Have you ever read the ACA? I hope you never need it.

Ido: "The exodus from ObamaDoesNotCare has just begun."

And DO YOU CARE? We should be ashamed that we are one of the only industrialized nations with NO healthcare for our citizens. But we have a military budget that is 10x (or more) larger than any other nation on the planet.

Shame on us!

Businesses have always had the option of dropping health care for employees, and they've been using that option for many years. Businesses started carrying health insurance as a perk, both to hire and retain good employees, and to reduce their own costs by working toward keeping their employees healthy. Then it got expensive, and businesses started dropping it.

Just as no company has to carry health insurance, the Franciscans don't either. Potential students, like potential employees of companies, can decide if they want to be at a place that doesn't offer health insurance. Fortunately, the exchanges that the ACA tries to have the states setup will give those students/employees the option of buying reasonably priced insurance on their own. Without the ACA or a health insurance exchange, would students want to go to a college that won't provide health insurance?

Many businesses don't carry health insurance now, and haven't since long before Obama took office. What do you have to say about their health insurance coverage?

Shame on us...why, WHAT? It is government's role to provide for the country's defense. It is not the goverment's role to provide insurance....healthcare or any other type; that is an individual's choice, and responsibility.

You misspelled your name, left out an "i" and a "t". The real story here is buried in a little note (it's starting to cost us more so screw you students). The number of medical uses for hormonal birth control are understood by so few - it really should have a name change to take the fire out of the rhetoric. If they called it what it does - migraine relief, intense pain control, the "ability to get up off the floor and go to school pill" - things would be far different. If you've ever had severe pain involved with your menstrual cycle or have a daughter who does, you'd NEVER complain. Oh, yeah, and if it were men who suffered...well, we know how that would end, yes?

It's the college throwing a temper tantrum that cost its students health care, nothing else. Stop trying to pass the blame.

Really 173, You need to read a few good history books. Our founders never envisioned our large standing army. Matter fact they feared a government that had a large standng army. They had just cast off such a government and it's king. They expected you to join your town's local militia and grab your gun no matter your age or occupation and fight the oppressors ori nvaders at you own expense. Except in time of war this country's military was always one of the smallest in the world including right before WWII. Currently our armed forces are in over one hundred countries the founders would never have allowed that.

.healthcare or any other type; that is an individual's choice, and responsibility.

In other words, WE are supposed to pay for those people who can not or will not get their own insurance. Which is why we have the most expensive healthcare costs in the world. Insurance is so high now that millions of Americans can't afford it. The ones who can and don't we also pay for through those high premiums. That mandate, by the way is a REPUBLICAN idea. Without it, this country will have no choice but to end up with single payer, expand Medicare for all. The only question is, how much hell will republicans put us through before we get there.

Preceded by none YOU ARE WRONG it is NOT

It's the government's job to ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all citizens

It is there responsibility to protect your RIGHT to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How you choose to exercise that right is your responsibility, If you choose not to buy insurance, if you choose not to go to the doctor that is your choice. If they had to ensure your life I guess we can all sue them every time someone dies as they did not keep you alive.. read the fifth amendment of the Bill of Rights.

nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor
shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Your RIGHT to life and liberty can be taken awayif you commit a crime!

Perhaps, just perhaps, a very long shot over an extended period of time may occur and finally we can have true separation of church and state in this country. Religious biases, prejudices, should have absolutely no bearing on secular law and we citizens and taxpayers absolutely should not be subsidizing religious organizations of any stripe.

nein..... NOWHERE in the constitution is there seperation of church and state! This comes from a private letter written by Thomas Jefferson.

Our country was founded on religious beliefs, the ten commandments are placed over the heads of the Supreme court Justices, every session of both the Senate and the House are started with a prayer, they both choose a Chaplin to do this as well as "perform ceremonial, symbolic, and pastoral duties". All Senate Chaplins have been Christians. The Bible was one of the few books used in early schools for teaching. Many states had "State Churches" and even had laws to provide for the financial support of churches ( did not say what church you had to support).

If anyone wants to show there display or stand in public and preach that is there right. If a Validictorian wants to thank her God or the Earth mother or noone that is her right, by refusing to let them thank someone or something in public the government should not prevent that. It says "congress shall make no laws" yet they make laws that ban it, anyone with any common sense can see that is a violation.

Bluthunder- It's not the same country it was in the 1700's. There are very many different religions in are country today. Very many different religions in the schools today. When people say they school prayer they mean Christian prayer, if someone had tried to thank the Earth Mother in the 1700's they would probably have been burned up. Good ol' religious beliefs.

For those who say "The Governments ONLY job is to protect the citizens!" .. How wouldn't providing healthcare be protecting the populace? By and large, a healthy populace is a productive populace, and I think that would be favorable. Before anyone calls me some bleeding heart liberal, I would state my motivation for wanting universal healthcare for all is purely selfish. I'd rather pay the taxes and have everyone be able to get "that cough looked at" rather than some poor person cough on me or my children, and possibly give them something extremely nasty, the next time we're walking down the street.

I also don't get where everyone thinks that if universal healthcare were to pass and become a reality, that it would be absolutely permanent. If it did come to be, and it did turn out to be complete over-priced nightmare that was completely destroying this country (as many opponents would have you believe), there is always the option of GETTING RID OF IT! All it would take is overwhelming support from the general populace to repeal it. Bad policy (and sometimes good policy) has been repealed in the past when the People deemed it desirable to do so.

