|
|
 |
Karen
wrote:
|
|
Hi, guys —
I have a Face book friend who constantly bashes the Catholic Church. Ironically, I know him from Catholic school. He is saying that the Church, as an employer and not a Church, is bound by equal protection laws not to discriminate based on religion for employment, therefore, whatever their beliefs, they are not entitled to impose them on employees and, if they did, it would be actually be oppression.
- I understand the importance of religious freedom but I don't know how to respond to this?
- Do you have any ideas?
Thanks,
Karen
|
|
{
Does the Church have the right to impose their beliefs on other employees of the Church? }
|
|
Eric replied:
|
Karen —
To impose such laws on the Church would violate the First Amendment right of the Church.
The government is not allowed to interfere with the internal operations of churches. That's a basic Bill of Rights issue. Also, the Church can't effectively teach its faith or serve its people if it were required to hire people who were not of its faith.
- Can you imagine hiring an Atheist or Muslim for a priest, or Director of Religious Education?
There is also a right of freedom of association.
Eric
|
Karen replied:
|
Hi Eric,
Thanks for your answer.
I think this has to do with Catholic Apologetics but I am hesitant after Mike' s Why your question might not get answered section. This person I am debating with is giving me this scenario:
There is a Nurse who works at a Jehovah's Witness-run hospital and she gets into an accident but her health plan doesn't cover blood transfusions, because they don't believe in them. Doesn't that seem absurd to us because it is not within our belief system yet this is what the Church is trying to impose on their employees by fighting the HHS mandate.
I am not going to come running to this web site for every scenario he gives me but can you at least help me with a site or any info that I might be able to get this kind of info from.
Thanks,
Karen
|
Mike replied:
|
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your question.
If you are hesitant whether your questions qualifies, ask it anyway.
I have emphasized that part of the web page: Why your question might not get answered with:
I personally tend toward a liberal view of answering any and all questions with some limitations and believe anyone who is moved by the Holy Spirit to ask a question,
at least deserves a reply.
Mike
|
Eric replied:
|
Karen —
I'd argue it's within a Jehovah's Witness hospital's right to not cover blood transfusions, in which case the person can pay cash for them; the same is true with contraceptives, or perhaps there will develop a market for private insurance that only covers contraception.
I'd argue that contraceptives are not health care. They cause the body to behave abnormally; they make it work like it wasn't intended to work, and interfere with its natural behavior.
Health care tries to cure something that isn't working right; it doesn't try to break what is functioning perfectly well.
I have no web site for you that will address all your questions. This is a relatively new issue and not a lot has been written, organized, and published on it.
There are some radio programs at Catholic.com that cover the topic, perhaps those will help. They also have a call-in show where people can ask questions on the air.
Eric
|
|
|
|
