Challenge to Obamacare contraceptive mandate upheld by federal appeals court

September 18, 2015

A US federal appeals court has ruled that the “Obamacare” contraceptive mandate violates the religious freedom of faith-based employers.

The September 17 ruling by the 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an appeal by Heartland Christian College and CNS International Ministries, two Missouri-based Christian institutions; and Dordt College and Cornerstone University of Iowa. The court ruled that the federal government was obliged to recognize the plaintiffs’ “sincere religious belief that their participation in the accommodation process makes them morally and spiritually complicit in providing abortifacient coverage."

The ruling, which clashes with other appeals-court decisions, heightens the likelihood that the US Supreme Court will eventually be called upon to settle the legal questions involved in the application of the contraceptive mandate to religious institutions.  

 

 

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Further information:

• Contraception opt-out violates religious freedom: U.S. appeals court (Reuters)