Warbeast:

When have you ever known a government initiative to be temporary?

I got one; Prohibition

Actually:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, fools. Sorry. You're wrong again. Next!

Precededbynone, you draw an interesting conclusion from those words in the DOI. The purpose of that document was to inform the king 1. that that governing requires the consent of the governed. 2. that the rights of self-determination came from God and not the King and 3. that the colonies no longer consented to be governed by England. The DOI was making the point that the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are rights bestowed upon us by the creator and not the government. If you have a complaint about your health and how that may be affecting your life, liberty or happiness you need to take that up with your creator not your government.

Nice try Bluthunder... try reading the constitution again, starting with the first amendment.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...." and Article VI specifies that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

We should be ashamed that we are one of the only industrialized nations with NO healthcare for our citizens.

Canada is just a little north. You will be much happier.

Somalia is just across the pond, then go south. You may like their lack of government.

kyrstanjo try telling me where anything I said was wrong!

When someone is arrested for preaching outside a dmv that is prohibiting the exercise of, the courts ruling that someone cannot thank GOD when they graduate is prohibiting the free expression of, when a law is made mandating a religious organization must provide services IN A DIRECT CONFLICT of there faith That is making a law against an establishment of religion! When a court rules a cross that has been on display for 90 years must be taken down that is prohibiting free speech!

Just wait until businesses start dropping health care for employees.

That will actually be desired. Then, we can all see what a mendacious, scamtastic fraud the insurance industry really is, and we'll be voting Single Payer in faster than you can cry "Socialist Takeover!!!"

@bluthunder

NOWHERE in the constitution is there seperation of church and state!

I can't decide if you are lying or illiterate. At any rate, here is the clause you deny exists:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It literally is the first thing in the bill of rights.

kyrstanjo try telling me where anything I said was wrong!

You are @!$%#ing wrong, and probably lying, too. How's that?

This is exactly why legalizing same sex marriage concerns me. I believe in Birth Control. Necessary and should be available. No argument. Should a Religion which finds it reprehensible and a sin against God be forced to provide not just birth control but abortions be forced to include it in their insurance? No .

Just wrong. I have to agree with Blu Thunders post above. Sad but true So if Homosexual marriage is made legal does that mean all religions must comply even though their religious beliefs are completely against such a union. I don't care personaly. It is not mine to judge. If they are Christian they will be responsible, not me. If they are not they have no stake in the Christian Belief system. The question remains will all Religions be forced to act in accordance with the LAW as opposed to the Religion to which they have dedicated their life?

"Sebelious never said this would happen."

-B. Obama

The busy monster NOWHERE DOES IT SAY "SEPERATION OF CHUCH AND STATE" this was a statement written in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist organization. If it was written into the constitution HOW could the ten commandments be above the heads of the supreme court justices? how could the Senate and House elect a "chaplin" to preside over the PRAYER each session is started with as well as the other duties such as providing religious care for senators families and senators? The bible was one of the books first used in schools to teach with. If you read the words "seperation of church and state" in the constitution then you must you have a new form of illiteracy as youcan see words that are not there!

"MAKE NO LAWS" does not mean it cannot be a part of, It means NO LAWS CAN BE MADE THAT PROHIBIT it!

It also means no laws can be made by congress to MANDATE IT!

It's @!$%#ing SEPARATION!

Oh, boy, here goes..

If a school decides that a student can't thank god in his/her valedictorian speech, that was the school's specific position. There is nothing in any laws that states that you can't pray in school, that you can't "Thank God" in school, that you can't preach. In fact, when I was in high school (public high school), I was in a Christian club (and to my knowledge, that club still exists). We met regularly on school grounds, discussed the Bible, and prayed at lunch. And no one stopped us. Why? Because there are no laws prohibiting people from engaging in their own religious beliefs.What school's CANT do is require prayer or appear to be favoring one religion over another. So please stop misrepresenting the laws just so you can keep beating your "War on Christianity" drum.

Mo - there are already laws in place that allow religious institutions and religious officials to refuse to marry whoever they want. They can choose not to marry you if you're not part of their congregation, if you aren't a believer in their sect of religion, or just because they don't like you. Those laws are already in place and have been for a very long time. Legalizing gay marriage will not change those laws. Thus, no religious institutions or religious officials would have to officiate any gay marriages if they chose not to. So, if that's your only problem with gay marriage, problem solved. Now go vote for gay marriage.

Also, on the topic of this article:

Some of these schools which are complaining don't even actually pay anything toward the insurance. Rather, they are an independent company who the school happens to use. Thus, in such cases, the schools wouldn't even be "paying for birth control." So, in those cases, I don't think the schools' complaints are relevant.

More the point, the healthcare act isn't forcing anyone of these schools to provide health insurance. It' just says that if they have health insurance, they have to cover birth control. So, if they have a problem with it, they can just drop the health insurance. And if the Healthcare act does what it's supposed to, it won't really matter -- because students will be able to get affordable healthcare on their own. So, why all the whining?

