In reply to Arthur casci.

Arthur,

The issue isn't about health insurance, but rather the protections of religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - not just to religious denominations, congregations, and institutions, but to all Christians to live according to their conscience without government infringement. Because the new heath care legislation requires the provision of drugs that many consider to be immoral, it is a violation of that Christian's conscience.

For a Roman Catholic, this would include all contraceptive drugs - and for them to provide such drugs or arrange for them to be provided would be a sin according to their church's teachings.

For the rest of Christians, even those who do not object to contraceptive drugs broadly speaking, there is a set of drugs included in the mandate that are intended to, or have the potential to, prevent an embryo from being able to implant in the mothers uterus after fertilization. This would be murder as it directly and intentionally causes the end of the life of a living human, and for a person to provide drugs that cause this, or to arrange for them to be provided, would be to participate in the sin of murder.

As such, this is a violation of the Christian's conscience and is prohibited by the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. We do not believe that the government grants true freedom (i.e. freedom from sin, death, and eternal punishment), which can only be found in Christ. However, it is just and right that we demand the government honor the protections of the First Amendment and that we also defend the rights of our fellow Christians to live according to their conscience and the teachings of their own churches.