Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Catholic College in the Crosshairs

You just have to wonder about people sometimes:

Today's Inside Higher Ed details the rather disturbing story of an EEOC finding that Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic college in North Carolina, engaged in "gender discrimination" when it refused — consistent with its Catholic faith — to cover oral contraceptives in its employer-provided health-care plan...

Perhaps most disturbing was the EEOC's utter failure to offer any substantive analysis of the college's First Amendment rights. After all, this is not an "in name only" Christian institution. Even a brief glance at the college's website shows that it is committed to its Catholic values. Yet the federal government just plows through that identity. And to what end? For what higher purpose? Does the so-called sexual autonomy of a few disgruntled employees actually trump core constitutional values? Some would say yes.


This wouldn't even be an issue if employers weren't expected to provide health care.

2 comments:

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Whyyyy is that gender discrimination? Old lady here does not know of any oral contraceptives for MEN.

*scratching head*

Ok, I must have missed it on the news or something.

PeggyU said...

This wouldn't even be an issue if employers weren't expected to provide health care.

Exactly!!! That's where the problem began - with government encouraging employers to provide benefits in lieu of pay.