To Control or to Not Control: The Government and Birth Control

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To Control or to Not Control: The Government and Birth Control Health care and what people are legally allowed to do with their bodies have created controversy galore throughout history. A particular point of debate is the topic of birth control and the government. A dangerous couple, it raises the question of who should have control over contraceptive laws and what controls involving them should be put in place? Currently, under the Obama Administration, the Affordable Care Act and “Obamacare” have been created. One of the sections of this new plan creates a mandate which requires private businesses to provide insurance that covers birth control costs. The government should not be able to force businesses, and therefore the American people, to pay for birth control via health insurance because it violates the First Amendment and would create a financial burden for an already struggling country. The Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” (U.S. Const, Amend I). While forcing businesses to provide birth control is not a direct violation of this part of the First Amendment, it is still a violation. Religious freedom is not limited to churches, mosques or other religious organizations, nor is it limited to acts of worship (Rivkin and Wheland). Therefore it seems fitting that corporations should be able to live out their beliefs on contraceptives. Another piece of legislation that this violates is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The goal of this act was to protect against government actions that would target or burden religious activities or practices (Rivkin and Wheland). It is clear that forcing businesses to cover something tha... ... middle of paper ... ...0406555906>. Howell, Tom, Jr. "Supreme Court to Decide Obamacare Birth Control Mandate." The Washington Times. Washington Times, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. . Matthews, Merrill. "The Government on Birth Control." Forbes. Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. . Rivkin, David B., Jr., and Edward Whelan. "Birth-Control Mandate: Unconstitutional and Illegal." Wall Street Journal (2013): n. pag. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. . Weigel, George. "The Mandate War." National Review 21 May 2012: n. pag. Ethics and Public Policy Center. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. .

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