contraception mandate
U.S. asks Supreme Court to review Hobby Lobby’s birth control mandate challenge
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — September 20, 2013
(RNS) Hobby Lobby’s lawsuit has been one of the most high profile of 60-some cases involving the Obama administration's contraceptive mandate. The arts and crafts chain was founded by David Green, “the biblical billionaire backing the evangelical movement.”
Partisan fighting spells trouble for church insurance under Obamacare
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — August 8, 2013
(RNS) House Republicans have voted 40 times to repeal Obamacare, so observers see little hope of passing a bill to fix a gap in health care reform that poses problems for clergy in church insurance plans.
COMMENTARY: Refusing service in the name of religion is never acceptable
By Nancy K. Kaufman — July 17, 2013
(RNS) Refusal to serve -- using religion to discriminate -- isn't new. The idea that any service could be denied based on religious conviction didn't survive the civil rights revolution and should not be revived now.
Catholic hospitals at odds with bishops over birth control mandate
By David Gibson — July 9, 2013
(RNS) The organization representing Catholic hospitals across the country says it no longer objects to the Obama administration’s mandate that all employees receive free birth control coverage. The decision by the Catholic Health Association puts the hospitals at odds with the Catholic hierarchy, which last week rejected the White House’s final regulations.
Broad coalition says contraception mandate a religious liberty threat
By Adelle M. Banks — July 2, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) A broad coalition spearheaded by Catholics and Southern Baptists is pushing back against the Obama administration’s final contraception mandate rules, calling it a threat to religious liberty for people of all faiths.
White House denies contraception exemption to private businesses
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — June 28, 2013
(RNS) The new rules do not apply to private businesses whose owners have religious or moral obligations to contraception -- and that issue has already been a major battleground in federal courts.
Coalition to protect religious freedom shows its fault lines
By Lauren Markoe — May 30, 2013
(RNS) A national conference on religious freedom reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the coalition that fears an erosion of religious liberty in the U.S.
Candida Moss debunks the ‘myth’ of Christian persecution
By Lauren Markoe — May 14, 2013
(RNS) Growing up Catholic in England, Candida Moss felt secure in life, yet learned in church that Christians have been persecuted since the dawn of Christianity. As an adult and a theologian, she wants to set the record straight.
13 attorneys general push Obama on contraception mandate
By Rex Santus — April 2, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) Thirteen state attorneys general are urging the federal government to broaden religious exemptions under the contraception mandate, saying private businesses should not be forced to provide coverage that violates their moral beliefs.
Catholic bishops reject new contraception proposals
By David Gibson — February 7, 2013
(RNS) The nation’s Catholic bishops on Thursday (Feb. 7) rejected the Obama administration’s latest proposals to broaden the religious exemptions and accommodations in regulations that will require insurance companies or employers to provide free birth control coverage.
White House expands religious exemptions to contraception mandate
By David Gibson — February 1, 2013
(RNS) The Obama administration on Friday unveiled new rules on its controversial contraception mandate designed to provide greater flexibility for religiously affiliated organizations though not for privately owned businesses.
Poll shows a double standard on religious liberty
By Lauren Markoe — January 23, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) Half of Americans worry that religious freedom in the U.S. is at risk, and about a third say "the gay and lesbian community” is to blame.
Contraception opponents hail DC court ruling
By Lauren Markoe — December 19, 2012
(RNS) Opponents of the federal contraception mandate are cheering an appeals court decision requiring the Obama administration to make good on a promise to exempt Christian colleges from the controversial rule. By Lauren Markoe.
Poll: Most Americans say employers should cover contraception
By Daniel Burke — December 3, 2012
(RNS) Most Americans believe employers -- even religious ones -- should provide contraception coverage for their employees, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research. By Daniel Burke.
Court says Catholic businessman can fight contraception mandate
By Robert Patrick / St. Louis Post-Dispatch — November 29, 2012
ST. LOUIS (RNS) A federal appeals court in St. Louis on Wednesday temporarily blocked the enforcement of the 2010 health care reform law's contraception mandate while a St. Louis business owner appeals a lower court's ruling. By Robert Patrick.
