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Supreme Court rules against Obama in contraception case


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http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/30/politics/scotus-obamacare-contraception/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that closely held companies cannot be required to pay to cover some types of contraceptives for their employees, ending its term with a narrow legal and political setback for a controversial part of President Barack Obama's health care reform law.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court's conservatives essentially ruled that some for-profit corporations have religious rights.

The owners of Hobby Lobby, furniture maker Conestoga Wood Specialties and Christian bookseller Mardel argued that the Affordable Care Act violates the First Amendment and other federal laws protecting religious freedom because it requires them to provide coverage for contraceptives like the "morning-after pill," which the companies consider tantamount to abortion.

The decision, which comes two years after the justices narrowly preserved the Affordable Care Act and its key funding provision, could serve as a primer for other pending challenges to the health law.

 

The issue before the justices was whether Obamacare could mandate contraception coverage specifically for certain businesses that object for religious reasons.

"This case isn't that practically important, except for the employees and businesses involved. There just aren't a huge number of those," said Thomas Goldstein, publisher of SCOTUSblog.com and a Washington appellate attorney.

"But everyone can agree the social questions presented -- about when people can follow their religious convictions, and when people are entitled to contraception care -- are truly important," he said.

 

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What a surpriseruling by a conservative court. /end sarcasm

 

What's next, an islamic corporation requiring their female employees to wear Burkas, a jewish corporation requiring all their male employees be circumcised and an atheist corporation disallowing all their employees to now wear religious jewelry.

 

It baffles me that we view corporations now to have the same rights as individuals. Corporations have the right to incorporate but not impose their religious beliefs on their employees.

 

I wonder how they would have ruled if this was an islamic organization not wanting to provide healthcare because it advocated consumption of pork.

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Fascism for everyone!

 

I don't understand how people vote repub. I really don't.

 

They don't care about you or your "freedoms". They only care about protecting big business so they can line their pockets.

 

How can people not see this? Yes I know democrats are bad too but my god repubs don't even try to hide it.

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What a surpriseruling by a conservative court. /end sarcasm

 

What's next, an islamic corporation requiring their female employees to wear Burkas, a jewish corporation requiring all their male employees be circumcised and an atheist corporation disallowing all their employees to now wear religious jewelry.

 

It baffles me that we view corporations now to have the same rights as individuals. Corporations have the right to incorporate but not impose their religious beliefs on their employees.

 

I wonder how they would have ruled if this was an islamic organization not wanting to provide healthcare because it advocated consumption of pork.

 

I'm waiting for the religion against paying taxes

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I hope someone can elaborate on this for me. Here is my point of view (and I dont have a strong opinion per se on either side).

 

I am non-religious. I honestly dont care what anyone believes in, and I know it is offensive or baffling to people who believe in religion to say this but- I think religion is silly and exceptionally outdated. Except maybe Buddhism, but thats not really religion. I like most religions for the guidance they provide and hope they provide for people- even if I dont agree with the "facts" that religions believe that were written by men in a very. very superstitious time period. I also wish religion as a structure (not guideline of doing good upon people) would be removed from government completely.

 

I am also 100% pro-choice and pro Planned Parenthood etc. I dont think the government should have any say so in anyones health decisions. I think millions of babies are born into this country that have no business being born by people who have no financial or parental background to properly raise the child to give it the best chance to be a productive citizen- and the ones that realize that should have the opportunity to change that course.

 

Having said that, if a company is owned by people who believe that abortion is murder, and dont want to be forced to be complicit in what they view as murder, why should they be forced to provide "murder" services? It would be like having a Muslim owned company be forced to serve pork once a week to all of their employees. It doesn't make sense that the government should be able to force someone who created a business from the ground up to be what they want it to be, with their values in mind, to do something they are strongly against. The HL employees still have a generous medical package- they just wouldnt have an option for abortion or morning after pill for that. But its not like they are shit out of luck. They can still get it from their doctor or planned parenthood etc. HL isnt telling their employees you cannot abort- they are saying they dont want to play a part in financing "murder".

 

To me, it seems simple enough. If you dont like your medical coverage at your $7 per hour job, you are able to go get another job. Or, you know, how about having some personal responsibility and using protection in the first place? Its not that hard to not get pregnant. Hobby Lobbys are a suburban chain, with mainly suburban or non/urban employees that have access to drugstores and condoms. Use them.

I just dont think the company should be forced to violate its beliefs, even though I dont agree with those beliefs, by the government.

