The Catholic Church also is of the old fashoned notion that the best contraception is abstenence.
Won't work, Veek...plain and simple. With all the sexually charged messages the kids get these days, not the least of which is part of the music to which they listen, the vast majority of the kids of this day and age have very little interest in abstinence.
As for the ethical issue, IMHO the Catholic Church is not just a religious organization, it is an employer. While I understand your distaste for them being "forced" to provide a service which they find deplorable, IMHO they are just another business in this mess and I can't find it in myself to believe that they are entitled to an exemption from the requirements...better they provide their employees with an increase in their salaries and allow their employees to source their health care on the open market. It is my firm belief that the vast majority of Catholics, at least those with whom I am acquainted, are at odds with the Catholic Church's (IMHO) antiquated attitude toward birth control and practice birth control using methods other than abstinence or the "rhythm" method (neither of which seems to be very effective to me).
On a personal note, when my wife was pregnant with our first, she was advised to have an abortion. It certainly would have been easy, safe and affortable even in the '70s. The case was compelling but she decided to carry her to term. The "fetus in question" was later selected as the Coca-Cola teacher of the year, recognized for her success in teaching hearing impaired students music and changes lives every day. Sadly 1.2 million Americans are aborted every year and never get that chance...
I rejoice in your wife's great luck, and having dedicated 32 years of my life to helping individuals with disabilities I have the greatest of respect for your daughter and her success with music therapy :thumbsup:
Students with hearing challenges are one of the hardest to teach populations (second only to the severely Autistic), so she is surely the best of the best. My congratulations to her, and to you and your wife!
As for the 1.2 million abortions performed in the U.S. every year....really, that many? If that is so, then I reassert my position that providing birth control to those who might be forced to resort to abortion is far and away the best of the choices, even if we have to provide FREE birth control. I was married to a woman who had endured an abortion before I met her, she was so severely scarred by the experience that our marriage was unsupportable, it must be a terrible burden to bear.
Surely birth control would have been a better option for her (not to mention the fetus who never saw the light of day b/c of the abortion), no?
Cheers!
Doug