Some legal updates, resources, and a March For Life save the date
from Helen Alvare
There’s so much happening, so briefly here are four items I want to share with you:
1) A summary update on the legal challenges against the HHS Mandate.
2) A new resource which will keep you abreast of emerging research concerning contraception and abortion, with a special focus on exposing poor or flawed methodology.
3) A three part series of articles I wrote on thepublicdiscourse.com, this week about the false choice between women’s freedom and religious freedom.
4) A “Save the Date” for a gathering after the March for Life.
1)Some legal highlights. Most of the news is good, but not all. Excellent updates can be found daily on the website of the becketfund.org.
- Bible publisher, Tyndale House, was granted a preliminary injunction. The judge held that the Obama administration will have to show a compelling interest for substantially burdening the “free exercise” of Tyndale. A good summary of the opinion can be found here.
- After being denied an injunction at a lower federal court, the for-profit, retail business, Hobby Lobby appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The government claimed below that “Hobby Lobby is a for-profit, secular employer, and a secular entity by definition does not exercise religion.”
- Frank R. O’Brien and O’Brien Industrial Holdings, LLC also lost at the lower federal court but won an injunction in their appeal to the 8th Circuit Court.
- The Supreme Court ordered the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a challenge to the health care mandate on religious liberty grounds.
- A U.S. District Judge in New York rejected the federal government’s argument that several Catholic institutions in New York could not proceed in their lawsuit against the mandate on the grounds that the government was still thinking about changing the mandate. Thus these Catholic entitites can now proceed to attack the mandate on the substantive grounds that it violates their religious freedom.
2)To help you with your letters to the editors, blogging, Facebook posts, and other various discussions, here is a great new resource!
www.reproductiveresearchaudit.
3)Public Discourse ran a 3 part series of articles I wrote on women’s freedom and religious freedom in connection with the Mandate. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Fair warning — the articles are long – but I aim to capture in summary form, with accurate but concise citations, the MAJOR arguments that a fairly secular, but rational person might appreciate regarding why contraception is not THE ANSWER the government makes it out to be. In the next week or two we’ll be breaking them into fact sheets for your easy distribution in your communities. Stay tuned!
4)Women Speak For Themselves will be holding a gathering immediately following the annual March for Life in DC for anyone who is in town. I’ll send more details as the date gets closer, but we’ll be meeting in a building within walking distance from the March. I wanted to get this notice to you now that you those who are considering attending can make travel and lodging arrangements. The March is taking place on Friday, January 25.
Alright, that’s all from my end. I’d love to hear what you’re up to in our mission for religious freedom and women’s freedom….many thanks for all you do!
My very best to you,
Helen
www.womenspeakforthemselves.
https://www.
Buy the book:
http://www.amazon.com/
Watch our video:
http://
Loading ...