. There is nothing in any laws that states that you can't pray in school, that you can't "Thank God" in school, that you can't preach

Really, nothing? how about the supreme court?

articles.cnn.com/2000-06-19/justice/scotus.schoolprayer_1_student-led-prayer-santa-fe-school-district-weisman-case?_s=PM:LAW

I so look forward to when Romney is elected, then my neighbor can stop hiding his multiple wives. He wants to brag about his 5 wives. And this bigoted country makes his religious practice illegal.

And I so look forward to my human sacrifice religion. My god tells me to sacrifice a virgin female every quarter in order to prevent economic catastrophe. Will you please donate yours to help protect my religion and our common economic foundation?

And one of my children is now in love with a goat. I guess this is better than homosexuality, and our god tells him that marriage to his goat is OK. And he has a zero chance of catching any disease.

And if this offends you - which religions are you protecting? This country does not have a national religion. And if you support not applying common sense laws to yours - why not to mine also?

Bluthunder,

I went and read up on the case (though I admit it was only a cursory reading). The problem in that case was not that students were independently deciding to pray together prior to a game. But, rather a student would announce a prayer over the PA system for the entire school. The supreme court saw that as the school sanctioning one religion over the other. Thus, students deciding to pray wasn't the problem. It was whether or not it appeared the school was choosing one religion over another.

It doesn't do much good to try to explain the REALITY of the separation of church and state to a religious person. They become intentionally obtuse and refuse to understand simple information.

toasty---It's the college throwing a temper tantrum that cost its students health care, nothing else. Stop trying to pass the blame.

obamas "affordable mandate" shot the cost up so high with added birthcontrol so now they can't and won't afford to offer it. students already protest the cost of tuition where the cost would have to be added.

precededby---

the university has to worry about paying their bills to keep the doors open.. they can't afford to absorb the cost. what makes them resposible for everyone?

bluthunder

like I asked a while back Prove there is a GOD?

The best answer I got from some well informed person like yourself. "God is real just get over it" was the quote, now I am a person who grew up in the church of AoG a very right wing religion, plus my father was a preacher and both my parents were missionaries. and my grandfather was very Pentecostal, my hole family are still very strong with the church and My family has several member who are missionaries. So I have been well verse in the Bible and the Christianity. and I was born in 1952 year of the Dragon, like this year.

I have and always will be in favor of separation of church and state. And seeing as you like to use the Supreme Court, then you need to see the ruling on this very issue, even they agree with the Constitution about the separation of church and state, in other word they did go with the meaning of Jefferson.

The church cutting healthcare for there students would be the death nail for that school, kid go to school for a education, not just for religion. My grand kid will be going to a Catholic school this year, not that our school is not rated 4A but the catholic school is also rated 4A, and they are not going there to become catholic rather the education program.

And the reason you see all the religious icons around the supreme Court and the congress is that if they were to take them down, then they would have guys like you jumping up and down say we are against Christianity. Right? this however brings me back to a point I would like to make to you and the rest of your clan! "God" does not have to be defended by you or anyone else. Do you think the all mighty need your help? NOPE!

Your arguments are so old school it is not funny, I heard the same thing most of my life, and Jesus has not taken the worthy away, there was not a rapture that was predicted to me and my kids would never get old the end is always coming "like a thief in the night" "right"? and that was over 40yrs ago a hole generation according to the Bible, would you like to discuss the deficiency of the Bible. I can also give you a history on the Bible if you would like.

The point is this your religious rule should never over rule the law of the land, the laws are meant for all not just the religious, so sorry you don't get a pass. And laws are being supply by the Supreme Court on the First Amendment who are making the laws, which is not so good either as we can all see there ruling are not in concert with the Constitution either, just ask your group of protesters at abortion clinics. Thank you so much!

I would suggest you get out and see the true would you live in, and stop preaching this will cause you to go to HELL! "let us not judge", and your are close to one of the deadly sins! boooooooooooob

Ok lets hear it!
just shake head!

My God forgive you and your clan! aaaaaaaaaaaaa mennnnnnnnnnaaaa!

Not going to happen, but it should.

If they were to stand on a real conviction that tax exemption should have gone first.

Including the mormon cult

Pray tell, Really. Why shouldn't colleges pay taxes?

It's a business, Really. That means it has to obey labor laws. You wouldn't support a college refusing to pay its employees for working on the Sabbath, would you?

A college is not a church. Neither is a hospital, parish hall, a football stadium, or basketball arena. Any church property that is not actually a church building should be taxed. Especially those that produce income and compete with for profit companies.

What they're not saying is ..under the Obama Care those same students can stay on their parents insurance until age 26..So they're just making a lot noise about nothing.. Only 200 out of 2800 of their students even bought their insurance...So they don't have to violate their conscience, ,haha

Devils Son absolutely!!

Let the people making $250,000 or more pay for all of our healthcare. That is President Obama's plan after all.

Let everybody pay their fair share, shamrock. Those that take the most, should give the most. Churches that are politically active SHOULD be paying taxes.

I understand the pre-Reagan tax laws. They were the best we had. Those who are preditory toward their fellow humans should be paying the lions share of taxes. Since Reagan, we have allowed ourselves to be preyed apon. There needs to be some balance for any system to work.

