The Obama administration relied on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine, an independent group of doctors and researchers that concluded that birth control is not just a convenience but is medically necessary “to ensure women’s health and well-being.”
-- "Ruling on Contraception Draws Battle Lines at Catholic Colleges"
It is striking that birth control is in 2012 a dividing line. The leading Republican presidential nominees support "personhood amendments" that would declare fertilized eggs "persons" with legal and constitutional rights of unclear breadth. I have spoken about the absurdity of this, something even voters in Mississippi agreed with, and it is [insert adjective here] that this is a major issue. The fact that one side realizes that this is not merely a matter of personal choice and is quite different from abortion is appreciated and draws a line in the sand.
The Catholic Church is woefully misguided on this question and many who are deeply observant are well aware of the fact, have been since its tragic decision to reject proposed reforms in the 1960s. This is not a matter of saying pregnancy is just a "disease" or about not respecting life. It is about reality and reality is that the perfect can be the enemy of the good, akin to not lying to kidnappers.
Some Georgetown professors question the wisdom of the university’s current policy. “I wish Catholic institutions would have more open conversation about how bans on birth control can increase abortion rates among students,” said Robin L. West, a law school professor. “Both are contrary to Catholic teaching, but abortion as I understand it is the graver of the sins, and certainly the greater injury to the fetus and the woman.”The article, however, notes that when the matter was discussed in one forum, a head in the sand approach was followed. I am particularly supportive of the woman who organized a one day clinic after the health clinic at the law school at Fordham University would not prescribe her birth control pills. I like her was "raised a Catholic and was educated at parochial schools," this sort of b.s. not focused upon. In fact, to the surprise of my mother, a teacher noted that evolution is accepted doctrine. Apples and oranges? I think not -- their position on birth control is as nefarious as creation science, more so in many ways.
Fordham University (I passed the college just last night) isn't what many would think of as a Roman Catholic institution, at least one which would be so strict as not to prescribe birth control to law students. I myself find too many Catholic doctrines misguided, but respect the religion as a whole in various respects too much not to be disappointed that contraceptives is treated like this. But, the religion has just too many issues with sex and related issues to be surprised really.
Anyway, harder questions about discrimination laws as applied to teachers and so forth, when students cannot get prescriptions in this fashion, some line has been crossed. To make THIS a religious freedom issue is misguided in the extreme people. If you want to follow this counterproductive doctrine, okay, but the Administration is correct. Contraceptives are a matter of health, not just doctrine. Cases like this underline the need for some sanity and if leading Republican presidential nominees refuse to be sane on the matter, they should not be taken seriously as credible candidates. Contraceptives should not be a Republican issue. Serious Republicans realize this.
As do quite a few serious Catholics. Even some who would accept to some extent Catholic bigotry (insert nicer word here) on homosexuals draw a line here. Including many with less children than necessary to draw up a baseball team.