"Last August, nearly a year ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published its Preventive Services Rule (commonly known as the HHS Mandate). Because of this rule, many–perhaps most–religious employers would be required to provide through their employee benefits plans procedures and pharmaceuticals that the religious employers have judged to be immoral.

Embedded in the HHS mandate is an extremely narrow definition of religion put there as a litmus test to determine which religious organizations are "religious enough" – by the government's definition – to deserve an exemption from providing services contrary to their teachings. Only those organizations that hire their own, serve their own, and exist primarily to inculcate their own doctrine qualify for this exemption.

Of course, all this has been falsely portrayed by some as a fight about contraception – as part of a war on women. It is not. It is a struggle to preserve a fundamental 1st Amendment Freedom, namely the exercise of religion free of governmental interference." (Most Reverend William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore,  June 28 Address on Religious Liberty, Pallium, Rome, Italy)

Learn more about the HHS Mandate below.

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