Polls on contraception do not alter debate on religious freedom: Douthat

February 09, 2012

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat explains why surveys showing widespread use of contraceptives among Catholics are irrelevant to the current debate on the HHS mandate.

Douthat notes that even if a small minority of Catholics follow the Church’s teaching, they number in the hundreds of thousands. And others, even if they do not eschew contraceptives, support their stand. But most important, Douthat argues:

The idea that the state should only “tread carefully” on issues of liberty, conscience and freedom of religion in areas where polling data shows significant support for the position or community in question is a recipe for majoritarian tyranny and government overreach.

 

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Further information:

• Catholics, Conscience and Contraception (New York Times)