The separation between church and state is as old as the First Amendment itself, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” It was this declaration that drew many immigrants from other lands to our country in hopes that they would not be persecuted for having different beliefs than the majority. From this immigration, America became a land of diverse religion, being home to Christians, Catholics, Jews, Mormans and others, all protected under the First Amendment.

While many still do not hold the popular beliefs of the country, they are free to practice their religion and keep true to their beliefs without government interference — but could this right be in jeopardy?

The Health and Human Services Act is a movement that would require employers to offer their employees health care coverage that includes contraceptive devices, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs such as the Plan B pill. This poses a problem for the Catholic Church, however, because the use of contraception, and the providing of it, challenges their beliefs. They believe that the use of contraception is immoral as it prevents the creation of new life and, therefore, the church is adamantly fighting against this act saying that it impedes on their religious freedom. The debate is on whether or not their claims are protected by the First Amendment.

The church is naturally exempt from this act, but the hospitals, colleges, schools and other organizations associated with it are not. Of course not all employees at these affiliations are members of the Catholic Church and do not hold the same beliefs about the use of birth control. Why should they be bound by the same rules? Also, the majority of Catholic women have said they are either currently using or have used birth control in the past.  Shouldn’t they be the ones to decide whether or not birth control is ethical?

This is the question that rises much debate, but it is not the rights of these women that are being taken away. After all, birth control is still legal and available to all who want to use it.  Women still have the option to decide whether or not using birth control is in line with their own personal conscience.  As a non-Catholic woman who has been on birth control, I see no problem with the use of contraception or the idea of having the costs covered. What I do see a problem with is that this luxury comes at the expense of the religious freedom of the Catholic Church, a promise clearly stated in the First Amendment.

By requiring the Catholic Church to provide a means of obtaining contraception, it no longer holds onto its right to free exercise.  While it is hard to understand the seriousness of this issue considering that birth control is now a widely accepted practice in the United States, it may be easier to understand using a topic that is more controversial. What if the government decided to pass a mandate that required employers to offer a health care plan that included the cost of abortion?  

Abortion is not something that only the Catholic Church is morally opposed to, but a great number of individuals regardless of their religious affiliation.  While abortion seems more extreme than birth control, the concept is the same. The Catholic Church is morally opposed to the use of contraceptives and by requiring it to provide these things to other people, the government is not only stripping from it its right but also forcing it to act against its own conscience as a religious institution. 

The government, still dedicated to providing cost-free birth control, has been working to seek a compromise with the church and, so far, has not been successful. It is obvious that this issue is important to Congress, so why not quit wasting effort in an attempt to get the Catholic Church to bend on its beliefs and find another way to reach this goal, a way that does not violate the separation of church and state?  

The First Amendment is one that protects the freedoms of all Americans, whether it is their religious practices, speech or to assemble. If this right slips through the fingers of the American people, which right will be the next one we will need to compromise?