Asked to consider a compromise to allow the government-mandated distribution of contraceptives without the involvement of religious nonprofits and their health plans, the Little Sisters of the Poor had a “simple and clear” answer.
Yes.
“These nonprofits said yes to the Supreme Court, just as they have been saying yes to the federal government for many years, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty senior counsel Mark Rienzi said. “At some point, the government has to learn how to take yes for an answer. The religious objection has always been only to those methods of distribution that forced the nonprofits and their plans to participate. The government should move on from this unnecessary fight, and go provide these services some other way that doesn’t use nuns.”
A “path to consensus” does exist over the Obamacare contraceptive mandate, the attorney added. It’s just a matter of the government agreeing to explore one of its many options, the Becket Fund’s press release stated:
The fact is that there are a lot of solutions available, including contraceptive-only policies. The Supreme Court has recognized this. And the Little Sisters have always believed it is possible to find solutions that work for all sides.
The Little Sisters of the Poor have never sought to prevent the government from providing these services, but have simply asked that the government pick a way that doesn’t force them to deliver services—like the week-after pill—that violate their faith.