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[s]Do you know what contraceptives are?  Look it up and read the first post again.[/s]

 

sorry...  I thought hobby lobby was against all contraceptives.  Turns out to "just" be IUD and morning-after pills.  DOH!

 

This does mean, however, that the Catholic Church could deny all contraceptives to its employees since it is their view that all forms of contraception (except the rhythm method) are uncool.

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I just dont think the company should be forced to violate its beliefs, even though I dont agree with those beliefs, by the government.

 

A company doesn't have beliefs as it's not a living being. Their paycheck dosn't come from specific people, it's coming from a corporation. The legal benefits of becoming a corporation should also come along with the key people losing some freedoms in deciding how its run.

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Keep in mind that pretty much everyone is paying for that health coverage; it's coming out of their Hobby Lobby paycheck, it's not like the company is offering it out of kindness. So basically they can either opt out & lose the group rate or risk unwanted pregnancy because someone at corporate might have their religious sensibilities upset. Sensibilities that are not upset when it comes to profit margin or investment, of course.  Just when it comes to telling other people how to run their lives.

 

Also it's worth noting that many forms of birth control are prescribed for health reasons other than contraception, some of them fairly serious ones, but hey let's not confuse our preachy sanctimonious bullshit with medical knowledge or y'know, consulting doctors or anything.

 

Those elitist doctors, always thinking that a decade of intense study makes them more qualified than me with my bible and web MD...

 

 

 

:allthefacepalm:

 

Short answer, I'm still not buying shit at Hobby Lobby.

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Keep in mind that pretty much everyone is paying for that health coverage; it's coming out of their Hobby Lobby paycheck, it's not like the company is offering it out of kindness. So basically they can either opt out & lose the group rate or risk unwanted pregnancy because someone at corporate might have their religious sensibilities upset. Sensibilities that are not upset when it comes to profit margin or investment, of course.  Just when it comes to telling other people how to run their lives.

 

Also it's worth noting that many forms of birth control are prescribed for health reasons other than contraception, some of them fairly serious ones, but hey let's not confuse our preachy sanctimonious bullshit with medical knowledge or y'know, consulting doctors or anything.

 

Those elitist doctors, always thinking that a decade of intense study makes them more qualified than me with my bible and web MD...

 

 

 

:allthefacepalm:

 

Short answer, I'm still not buying shit at Hobby Lobby.

 

they will never see another dollar from me either, as well as Papa Johns Pizza, Chic-fil-a, and this entire list of products all produced by Koch Industries.

 

Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft 'n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
All Georgia-Pacific lumber and building products 

 

I will pay more for things, than pay less to buy from bigots.

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Keep in mind that pretty much everyone is paying for that health coverage; it's coming out of their Hobby Lobby paycheck, it's not like the company is offering it out of kindness.

 

 

Don't know about Hobby Lobby specifically but most companies pay a higher percentage of the coverage than the employee.   The part that comes out of the employees pay check is a percentage of the total cost.     Typically companies have to be around 75 (company)/25 (employee) split to be competitve in HR markets.

 

If the company is self insured they have to kick in extra dollars to cover any claims the premiums paid do not cover.

 

The company is offering health coverage to attract employees.   Just like employees are showing up to work for a pay check and not out of kindness or their fondness of working retail.

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A company doesn't have beliefs as it's not a living being. Their paycheck dosn't come from specific people, it's coming from a corporation. The legal benefits of becoming a corporation should also come along with the key people losing some freedoms in deciding how its run.

 

I think Hobby Lobby is privately owned and is not a corporation.

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they will never see another dollar from me either, as well as Papa Johns Pizza, Chic-fil-a, and this entire list of products all produced by Koch Industries.

 

Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft 'n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
All Georgia-Pacific lumber and building products 

 

I will pay more for things, than pay less to buy from bigots.

 

Nice list.  I'll be referring back to that... 

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Also it's very easy to say get another job, but in this economy it's not so easy to do.

 

If you work at a bank as a Mortgage Broker.    The leadership of that Bank is known to have a high risk approach to policies toward lending etc.

 

As a result they must take a hit damaging earnings.   As a result they restructure.    Do you apply the same reasoning above for the now laid off Mortgage Broker or do you feel they should have been more choosing in their employment despite the economy?   

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I think Hobby Lobby is privately owned and is not a corporation.

 

They are a privately owned corporation.  It's the fact that they are a Corporation, that makes this so mind numbing. They get to take advantage of all the protections that Corporations are allowed under US law, but don't have to comply with the other facets that other corporations will have to. 

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