A case brought forth by a mining company challenging the required coverage of contraception without a copay by employer health care plans was dismissed Friday in a Missouri court. The mining company argued that the requirement was conflicting with its owners religious beliefs. However, the court ruled that the contraception rule does not prevent the employer from practicing his faith, namely, “from keeping the Sabbath, from providing a religious upbringing for his children, or from participating in a religious ritual such as communion.” In addition, the court ruled that employers cannot use claims of religious liberty to force their religious beliefs on others.
This ruling is the first one of thirty cases pending in Missouri and the ACLU has called this a major victory for women. For more information, see the following links.
A Victory for Women: Employer Can’t Use Religion to Deny Birth Control Coverage for its Employees
Another Contraception Challenge, Another Misguided Argument
History is on our side: Why the Contraception Rule is Constitutional
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Feminism and Religion 
This ruling protects the religious liberty of employees. Your boss’s religion doesn’t get to make your family planning decisions for you, nor does your boss get to decide how you spend your wages. It’s amazing how many right-wingers can’t figure out the difference between the freedom to practice your religion and the “freedom” to force it on others.
If my notion of Christianity centers on Christ’s admonition to “sell all you have and give the money to the poor,” can I force my boss to do that?
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I have NEVER understood the intertwining of religion and things like government, healthcare, etc. A lot of people, including me, don’t even BELIEVE in organized religion, so where are we left in situations like this? It’s like healthcare providers or governments creating rules based on UFOs. Sure some people believe in them, but some people don’t, and those that don’t are going to think it’s a damn silly rule!
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My distinction is this: freedom of religion is an individual freedom — you get to practice whatever religion you choose, as long as it doesn’t harm others. That doesn’t mean a corporation of boss gets to have this freedom — it needs to follow the laws of the land.
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