Some thoughts on the Contraception thing...

 First off, breaking news this morning suggests the White House is prepared to accommodate the religiously offended...

From ABC News: 

White House to Announce ‘Accommodation’ for Religious Organizations on Contraception Rule:

From the Hill.com:

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/209905-report-white-house-to-announce-accommodation-on-contraception-rule

Modeled somewhat after how Hawaii handles this issue, the Administration is expected to cede ground as a gesture to those Catholic and other religious leaders who have been highly critical of the announced policy of requiring all non-church employers to offer contraception in their health insurance benefits.

The benefit is expected to be offered by the health insurance provider directly, not the employer. The insurance companies will contact the female employees directly.

If this is confirmed as the direction that's been chosen, on the surface it sounds reasonable, doesn't it? You don't want to offer contraception as part of your religious based (but not actually a church) organisation? Great. Wash your hands of it. The insurance provider will take care of it all. Church leaders can report back to their congregations that they forced the President to back off of their religion. The President can then say in kind that contraception will still be made available and covered by insurance, but there will be a buffer between the religious affiliates and the contraception provider.

Each side will claim victory, the Church will remain in a snit about this and some will vote for Mitt Romney down the road, but not many. Of all the issues the next Presidential election will be decided on, social issues, especially contraception, won't be a major one. This doesn't mean the rhetoric about Obama's "WAR ON RELIGION" will fade away. This will be milked ad nauseum through the Summer months. It will be referred to again and again and again.

Its odd how many Catholics already utilize some form of contraception in their daily lives. Some to prevent pregnancy, some to treat hormone imbalances, migrain headaches, etc. Many who are yipping the most about this are the same voices that wail about the Government treading way too heavily on our personal liberties. Personal liberties are just fine and dandy until you want your health insurance provider to cover them. Then forget those personal liberties, its about our freedom to express our religious beliefs over our employees and in some way limit their choices. Yes, if the employee really wants contraception coverage, they are free to find employment elsewhere, but in today's economy who's going to do that? Almost half of the States in the Country already have something very close to the Administration's wording in a current law ALREADY in effect. Where have the protests been in those cases? How did I miss this? Is the Catholic Church now comfortable ceding its precious high moral ground to State governments but not Federal governments? I thought moral ground was non-negotiable?

Talk about over reach? My God...