BON CHANCE LOUISIANA COLLEGE

The Alliance Defense Fund has filed a 17-page lawsuit Saturday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on behalf of Louisiana College seeking to stop President Obama from enacting a provision in his national health-care law that mandates employees have access to birth control, including drugs that cause abortions. (See: "La. College sues Obama administration over health-care rules on birth control"). 


Last August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has upheld the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation to include birth control in a list of preventative services to be covered without co-payments through the Affordable Care Act. (See: "Feds uphold recommendation for free birth control").  


But recently, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius crawfished a bit and said that the law would not apply to churches but only to their insurance companies.


Louisiana College correctly argues that "making LC provide birth control "violates LC's sincerely held religious beliefs regarding abortion". id.

"As part of its religious commitment, LC has ensured that its insurance policies do not cover drugs, devices, services or procedures inconsistent with its faith," the suit states." id. "The lawsuit claims the contraception clause in the law violates the First, Fourth and Fifth amendments to the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act." id. 


"LC President Joe Aguillard said, "Louisiana College will not sit by and allow this or any government to usurp our God-given religious freedoms and our time-honored Baptist heritage." id. 


"Kevin Theriot, Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel, said in a news release: "The Obama administration invented a fake 'right' to get 'free' abortion pills and sterilization and elevated it above real freedoms protected by the First Amendment." id. "This calculated and intentional attempt to eradicate constitutional protections should terrify every freedom-loving American." id.


I wholeheartedly agree with Louisiana College's position that this ruling by the President Obama administration clearly conflicts with the Constitutional religious rights of non-believers of birth control. I think that this lawsuit by LC puts it on the same side with the Catholic Church.


See Also: ON POLITICS: CULTURAL WARS and BIRTH CONTROL BACK IN THE NEWS