The Ethical Debate of Free Contraception and Birth Control
The Ethical Debate of Free Contraception and Birth Control
If you watch or read the news today, you will find that there are many ethical and political issues that plague the United States. Many of these issues involve politicians debating over what is right or wrong for the country. One issue that particularly caught my attention was the huge debate over President Obama’s Health Care Reform Law requiring insurance plans to provide women with free contraception and birth control. The ethical issue that it presents is that many religious institutions and employers feel that it infringes on their constitutional rights of religious freedom, and they are opposing this law because of their religious views regarding birth control. The ethical problem that it can create is forcing religiously affiliated employers, like Catholic hospitals and universities, to provide their female employees with insurance that provides free contraception, which is against their religious beliefs. The ethical debate over free contraception and birth control for women has now become a political debate over religious liberties versus women’s health. By examining this law with the various ethical theories, it can be proven that this law can be beneficial to all parties involved, and should be supported to improve the overall state of health care for all women. This specific law in question is actually a mandate in President Obama’s Health Care Reform under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under this mandate, women will be provided with access to free contraception and birth control through their insurance, provided by their employers. Those who oppose this law are people who religiously disagree with contraception and birth control, and argue that it is a violation of religious freedom, and their religious beliefs. In our text, the first amendment is stated as the following, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise
If you watch or read the news today, you will find that there are many ethical and political issues that plague the United States. Many of these issues involve politicians debating over what is right or wrong for the country. One issue that particularly caught my attention was the huge debate over President Obama’s Health Care Reform Law requiring insurance plans to provide women with free contraception and birth control. The ethical issue that it presents is that many religious institutions and employers feel that it infringes on their constitutional rights of religious freedom, and they are opposing this law because of their religious views regarding birth control. The ethical problem that it can create is forcing religiously affiliated employers, like Catholic hospitals and universities, to provide their female employees with insurance that provides free contraception, which is against their religious beliefs. The ethical debate over free contraception and birth control for women has now become a political debate over religious liberties versus women’s health. By examining this law with the various ethical theories, it can be proven that this law can be beneficial to all parties involved, and should be supported to improve the overall state of health care for all women. This specific law in question is actually a mandate in President Obama’s Health Care Reform under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under this mandate, women will be provided with access to free contraception and birth control through their insurance, provided by their employers. Those who oppose this law are people who religiously disagree with contraception and birth control, and argue that it is a violation of religious freedom, and their religious beliefs. In our text, the first amendment is stated as the following, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise
References: Coday, D. (2012, February). A plea for compromise [Electronic version]. National Catholic Reporter, 48 (9), 2. Dixon, V. (2012). Why this baptist is opposed to the catholic bishops on the birth control mandate Lowry, R. (2012, February). Obama vs. the church [Electronic version]. Time, 179 (7), 20. Mosser, K. (2010). Ethics and social responsibility. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSOC120.10.2/sections/ch00 Roewe, B. & Ryan, Z. (2012, February). Freedom and conscience [Electronic version]. National Catholic Reporter, 48 (9), 10. Sullivan, A. (2012, February). How state beat church [Electronic version]. Newsweek, 159 (8), 40-45.