Obama's compromise -- mandating that insurance companies, not employers themselves -- provide no-cost birth control -- should have ended the controversy, but unfortunately, it appears it hasn't.
Those who want to control women's medical decisions have drawn a line in the sand, and it's becoming clear to Americans that those who drew it, like the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, are out of touch with what women need to protect their health and plan their families. Thankfully, we have most of the American public standing with us.
We were ecstatic when President Obama included mandatory birth control coverage. Almost all women from all backgrounds use contraception at some time in their lives.
Unfortunately those who oppose providing the coverage themselves are refusing to accept this compromise. They don't want women to have no-cost contraception even if someone else is paying for it. In fact American bishops have made it clear that they will only be satisfied if NO employer -- religiously affiliated or not -- is mandated to provide birth control to employees.
Make no mistake. This is not an issue of religious freedom. This is an issue of some wanting to force their religious beliefs upon employees who do not share those beliefs. Taking a job isn't the same as joining a church.
That's why the policy puts religiously affiliated organizations like charities and hospitals in a different category than the churches themselves.