No Pj, I don't think it's fair to make anyone making less than $250,000 a yr to pay for healthcare. I think the rich should pay for it all. Every Church needs to pay taxes. The 1% can cover it all. General Electric alone can afford to pay for us all. Warren Buffet want's to pay more well now he can, we want free housing, food and medical along with our free cell phones. Big oil companies have made record billions, they too can afford to pay for us all. Those fast food places like McDonalds, Burger King etc, should have to pay for all the fat peoples healthcare. Who made a profit off fat a$$es? Spread the wealth. That's the Obama/Biden way and I'm lovin it.

shamrock - I'm sorry but you are completely dillusional. Do I believe that several companies and individuals are paid much more then what they are worth, absolutely but it isn't the responsibility of the upper class to pay for all of the lower class's expenses. I'm sorry I have no problem paying for my own house, medical bills, food, etc. as I want that accomplishment that I took care of my responsibilities. I think laws need to be put in place to prevent inflation and limit salaries & bonuses of CEO, CFO, etc. As for health care, if people would stop defaulting on their bills then the cost of health care would drop significantly. Hospitals & health care institutions will work with you on your amount owed, you just have to say "hey I want to pay my bill but I can't pay this amount. Can you work with me?" You would be surprised on what they are willing to do.

Pray tell, Really. Why shouldn't colleges pay taxes?

Because MOST colleges are "not for profit," in other words they don't pay taxes because they don't earn an income. And paying taxes has NOTHING to do with the subject at hand, which is a University dropping student health insurance over the birth control mandate. And since, as has been pointed out elsewhere on this thread, businesses are not obligated to provide insurance to employees under ObamaCare, you can expect other Catholic universities AND hospitals to follow suit. Way to go, Mr. President, you just set back your own "signature legislation" because of this birth control issue; that was not too smart.

I personally believe that the church college is simply using this as an excuse to drop the insurance. They even say loudly that "it's the mandate" and much more softly "and the rising costs of insurance". These schools are businesses and they just found a great way to get out from under the rising cost of insurance, save face and blame Obama. What a Christian attitude!

A lot of people are saying that individuals should be responsible for their own health insurance, and I would like to agree with that, unfortunately I can't. For working class people, health insurance is simply too expensive. I am employed, and my employer pays about 70%, and I pay about 30%. This works for me because I am single with no children. If I had a wife and children, to cover them on my policy would take about one third of my weekly pay.

Forget all the ideological nonsence, healthcare is not a political problem, it is an economic one. Either make it affordable to everybody, or have a single payer system such as medicare for everybody. No person with a full time job should be deprived of health care because of cost.

Really? --- Agreed.

Maritza --- Females do use birth control for things other than birth control. And there are many more places they can obtain it other than through a Catholic university.

Really, i didnt want my tax dollars going to a war in Iraq but I didnt have a choice.

Maritza-687774====" Females use birth control for things other than birth control"

Can you enlighten as to what for? And can you give the 0.001% that do use BC for something otherthan?

If you can't back up your "Stuff", then don't post.

Sorry Really, but if your church wants to run a business, it has to obey the laws of the nation. End of story.

So, "Really" - you compare a food item to medication that makes a woman's life a lot less miserable? You compare food to medication that takes care of intense pain, inflammation, vomiting and diarrhea? I have a daughter who suffers intense symptoms without "birth control". I had a friend in high school who missed EVERY month because she couldn't get up off the floor without vomiting because menstrual related migraines were so intense. I guess this is okay with some of the posters here because it only affects women (and the people who love and care about them)? And wow, no you don't get to go into the doctor's office and pass judgement on the woman's/girl's condition. We don't get to go in and witness your prostate exam and while you may enjoy it and you may not, that's nothing for me to judge.

Oh, and "Hadit", why don't you do a little research if you have questions? If you did, you'd know that the small daily dose keeps the correct level of medication in the bloodstream to prevent the pain and other severe symptoms. Learn a little something before you spout.

Sorry Really, but a business is a business. If you refuse to obey labor laws, you shouldn't even be on the market in the first place.

Yes @Really, I took care of my daughter when she needed it and now that she's a young adult, she takes care of herself. But my question is why is it okay to cover pain medication that is useful to men and women, but not one that significantly improves a woman or girl's life? I get that you are kind of a snark, but are you intentionally missing the point? Medicine is covered by health care. Hormonal birth control is medicine. Period. (so to speak)

And you did compare food choices to medication. The enormous wah wah going on right now is the Righty fake outrage over not being allowed to make decisions and judgments for everyone else.

I am fighting for what I believe in. Non-discriminatory access to medication. My core beliefs leave me astounded that we as a country think that some people's lives are worth more than others. I believe that quality health care should be available to all, regardless of their ability to pay (please don't say "use the ER", I think we both know that's not quality health care). I believe it's humiliating that we talk about "pro-life" when we don't value the lives that actually exist on this earth. Living, breathing human beings. Tossed to the curb, put in foster homes, children being put to death in the name of state's rights (in those states who believe the death penalty should be applied to children). It's truly shameful and I do fight for what I believe in.

