Featured front and center were an all-male panel of witnesses from the Catholic church, the Lutheran Church, a Jewish Rabbi, and a Southern Baptist ethics professor, among others, all of whom seemed to object to being required to pay for contraceptives. Each man present said they felt that the requirement went too far and trampled on their religious beliefs.
If I were the Committee Chair, this would have been a VERY SHORT hearing:
Gentlemen, by a show of hands, please indicate if you have suffered from:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? (no)
Endometriosis? (no)
Amenorrhea (no)
Have you ever suffered from the pain & discomfort of Heavy Menstrual Cramps? (didn’t think so)
What about PMS from HELL? (no)
Gentlemen, you are not qualified witnesses. Please kindly show yourselves out.
THE RAW STORY REPORTED:
Female Democrats on Thursday walked out of a House GOP committee hearing on contraceptive coverage after the only female witness requested to speak during the first of two hearings was rejected by the committee chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).
Reports from inside the hearing noted that some of the female Democrats left the room, and one member, Rep. Holmes Norton (D-DC), called the committee an “autocratic regime.”
Democrats say they tried to invite another witness — a young woman — to testify, but were blocked by Republicans.
Issa said at the hearing that he rejected the Democrats’ female witness, Sandra Fluke, because, as a Georgetown University law student who “appears to have become energized over this issue,” she was “not appropriate or qualified.” He said that in lieu of allowing her to speak at the hearing, he instructed his staff to post a video online of Fluke speaking at a previous press conference.
“I think this is a shameful exercise,” Connolly said, accusing the witnesses of “willingly” participating in political “demagogery” in an election year.
And, for the record, Contraceptives are not just for preventing ‘unwanted’ pregnancies:
What kinds of medical conditions can be helped with birth control pills?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): is a hormonal imbalance which causes irregular menstrual periods, acne, and excess hair growth. Birth control pills work by lowering certain hormone levels to regulate menstrual periods. When hormone levels are decreased to normal, acne and hair growth often improve.
Endometriosis: Most girls with endometriosis have cramps or pelvic pain during their menstrual cycle. Birth control pills are often prescribed to treat endometriosis and work by temporarily preventing periods. When hormonal treatment is prescribed continuously, young women will rarely have periods, or not at all. Since periods can cause pain for young women with endometriosis, stopping periods will usually improve cramps and pelvic pain.
Lack of periods (“amenorrhea”) from low weight, stress, excessive exercise, or damage to the ovaries from radiation or chemotherapy: With any of these conditions, the hormone “estrogen” is not made in normal amounts by the body. Birth control pills may be prescribed to replace estrogen, which helps to regulate the menstrual cycle. For girls whose menstrual periods are irregular (too few – or not at all), birth control pills can help to regulate the menstrual cycle to every 28 days and provide the body with normal amounts of estrogen. Normal estrogen levels are important for healthy bones.
Menstrual Cramps: When over-the-counter medications don’t help with severe cramps, birth control pills may be the solution because they prevent ovulation and lighten periods.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Symptoms of PMS such as mood swings, breast soreness, and bloating, along with acne can occur up to 2 weeks before a young women’s period. Birth control pills may be prescribed to stop ovulation and keep hormone levels balanced. Symptoms may improve, particularly when oral contraceptive pills are prescribed continuously.
Heavy Menstrual Periods: Birth control pills can reduce the amount and length of menstrual bleeding.
Acne: For moderate to severe acne, which over-the-counter and prescription medications haven’t cured, birth control pills may be prescribed. The hormones in the Pill can help stop acne from forming. Be patient though, since it takes several months for birth control pills to work.
Other Medical Benefits:
Because there is less menstrual bleeding when taking birth control pills, you are less likely to get anemia (low number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues). Birth control pills lower your chance of getting endometrial (lining of the uterus) cancer, ovarian cancer, and ovarian cysts.
Suffice it to say that if any of the men pictured above, or any man on the planet had to endure any of the painful side effects of the above-mentioned disorders/diseases, we would NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION!
Define. Don't Defend. 
And in response as a witness I would say. Hello miss by a show of hands how many times have you read the New Testament, Old Testament, any parts of the bible or other religious scripts or the Bill of Rights and Constitution?
Please exit to your left and pick up your birth control at the CVS across the street thanks for stopping by miss.
You see this isn’t all about who has a right to get birth control, or having the government pay for it or anything along those lines. This is about the government stepping in and telling religious institutions that they are required to provide this to their employees or otherwise. What right does the government have to impose such a regulation? If you answer zero then you are correct. Birth control may be used to help limit many other things but a main part of what it does is prevent fertilization and hence birth. To many religions this is the same as telling the church that they must pay for abortions as part of their medical benefits. They feel strongly against this and only ask that they be waived from being included in such a mandate.
In this country we are granted the freedom to practice the religion of our choosing, and in doing so the right to practice that religion so long as it does not infringe other individuals rights. All these religions are asking is that they not be forced to provide for something that is against their teachings and morals. You are free to get it anywhere else that you wish, but how can you force them to provide it against the very things they teach?
You have all the rights in the world to use birth control and if the government decides through its healthcare policy to provide it free of charge you can do that as well. But you do not have the right to tell religious institutions that they will be forced to offer the same thing. That is freedom of religion, that is part of what the First Amendment stands for.
I know exactly what it stands for. And, I’m a little familiar with the Christian Bible. It WAS/IS the required text for Ordained Ministers of the Christian Faith.
And, since (for a time) I was dedicated to mission work, I can tell you that I’ve run across a verse or two in that line of work.
Pardon the expression (because it’s crude and I’m a female) but, I’m not trying to get into a ‘dick swinging’ contest about Theology, I just find it very ironic that ONLY male clergymen are on the witness panel.
I also understand the conviction of religious principles. the First Amendment with repective to religious freedoms has the establishment and the exercise clauses. While this policy does not violate the establishment clause, it is a slippery slope with respect to the exercise clause. However, God was big on free will and choice, so I suspect that if churches are against it, and Religious Organizations make it available to their employees, isn’t this really the choice of the employee? TO take or, or not to take. But, I digress…
Unfortunately, the Catholic church’s stance against abortion should facilitate the use of contraceptives (but, I am not about to challenge my dear Grandmother’s Irish Catholic Faith).
The problem is that this being used as a platform to further political interests instead of the policy issue that is. Bottom line- If it goes against a Religious Organization’s principles, then they should be allowed a waiver. Period. I get it.
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