Wheaton College Joins Lawsuit against HHS

I wrote earlier about the dangerous precedent being set by the HHS Mandate.[1] The Catholics have been pretty much going this one alone without much help or moral support from their evangelical brothers and sisters. (At least, they've been taking the brunt of the ridicule, and there's been a lot of it, even from some in their own pews.)

Today [August 2, 2012] I learned that Wheaton College, a very fundamental and evangelical institution, may be fined millions of dollars for noncompliance and has joined the lawsuit against HHS.

They state:

Wheaton College is a distinctively Protestant institution, in our hiring practices, in our theology, but we have a respect for Roman Catholic institutions and, in this case, we recognize that we have common cause with the Catholic University of America and other Catholic institutions in defending religious liberty. We’re, in fact, co-belligerents in this fight against government action. I think the fact that evangelicals and Catholics are coming together on this issue ought to be a sign to all Americans that something really significant in terms of religious liberty is at stake." Source>

Good for them.

This is not a trivial matter over which Christians of goodwill can disagree. This is a fundamental philosophical difference over the rights of all people who in good conscience oppose a practice they are being forced to support. In other words, at this level we are agreeing to disagree and not force each other to fund practices that violate our respective consciences.

I have an opinion on abortion, contraception, sterilization, and the rest of it. But none of that is at issue here, nor is my religious or nonreligious reasons for believing as I do.

Period.

Take a side. It won't end here if you don't.

A fundamental American liberty is at stake.

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not Catholic and I do think contraception is a good idea. I oppose forcing someone to fund it if it violates their religious conscience, just as I would not force a conscientious objector to fight, stop a Jew from practicing Kapparot>  (which involves swinging and killing chickens), or stop Islamic women from wearing burqas (so long as they are not driving or doing something else that would endanger others).

[1]
The mandate requires "... that all health plans provide coverage at no cost... for all contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration as part of preventive health services for women. The mandate also required coverage for sterilizations."

Learn more and see what is covered here>
Sign a petition to stop HHS here >


Started: 2012-08-02