I don't believe penicillin was developed purely to fight infection, we just got really lucky because a few very smart scientists made some astute observations. "At the time, however, the importance of Alexander Fleming's discovery was not known. Use of penicillin did not begin until the 1940s when Howard Florey and Ernst Chain isolated the active ingredient and developed a powdery form of the medicine." So many medications are and were pure discovery, not developed for one particular treatment. Some were developed to treat one illness, but it was discovered that the medication did much more than first noted. Are you suggesting that we limit medications to that purpose that we first developed them? This is quite a narrow view and it's not becoming of a person, such as yourself, who can actually write a sentence and put together a coherent paragraph.

The government does not want the Catholic Church to provide any kind of medication. That is for the doctor and the health care provider. The government does not want the Catholic Church, or any other denomination, to engage in discriminatory practices. It's a great deal of fun and a wonderful exercise of the intellect to engage in debate. But this is a serious subject so I hope you are taking our views seriously as well.

@HaditwithBSpolitics,

How about to help with acne, PMS, menstrual irregularity, and menorrhagia? Endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome and anaemia? Let's add to these MEDICAL reasons the advantage female athletes have if they can regulate their cycle. Are these enough reasons for you? I find it amusing that people scrutinize the reasons women need a medication, but the old viagra remedy for males seems to get a pass and rarely gets debated as to how much THAT so called remedy is costing us, or why or if it should be prescribed in all cases?

Really 173, even most Catholics disagree with the church's teachings on birth control. Most just tune out the old boy's club when they start yakking about birth control. A recent poll showed that something like 90% of Catholic women have used or currently use birth control.

What this boils down to is this: there is a war being waged on women's preventive healthcare rights. It is not happening to any medication that men take, they are not being subjected to religious infringements on any part of their care.

lib50,

The war on women's preventative healthcare rights is being lost, based on the distance you have to travel to buy birth control. And men aren't being subjected to religious infringement because there is no religion that bans a hard on. Sorry.

Really? Sure bc is available at these other places and cheaply in generics but my daughters can neither one take the generic forms..they have to take the expensive brand name forms.. and furthermore the students insurance plan surely covers more services than just birth control,.If not it's not worth jacks**t anyway. This university told them to plan how they would pay if they were in an accident..I'm sure most all of them have car insurance and under the Obama plan they'll be on their parents insurance until age 26..So I'm sure these kids are not phased by the university's scare tactics.

As long as these students are paying for the student insurance the insurance should pay for whatever the student's doctor prescribes for them...It really falls under doctor/patient privacy.

Also someone mentioned the hospitals closing down...Not every city even has catholic hospitals..So no big loss. There's always another hospital in the next city.

@Really... You say you're not Catholic and then you go and basically say that the issue of women's access to birth control is a core belief issue for Catholics? I don't think so. Women's birth control generally prevents fertilization, so there's no trouble about a human zygote (fertilized egg) dying a premature death. I'll also echo the point by Devil's Son that a high percentage of the Catholic Church accepts couples using birth control. Devil's Son cites a statistic that in the range of 90% of Catholic women of child bearing age use birth control, presumably referring to the "98%" stat that came out of a Guttmacher Institute report; I'll take the 98% with several grains of salt, but I guess that it's at least 60%. A somewhat balanced discussion by a Catholic priest can be found at

http://www.ascensioncatholic.net/TOPICS/morality/BirthControl.html

...which cites several European National Councils of Bishops supporting married couples following their consciences in the matter.

A decent sorting through of the Guttmacher report is at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/have-98-percent-of-catholic-women-used-contraceptives-not-quite/2012/02/14/gIQAZszTDR_blog.html

People who walk the walk of being married parents, a lifestyle that is in very many ways more spiritually challenging than that of being a priest, are the ones who have the authenticity in discerning God's graces regarding their sexual lives. If the unmarried male hierarchy of the Church had the humility & heartfelt concern of Jesus, I doubt that they'd be out there telling women & married couples how to run their sex lives. And some of them aren't.

Perhaps to get the Catholic church to quit being the ridiculously stubborn a-holes that they are being about this issue, the manufacturers should just start calling birth-control "Hormonal Pain Therapy" and list a "possible side effect" of reduced chances of pregnancy.

There's gotta be some reason why, when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's in a majority catholic town, all our catholic neighbors could field a baseball team of kids apiece and most of them can't these days

It's a private business, Croft. It has to obey the law. I mean, what if their religion says they shouldn't pay an employee if they work on the Sabbath? Guess what, they still have to pay them because it's a labor law.

And this is still a for-profit business.

How is dropping health care being pro-life? Instead of funding the Catholic Cult, cut out the middle man when tithing. Write a check to God for 10% of your income. Until God cashes it, use the float. See how long the Catholics stay in business.

It's a private business, Croft. It has to obey the law. I mean, what if their religion says they shouldn't pay an employee if they work on the Sabbath? Guess what, they still have to pay them because it's a labor law.

Totally NOT the point - once again, Toasty, Obamacare DOES NOT REQUIRE private businesses to provide health insurance; therefore the Univesity can best comply with the mandate by dropping health insurance. Don't like it? Take it up with the Congress that totally FAILED in that regard!

And the fact that most Catholics (myself included) ignores this particular "core belief" is also NOT THE POINT - we're not talking about Catholic individuals, are we? No, we're talking about Catholic institutions, who take their orders from the Vatican. Yeah, I'm sure Obama THOUGHT that public support of his mandate would FORCE the Church to back off; guess he thought WRONG (as usual).

