Sunday, March 4, 2012

Religious Freedom in the Workplace: Healthcare

I am reminded once again that how an issue is framed sometimes limits discussion and short-circuits logic. The latest issue that reminded me of this unfortunate circumstance is the health insurance debate resulting from the Obama Administration's attempts to insure healthcare for all Americans.

In late January, the Department of Health and Human Services specified preventive health services that insurance plans would be required to cover under the Affordable Care Act. Contraceptives and sterilizations were listed as required services, including drugs like Plan B (but not RU-486).

Religious organizations immediately declared that the rule infringed on their religious beliefs because they did not condone contraception, and they were being forced to violate their religious principles.

What seems to have been overlooked is that those organizations who employed people who did not share their religious convictions were infringing on the religious rights of their employees by forcing them to comply with the religious beliefs that the employees did not hold. Let me restate that. Any employee whose religious beliefs did not preclude contraception was being forced to comply with the religious beliefs of his or her employer.

The employer could hire only like-minded workers, but it is illegal to discriminate against any worker on the basis of his or her religion. There needs to be a separation between religion and civil society, and the rules of civil society must take precedent in the civil realm.

Consider that any employer whose religious beliefs compelled him to eschew medical treatment could, for religious reasons, refuse to provide any healthcare plan at all. Christian Science and to some extent Jehovah's Witnesses fall under this category.

I think it is ludicrous for anyone to refuse medical care and as a result suffer needlessly and possibly even die in the delusion that God will cure him or her, but people have all sorts of strange beliefs and traditions. I will reluctantly allow that anyone should be free to suffer needlessly and die because they think it is what their personal God wants. It is probably only what they deserve for believing in such a God to begin with. I draw the line when it comes to their children, though. But that is another blog.

My solution to the healthcare conundrum for religious organizations is simple. Employment is a civil contract and civil rules and regulations must apply. There are currently expemptions for religious organizations that need to be repealed, so that religious affiliated businesses must comply with the same workplace standards and safety considerations as other businesses. Repealing those exemptions will be difficult, if not impossible, but allowing for new ones should be prevented at all costs.

If my religious belief does not preclude contraception, my employer should not be permitted to violate my religious beliefs by forcing me to follow his religion's pecadillos. Religious freedom should apply to individuals, not organizations.