Catholic Colleges Vow to Prevent Women from Getting Birth Control

This is the issue at hand: whether catholic organizations should be forced to include birth control coverage as it is in direct conflict with their beliefs. I'm in an interesting position here, catholic my whole life, catholic educated grade school through college, still practicing and kid in catholic school. All that said, I believe in birth control. I do not believe however that the church should be forced to cover something against their teachings.

Most Catholics I know (and as a cradle Catholic, I know a lot) go to Catholic school for the excellent education. Parents send their kids to Catholic school for the same reason. I did.

I'm sure the Catholics would argue that pregnancy, unlike AIDS and cancer, is not a "medical condition." This is what the Catholics believe; if you're going to go to a Catholic school, isn't that what you're signing up for? If you disagree -- and I do -- just don't go there.

As a fellow Catholic, but also a Polish American, I think it is absolutely wrong for ANY religion to use itself as an excuse to block women from birth control. Sorry, Catholics, you can't block certain care from your insurance plans because you are Catholics. Some religious groups are against cancer or AIDS patient care, but if they block that from their insurance plans it would be wrong. Birth control, like all other medical procedures, cannot be blocked based on religion.

kim, I would guess they have benefits from tax exempt status, grants, etc. I doubt they get none of my money, although it may be indirect.

this is horrible-birth control is not allowed, abortion is not allowed-and I am a recovering Catholic who quit for just these reasons

Wrong!

Kirsten - they're not. They're private which means they can do whatever they want and people can decide whether or not they want go to one.

As long as they don't get any of my tax money!

Yeah, shamefully misleading title. Read the post before replying. I get why some would react in horror, but the reality is that Catholic colleges are bound to promote the Catholic faith. There are so many other places for women to obtain birth control that are not affiliated with the college. It's less "we're keeping you from getting it" and more, "you can't get it from us."

The shout line here is incredibly misleading and inaccurate. This is a complicated issue, you can at least give it enough attention to write an accurate yet still compelling hook.

While I don't necessarily think this is a good idea, I also think that Catholic schools have the right to provide care consistent with their religious beliefs. I also think that women have the right NOT to attend a college that ignores the fact that BC can be about more than just sex and procreation.

True Connie. But I think catholic colleges need to realize that birth control isn't just used for that. It helps mood disorders, acne, and painful and irregular periods. They are denying women much more than access to pregnancy prevention

Birth control (pills) are used to treat actually health problems, anything from acne to heavy periods to PMDD and PCOS, it is not fair to cover it in health plans because there is no distinction between those who need it as a contraceptive and those who need it as a medicine.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

The blurb is not really accurate. The colleges don't dispense birth control to start with. The collegey don't want to add birth control as an approved prescription to their healthcare plans. Big difference from what the shout line of this article intimates.

So very very wrong.

Wouldn't they actually think that the good Catholic women wouldn't want it anyway and therefore it doesn't matter?

How can they really prevent that though? they can't

Stupid

wrong