@mistermycroft The school is not being forced to purchase birth control or any other reproductive services for women. They are being asked to step up as human beings and provide access to health care. What the doctor and patient discuss and decide upon is NO one's business. Doesn't matter if it's cancer screening, addictions counseling, a broken limb, or a menstrual cycle. No one gets to know what is talked about in your doctor's office. You and the school have a right to your beliefs and practices - don't purchase birth control, don't get screened, don't have the limb set and cast, whatever you decide, that's your decision. Your rights end right where my rights begin. How many other diagnoses does the University feel it has the right to know about/control? Do they actually care about any other health issue between you and your doctor? No, it's only the doctor visits that include discussion of a woman or girl's menstrual cycle - that's discrimination, plain and simple.

If the church and its believers don't want to use BC I am all for it. But if the church employees are not of that believe the church should not require them to follow it's believe in relation to their employment by the church. Example nurses should have their BC provided for because they are employees not members of the church. My employer cannot prevent me from working on Sunday nor should it be able to fire me for doing so. A church hospital is no different from a county hospital, both are non profit and must obey labor laws.

I am completely fine with churches not providing BC in their organization. But they run a business then they need to obey business laws just the same as everyone else. Or do you want to exempt the church hospital from OSHA? No lights on the sabbath in a hospital? Just how far does the church get to be involved in an employee life?

To any one who says you can go work somewhere else, just what is the unemployment rate in your area? Is life really that good that you can pull up stakes and go somewhere else? I can't, I have 27 years with my employer, I would lose a lot and try to find a job at 59 years old is just not going to happen that easy. I have had three employers go under in my career and they took with them my savings.

Really!! Really?

My accountant would be happy to hear I am going to fire him because My non-for-profit business will not need him because we don't pay taxes. I pay taxes on every employee I have to follow all the same labor laws as the rest. I am not exempt from property tax, income tax, ssan, ect. So Really are your facts, facts?

"The SCOTUS recently ruled 9-0 that they are not bound by anti-discrimination laws when it comes to hiring."

Just when did we elect the SCOTUS? I did not know of another ruling body over the American citizens. So who give's a rats ass what they said, they need to take care of the molestation in there rank before there word mean anything to most of us. So this point is really moot.

I do love how you bring up examples, let me give you a few, let look at law in this country that have been against religious practices. Example: laws were made to keep the Mormons from having more them one wife. "bigamist laws". State of the Teapublicans are making laws against religion. Example Sharia law will not be allowed in the state, Sharia law is part of some Muslims religion. So when you bring up the issues stop the superficial rhetoric and dig a little deeper.

I wonder should I let him go tonight or wait untill the morning? Really what do you think?

I will pray on it!

What is really cracking me up is the fact that all the Christians who did not recognize cult's as a religion. And now the Right wing Christians are taking a knee to a Cultist. So show us the 20 peaces of silver that he gave to you!

You would have to be an utter moron to be one of their students, so I guess you get what you seek.

This sounds like ignorance at it's best. What's this have to do with race?

@mistermycroft People pay premiums for their insurance so they are paying for their birth control in with those premiums.

Remind me not to send any of my kid to this collage. I hope you won't do business here.

And dummy if you can go to school and pay the $100,000.00 every year then you can afford to live with mommy and daddy! Welfare was not made for you IDIOT! Is that a Crimson collage logo, they must be very proud of you!

I hate freshman! They just don't get it! still walking into lockers?

One another thing there spanky, in this country we all pay for @!$%# we don't believe in either, why is my taxes going to Religious schools, you think I want to pay for some ones religious believes. No go and study!

I am not a Catholic, but not to cheer for ND, living in Indiana is a no no. My sons are none believers and the are ND, football all the way.

And to the Crimson go IU/PU.

Prospective students will figure this out and spend their money elsewhere. College is big business. If they can't offer everything other schools offer they will lose out.

Why can't you believe it. Hating women is not new to the Catholic church. Mary Magdalene was one of if not the closest followers of Christ and his favorite. The old boy's club cast her to the side and portrayed her as a prostitute.

@TEra and Devil's Son

Just because they are following the bible, does not make them haters of women. The apostle Paul was the biggest advocate in the Bible for women stating, "husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, that he gave his life for it."

Um Jesus also said in Luke 14:26 "If any man come to me, and HATE not his father, and mother, and wife, and children,and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE." ...Following the bible? If they "followed" the bible, parents would be forced to stone their unruly children to death and slavery would also be just fine... Nobody should follow the bible as it was written by a succession of men claiming a direct line to God/Jesus. Men got together and decided which books to include and exclude... I, for one, am looking forward to the day when people don't believe this BS anymore.

Man living as his prideful, carnal nature dictates.

Dear i saw it: Fear not, those of us who are Catholic are glad you are not one of us as well. This is NOT pure ignorance - it is the fortitude to stand up for one's beliefs. The college in question is not forbidding its students to purchase whatever type of healthcare they desire, but the college IS refusing to facilitate the purchase of something that violates a belief held by the Catholic religion for a very long time. A previous poster stated that the very same liberals who are vilifying this college would be up in arms if any other group/college/institution demanded that a Musilm eat a pork sandwich in order to participate in whatever that group/college/institution does, but they are obsessively vocal in decrying Catholics for standing up for their beliefs. That is a valid argument. I would suggest that you ponder that thought, but, I think my doing so would be a waste of time. Your mind is already made up, and fact and logic have no place therein.

