Conscience and Health Care the Conundrum of Rights

Health and Human Services (HHS) has sparked another health care crisis on the political front this week. HHS has enraged religious organizations by mandating that many faith-based charities, organizations and businesses provide health care plans that include birth control coverage. Religious groups have responded with a condemnation of the policy as an overt intrusion into and violation of their First Amendment right to free exercise of their religious beliefs. The Catholic Church is one example of the religious community coming out in protest of the government forcing them to compromise their faith.

But wait! Why does the HHS mandate create this untenable choice for these groups in terms of their faith? The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has stated that the HHS ruling interferes with members’ rights of conscience. The bishops and other Catholic leaders contend that the government is forcing people of faith to choose between following their beliefs and following the law. Having heard the call to respond to the Administrations action in church this morning, I find a dissonance between the admonitions from the Church on this issue and the teachings of faith I have received from it.

The Church is insisting that providing medical coverage that belongs to the individual covered, a compassionate and charitable gift provided in accordance with basic principles of the Church, is a violation of the individual’s right of conscience. But the Church is imparting its standard on the individual, its conclusion of that individual’s conscience, and its judgment of what that individual’s free exercise of religion is permitted to be. They certainly have the right to try and impose their moral authority on others, but they don’t have the right to or means of defining anyone else moral values, principles or personal conscience. This after all that was the first and primary gift from God that was given to you, your own soul with its own responsibility for moral decisions.

So I ask you, how is the Church forced to make a decision against its conscience? Are the bishops being asked to decide to choose whether to use birth control methods? Are the priests being asked to purchase condoms for others? Is Catholic Charities being required to determine if a woman needs an abortion? What is the Church being asked to do here that violates their moral choice? I don’t see how they are being asked to choose to make any other moral decision here than to provide people who work for them, Catholic or not, any more than any American would expect their employer to provide to a worker. Are their employees not worthy of health care; to choose the medical care of their conscience; to following the teaching of their faith; to promote the values and morals that they see as required to meet their views on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

The Church doesn’t have to offer a medical coverage, self insured coverage, if they feel it compromises their conscience. They can provide employees with the option to choose coverage they provide or pay them a fair amount to purchase insurance coverage that suits the individual’s own conscience.

I wonder why the Church has only found the logic and reasoning that imposes a moral judgment on others that is not required by their faith. The Bible provides ample teachings on such issues that would be at odds with the Church’s current stance. American Catholics should be asking their own conscience what are they required to do in following their personal consciences. Is it really a Catholic moral value to impose our moral judgment on another? Is it really Christian to restrict charitable acts to those who only adhere to your views or your faith?

There are many solutions to this discord. The Bible teaches us this. I don’t believe Jesus would cast this stone.