarding the ideals toward which our U.S. Constitution aspires, and their readiness to rewrite it all in the service of their own narrow Liberal-Leftist agenda, never ceases to amaze.

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution says that the point of the whole effort is “to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

Is there anyone that could possibly believe that among these “blessings of liberty” is government mandating employers to buy birth control devices and pills for their employees?  And that if they don’t, women are forced “to pay for their boss’s religious beliefs?”

It is absurd that these same feminists and Left-wing activists insist that the government stay out of their bedrooms … while they are more than glad for government to force employers into their bedrooms as long as they show up with their checkbook.

Birth control that the ACA required, included Plan B One-Step® … considered by some in the medical community as abortifacients – an abortion-inducing pills.  It really doesn’t matter that there are differences of opinion regarding exactly how these pills operate.  The fact that there are credible medical sources that see these pills as abortifacients is sufficient to understand and respect the religious sensibilities here.

Increasing infringement on religious freedom comes part and parcel with the massive expansion of government.  Thank God for this step toward religious freedom.  Keep it up, Mr. President, keep it up!

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel