Catholics want birth control coverage: New survey

[jpak]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2012/02/contraception-catholic-bishops-obama-hhs/1

Pundits and bishops warn President Obama he could lose the white Catholic vote over requiring a contraception option for insurance plans. But Catholic women side with Obama on this, a new survey says.

The pivot point is how you see this. Is it a battle is over birth control -- used by 98% of U.S. women at some time in their lives -- or over government intrusion into the right of religious organizations to live by their teachings?

The Catholic bishops, backed by conservative evangelicals, say the federal government should not include contraception coverage as part of free preventive care options in employers' health insurance plans.

<snip>,

A majority (55%) of Americans agree that "employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception and birth control at no cost." Four-in-ten (40%) disagree with this requirement.

<more>

[patrice]

1. Wondering here what would happen to these numbers if the words "free" & "no cost" were

removed from the proposition.

Co-pays could be held extremely low.

[kestrel91316]

2. Just for the record, I oppose any cost whatsoever

being attached to birth control prescriptions. Not one red cent should come between a woman and her family planning.

[patrice]

10. Agree. We're paying for it anyway, one way or another, whether there's a copay or not. I was just

wondering about some VERY strong knee-jerk reactions to the word "free" out there.

What we need to do about that knee-jerk reaction is to help people understand better how the costs of things are transferred, no matter what kind of labels we hang on that.

[CTyankee]

13. Because it creates a "second class" citizenship for women under a federal law, that's why.

No matter how you parse, that's what you come up with. You women have to pay for your basic health care, you men get the free card.

Why should there be a "penalty" for being a woman of childbearing age?

[LetTimmySmoke]

19. I'd rather pay $1 in tax dollars for contraception than $50 in tax dollars for child care.

[avaistheone1]

3. Will the men still get their Viagra under this plan?

[Skittles]

15. the men always get theirs

without their morality being judged

[onehandle]

4. 100% of the Catholics in my family have practiced birth control.

And no, I don't mean the rhythm method or 'withdrawal.'

[rhett o rick]

22. What I dont get, if many or most Catholics dont abide by the Pope's wishes, why dont they ask for

change. Why would you belong to a religion that is dictatorial?

[TruthBeToldIWill]

26. not abiding to the Pope's wishes and not beleiving are different things

[rhett o rick]

29. What I asked has nothing to do with believing.

With issues as major as birth control, why dont the people stand up to the church and ask for change instead of ignoring the rules of the church? I understand on minor issues but not major issues.

[monmouth]

5. Most Catholic women I know (#1) Scoff at the priest, church and other sundry men who

think they know how to conduct the business of our uterai..LOL. My Jewish doctor asked me one day if there had been a vote at the last Catholic Daughters meeting about helping struggling new doctors in new practices. I told him it was because he was so handsome,....I was/am his favorite patient....LOL..

[LibDemAlways]

6. I take my elderly mother to Catholic mass weekly.

There is not a large family in sight. No parents with a bunch of kids in tow. The norm seems to be two. When I taught in a Catholic school back in the 80s most kids who had siblings had one or maybe two. Even in my parents generation in my family no one had more than three kids.

Catholic bishops can yabber all they want, but when it comes to the size of their families, Catholics make choices based on their economic situation and personal preferences - just like everybody else.

[ehrnst]

7. Since when have the Catholic Bishops listened to women? (nt)

[EC]

8. How on earth are these old white men able to make this an issue

when most of us Catholic women ignore them on birth control. All I ever heard for years from my Catholic women friends is that men get Viagra free, they should be able to get the pill free. So what is the big deal? It's Insurance. It's Insurance coverage, use it or not, it's a choice and nothing is being forced.

Oh, and on edit: I'm really getting sick and tired of all these old white men deciding what is "right" for women. I sure hope they all get to their dementia stage and fade away soon enough. But I've been waiting since 1970 when the church said no to the pill.

[Pachamama]

9. Every Catholic Woman I know wants birth control....most men too...its the extreme conservative

Catholic men and the church that dont......

Funny....the men in the church who pledge celibacy want to ban birth control. And some conservative catholic men, including a married one I know that has lovers other than the Mrs. doesnt want to use any at all.....

What does that say about the mentality and reasoning of these people?

[demosincebirth]

23. Wife and I, both Catholic had four daughters...called it quits and used BC until our mid forties.

That is is norm for many Catholic couples I know. We had a very liberal pastor who told us if we thought BC was Gods law or man made. He left it up to us to decide that. We chose the latter.

[calimary]

11. Well THIS lifelong Catholic wants contraception covered!

Damn straight!

But then again, this lifelong Catholic has plenty of bones to pick with the all-("celibate&quot -male-revue that the Catholic hierarchy is. If that coverage extends to Viagra, then it damn well better include The Pill. Goose and gander and sauce and all that.

[Little Star]

12. Those dang cafeteria catholics!!!!...

Darn right catholic women want birth control coverage. Personally, I think there is a wide gap between what practicing catholics and practicing fundies believe. Most catholics do not do blind faith very well, imho. Most fundies do.

[WillyT]

14. K & R !!!

[Boombaby]

16. I know ONE Catholic who opposes birth control

All the others support it, and some use it.

[quakerboy]

17. Easy answer

If Catholics do not want birth control, then they should not use it even though it will be included in their employer provided plan.

And if a Catholic institution does not feel it right to provide birth control options, then they should not participate in a program that would require them to do so, no matter how much money it would provide to their coffers.

[eyewall]

18. I've always assumed the Catholic stance on birth control

came from an 1,800 year old idea that the ranks of tithing members could best be increased by doctrines like the ban on birth control, and the one that says children must be raised Catholic in mixed religion marriages. It was a marketing plan to maximize profits by increasing market share, and it was conveniently supported by some "word of God" quotes from the Bible.

Works for most religions.

What I don't understand is how republicans can justify being against birth control when it increases the ranks of the poor, who are traditionally Democratic voters. How can they complain about overpopulation while at the same time attacking family planning and education. (aside from that hypocrisy thing)

[LetTimmySmoke]

20. As usual, what the catholic bishops think and what the catholic population thinks...

...are two very different things.

[jwirr]

21. That does not surprise me. It is not the people in the pews who are so unrealistic.

[snot]

24. My OB-GYN dr. friend says all Catholics use birth control; it's just a question of

how many kids they have before they get around to it.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

27. troll

[grantcart]

28. Obama is as radical as birth control. Pretty funny

Oh and thanks for stopping by.