Can We Reform the Reformers?

Here’s the deal. I know I’m about to step on major toes with this one, but for the life of me, I can’t stay my fingers on the keyboard. This past week the House Oversight Government Reform Committee met to discuss whether the Contraceptive Mandate, imposed by the White House, intruded on religious freedom. In answer to this, the first committee panel consisted entirely of male religious figures opposed to not just the policy, but to contraceptives as well. The second panel of five only had two women on the committee, with the same opinions as the first. Sound a bit lop-sided to anyone?

In the first place, yes, there is a separation of Church and State. However, once a Church puts people on a payroll, the church has to take out Federal/State and FICA, at that point, there is no separation. They should also offer comprehensive health coverage for their full-time employees, and coverage is something that is now defined by the government. It’s my own opinion, but logic stays ideology and emotion every time. In the second place, what dang year are we living in that men are deciding what my health care should look like?

Has a man ever had ovarian cancer? Has a man ever been high risk for delivering a child? Has a man ever been told he could never carry a child full term and if he did, he and the baby would be at risk? Quite frankly, it’s up to all of us to exercise our discretion as to how we handle our own bodies and what our beliefs consist of. Our Faith teaches us what is right and wrong, and the minute leaders of Faith go to Congress to tell us what we should be doing by law, is the moment free will disappears. That’s something I believe is strongly upheld by most religious beliefs.

I don’t want my church or a group of men from any faith, whether they believe in contraceptives or not, to dictate to me what I can or can’t do with my body where my health is concerned. That’s my earnest view. I wouldn’t want that to happen anymore than I would want our husbands to dictate what we could and couldn’t wear. Just tell me if my slip is showing, and I’ll be fine.