Rightardia can understand that a church, mosque or synagogue providing health insurance to employees would want their health coverage to conform to religious doctrine.
However, what specifically does the term
religious affiliated mean when it applies to a hospital or other organization that is not a religious facility or institution?
For example, Bay Front Medical Center joined a regional alliance with two hospitals: St. Anthony's in St. Petersburg and St. Joseph's in Tampa,
As a condition for partnering with the Catholic hospitals, Bayfront and the other hospitals agreed to accept the church's ethical and religious directives on medical care -- a fact Bayfront executives foolishly did not disclose at the time.
However, the Bayfront land is leased from the City of St. Petersburg.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Organization for Women and other groups are demanding "separation of church and state' for the hospital.
One writer for the St, Petersburg times suggests the city is to blame because Mayor David Fischer and the City Council are insisting that Bayfront's acceptance of Catholic directives cannot be allowed to stand, The city allows no discrimination based on race or gender. Council members believe the religious directive against elective abortion is a lease violation.
Although the city could end up shuttering the hospital, the Catholic church could also modify its ethical and religious directives so this won't happen. Some flexibility on both sides is needed.
It is one thing to take an absolute position on abortion. On the other hand hospitals could assist women with abortion alternatives and terminate pregnancies as exceptions.
Much ado has been made about Planned Parenthood and abortion, but only three per cent of what Planned Parenthood does pertains to abortion.
In the Christo-fascist world of absolutes, many wingers would prefer to throw the baby out with the bath water.
It is hard to compromise with people who are uncompromising. Barry Goldwater noted:
On religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom.
source:
New Polls Showing Catholic Support For Contraception Coverage Further Undermine “ War On Religion“ Claim
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