Chicago Tribune Letter to the Editor: Women’s religious liberty is eroded by ruling « American Civil Liberties Union of Illinoi
The Hobby Lobby decision marks the first time the court has ever permitted employers to use their religious beliefs to deny employees benefits guaranteed by law. Courts long had refused to allow employers to use religion as a justification for refusing to comply with general laws such as equal pay and Social Security laws.
After Hobby Lobby, that could change.
This unprecedented and unprincipled decision strikes a blow at an increasingly diverse workforce. Insurance benefits, like wages, are something employees earn. Nevertheless, women across the nation now must subjugate the important medical decision of which contraceptive method to use to the religious beliefs of their employer.
This is a loss of freedom, not an expansion.
The Hobby Lobby decision stigmatizes and marginalizes contraceptives and, correlatively, the women who use them — which is 99 percent of American women during their years of fertility.