|
Getting Down to Details: What's a Religious Organization? |
|
|
Written by Don Byrd
|
|
Thursday, 15 March 2012 |
|
Via Religion Clause, the White House has been negotiating with the Conference of Catholic Bishops, not over whether religious organizations are exempt from the contraception coverage mandate - they are exempt, pursuant to a compromise policy announced by the President last month. Negotiations now are over the definition of "religious organization." Reuters has more:
The language at issue exempts religious
institutions from the insurance mandate only if they primarily employ
and serve people of their own faith - and only if their main purpose is
to inculcate religious values. This definition covers most houses of
worship but not the vast network of faith-based organizations serving a
broad public, such as hospitals, colleges, orphanages and homeless
shelters.
...
"If this
definition is allowed to stand," the bishops said, "it will spread
throughout federal law, weakening its healthy tradition of generous
respect for religious freedom and diversity."
|