The church had no problems providing bc for women who had a medical need for it, what they objected to is having to provide bc for everyone, and the morning after pills. Since there are many places a woman can get birth control at a reasonable cost, forcing Catholic colleges to provide this type of coverage for students who do not expect to be provided free birth control at their college is just a bit of foot stomping from the petulant child in the White House.

@ Redwood Ed - again with comparing medicine to food choices? Dear sweet baby Jesus, I can only imagine that you are intentionally refusing to educate yourself on the life-changing properties that the medical use of hormonal birth control has over many many women's lives. Do you get to go sit in the doctor's office with each and every woman and know the reason she's getting the medicine? No. You do not. I don't believe for a MINUTE that good Catholics are standing up to keep women in pain and suffering - many good Catholics use birth control to prevent themselves from having children. The priests and nuns who serve real parishes understand this.

They buried the lead in this story - and that is that health care is getting too expensive for the college to want to provide it anymore. This is a smokescreen that is purely economic.

Dear fearlesskris: I am assuming you are literate, or you would not have been able to write your rather off-base answer to my comment. I am not comparing food choices to anything. I AM trying to illustrate that, just as it is a basic tenet of the Muslim faith to not consume products from a pig, it is also a basic tenet of the Catholic faith to not support birth control or abortion. I have no desire to see women in pain and suffering, and I think you know full well that the Catholic Church has no problem with a woman receiving "birth control drugs" to alleviate medical conditions. There are many "pick and choose" Catholics who adhere to the beliefs of their religion which they personally endorse, rather than adhering to the beliefs of the religion as a whole. Stop trying to justify your beliefs by demeaning mine!

@Redwood Ed Most colleges & universities could care less what any student eats..How stupid..Wonder how this catholic feels about antibiotics, breast exams etc..Maybe we'll see that they had to shut down for not having enough students to even want to attend there..

@thfan - Are you really that obtuse, or are you putting me on? I don't care what a college kid eats! I was trying to demonstrate how certain individuals think when it comes to a person's adherence to the beliefs of their particular religion, and how following those beliefs can be misinterpreted by ignorant people. Also, since there are a great many Catholic priests and nuns who also happen to be practicing physicians, your idiotic comment about antibiotics and breast examinations shows your obvious anti-Catholic bias. How stupid indeed!

@Redwood Ed I am certainly not trying to demean anyone's beliefs. But your beliefs and right to practice what you believe end at the tip of your nose and can NOT interfere with my rights! That point seems to be lost completely. And if there is support to use medications that help end pain and suffering for women via the Catholic University, they would have no problem with insurance companies covering that medication. The University is not a dispensary of birth control and never has been. Their hands are clean. This is an overreach to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. If they pull health care over the POSSIBILITY that a woman can receive a prescription for bc, they are in effect denying all health services to the kids attending that university. Not every one has a parent or family with the resources to provide health insurance (which is an embarrassment in itself - we live in a country that feels one life is more or less valuable than other lives based on their ability to PAY).

And as to the "pick and choose" nature of the religious faithful, well, we've learned a lot over the course of human civilization - such as we don't actually believe it's okay to buy and sell people as slaves, it's widely accepted that we can wear different fabrics together without getting stoned to death, it is okay to touch the skin of a pig and make a great game out of it to boot, and we do in fact plant different crops side by side and don't fear retribution from an angry God. Whether or not you believe in the concept of human evolution, I think we can all agree that civilization in free societies has evolved over time.

How stupid..sperm is a man thing.. So there again it's the War AGAINST Women--Who cares if sperm gets wasted? How hilarious!

thfan - do you not recognize the quote from Monty Python's Flying Circus? Perhaps you would enjoy watching. Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail is quite funny, as is Monty Python's Meaning of Life.

shhhh....there is no room for logic here.

Dang, as a student of this university, I'm afraid I must heartily disagree with you. I think I speak for the majority of my fellow students at Franciscan when I say that I am proud of Franciscan University of Steubenville for making this decision. I am proud of my school for holding onto its authentically Catholic beliefs and refusing to compromise in the face of unconstitutional governmental meddling. I hope I can make the same sort of stand as an individual if such a time should ever come.

Franciscan cares about its students and its faith. Here's how

1. Is offering free contraception really the caring thing to do? Yes, there are plenty of non-birth-control uses for which it can be very effective, but it always has side effects, some of which may not show up for years. I am confident that more effective and less risky solutions are out there for those who make the effort to look. Furthermore, is free contraception even necessary? As it is now, birth control is easy to find and relatively inexpensive, so access to contraception can't really be the argument here.

2.The school-offered plan isn't free, and the additional regulations in the ACA would make it twice as expensive next year and possibly even worse in the years to come. Would it be the caring thing to do to make students pay this increased amount if they weren't already covered and might not even need it? Certainly not. Rather, let them work with their parents/guardians and determine the plan that's right for them. I'm sure they can find cheaper ones that suit their needs better than the university plan would.

Thus, as far as I can tell, the school's decision is a win on all fronts. Neither the university nor its Catholic students have to violate their consciences by providing or buying into a plan whose structure violates their beliefs. The school saves money in not providing the plan. The students (only 200 of them used the school plan anyway) can save money by finding a cheaper plan or having no insurance plan at all. (The latter is risky, but we're college students - we're invincible.) And the university's health center provides cheap basic care anyway, no insurance required.

Therefore, Franciscan University of Steubenville has made a prudent and caring decision, making it possible for the school to maintain its religious and moral integrity while still offering its students the best that the college experience can offer. That doesn't sound like hypocrisy to me. That sounds like passionate Catholicism at its finest.

Sonia - they are quiet because they are using the birth control. And God has nothing to do with this judgement. It's people who are trying to make them feel ashamed. Honestly, who are you to speak for God? Guess you don't believe much in blasphemy, eh?

Sonia, my mother didn't choose life. She wanted me. A choice wasn't being made. Not every woman finds herself in that happy circumstance.
Don't forget that non catholics also attend catholic college. What happens to their health care at college?

Shut up! That crap doesn't make a bit of sense to anyone except bible thumpers!

Unfortunately for those on this page who are pro-abortion & pro birth control, your mothers chose life for you

Why is it unfortunate to know that your mother CHOOSED to have you as oppose to FORCED to have you ????????? Why is it unfortunate, I want my daughter to be able to CHOOSE to have children so my grandkids will be able to have this knowledge.

When I was born and growing up, the communists were our leading party. Borders were closed. No freedom of speech. If a women wanted to terminate her pregnancy, she had to go in front of a review panel, doctors and others - in most cases always all men - and explain why, at the age 14, being raped by her father she should be allow to have abortion. Then they would decide and let her know. And, if you were unfortunate, as my 14 years old friend was, they would force you to carry the baby. (My friend commited suicide at 8 months pregnant. Well, her doctor and psychiatrist told the panel she was in no shape physicaly or mentaly to go thru pregnancy, but you know, why would they care?)

But my dear, when you jump from abortion to birth control, that´s another whole thing together. If you are truly againts abortion, you should be promoting birth control left and right. But I suppose for you it is as easy as not to have sex, right ??? Too bad some of us are in a marriage with mutual love and attraction so that whole no sex idea if you do not want to get pregnant....But I should check, one never knows - I am still allow to have sex with my husband, right ???? It was not declared immoral yet ????

Oh for Christssake...

Your bigoted joke is outdated. They are called alter servers and the Catholic Church has allowed female alter servers for over 25 years. Get some new material and a better haircut.

You are assuming "repent" means to say your sorry. It does not. It's much more than that.

That is where you 'outrageously' err.

The Catholic Church is not against "birth control", it is against "artificial birth control". So many people claim to be so "intelligent" and yet they cannot grasp the concept of "natural family planning". I can personally say that it works. As for the "altar boys getting pregnant" comment, those men who committed those crimes should never have become priests. There are more pedophiles that are NOT priests than there are priests who are pedophiles. You can look up any sex offender list and you will see hundreds of men and women on those lists. This is a worldwide problem that needs to be addressed as such.

Yes, there are alot more pedophiles in the world than in the Catholic Church. But the public isn't hidding what they did. The Catholic Church on purpose hid what these priests were doing. That is so morally wrong I can't even believe it. The Catholic Church is morally bankrupt. I'm so glad I'm not Catholic.

While most are talking about "rights" be it the church's right or women's rights the issue of the cost of the ACA which will destroy our healthcare system is being overlooked. Because of ACA, the healthvare policy at the Franciscan University were expected to triple over two years. The $600 policy was going to double in cost in the fall and triple next year and that the school’s insurance provider said the increases were the result of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The school cited the contraception mandate, but also a requirement that the maximum coverage amount be increased to $100,000 for policyholders.

There never has been a war on women's contraception. Unless free contraception, which didn't exist last year is the cumulation of a 200 year campaign against women. Here's a better way to view this.

Knowing resources are not limitless and cuts will need to be made at some point, would you favor the current system of contraception and say postpone mamagrams to age 50 (which this government has suggested). Would you rather have $600 medical insurance and pay for contraception or $1,800 insurance and get it for free (or $1,200 you do the math).

The problem with the ACA is that by forcing insurance companies to cover everything, they are effectively eliminating the free market and no one can "afford" it. The CEO af Aetna declared private health insurance dead. These measures will force us into a single (government) payor sysytem and costs will rise even higher.

The reality is health insurance will perpetually screw those ages 18 to 35. Who would really save HUGE if they were offered a major medical / catastrophic care insurance plan. Plans that don't pay for the annual physical you don't have but pay huge if you're unfortunate enough to be hit with a severe illness.

The good news is the get free contraception. The bad news is their healthcare costs triple and they pay the same premiums for the same coverages of our senior citizens.

If there is a war being waged on any group in America, it is our young adults. But hey, free birth control.

I agree. The government run public school system is tragically broken. And what about the seperation of church and state? Why are American tax dollars going to an institution that teaches the secular humanism religion?

There's a thought. Why should I, via my taxes, be required to help pay for pell grants or federally subsidized loans benefiting institutions that don't share my beliefs?

I suppose it's somewhat regional: this is my first time hearing of a school that didn't offer insurance.

But hey, if they want to drop it, it's their right. Smart students will find better places to spend 22 grand/ year.