EDITORIAL: Lessons from a political dogfight

President Obama's latest run-in with U.S. Catholic bishops provided what parents like to call a "teachable moment." Whether Americans learned a lesson is anybody's guess.

Here's what happened: The Department of Health and Human Services ruled employee insurance plans must cover contraceptive costs. Although the mandate exempted churches and other houses of worship, it did not provide passes to organizations with indirect religious affiliations, such as universities and hospitals. The bishops protested, since Catholic dogma prohibits contraception, and the ruling would require their institutions to provide the benefit. This set off a larger protest, from Protestants and Catholics alike, who stressed the new policy would violate church-state separation and religious liberty. Eventually, the Obama administration recanted. It broadened the exemption so that religious organizations are not required to provide contraceptives and sterilization services to their employees.

This episode highlights at least four truths:

• Concern for the greater good is noble. The contraception mandate began as an effort to reduce unwanted pregnancies. Acknowledge the Obama administration's ham-handed implentation, but give credit for positive intention.

Everyone who hopes to reduce the number of abortions should favor universal access to contraception. Of course, many Christians and others do not condone sex outside of marriage. And some fear birth control availability implies endorsement of premarital sex. But not every unintended pregnancy occurs outside of marriage. And denying contraception isn't going to stop unmarried people from having sex any more than removing seatbelts from fast cars is going to stop teen drivers from speeding. Both are asinine assumptions. So, contraceptive coverage seeks the greater good, and it should be available except when doing so violates religious conscience.

• We must respect minority positions and preserve religious liberty. Ironically, for all their power, the Catholic bishops staked out the minority position. Multiple surveys show 98 percent of American Catholics practice birth control. And a Public Religion Research Institute survey revealed 58 percent of Catholic laity join a majority of Americans in supporting the contraception-coverage requirement in health plans.

Still, even though the vast majority of Americans—Catholics included—do not believe contraception is a sin, the bishops believe it. Their religious liberty should be protected. Baptist champions of soul freedom appropriately lead the charge for safeguarding the bishops' right to follow their faith, even if it seems misquided at times.

Hypocritically, however, many Protestants —some Baptists included—who stood up for the bishops have not lifted their voices to support religious liberty of Muslims. No wonder their protests sounded tinny and partisan.

• When conflict crescendos, cooperate and compromise. As protests mounted and debate raged, Health and Human Services announced an "accommodation" to its policy. It exempted religiously affiliated organizations—most specifically Catholic hospitals and universities—from the contraception coverage mandate. The follow-up plan takes into account the religious organizations' conscience-based reservations and involves a third-party health company in the coverage.

• Especially in an election year, don't take what politicians say too seriously. If we could convert political hyperbole to cash, this debate would have eliminated the national debt. The bishops aren't as treacherous as advocates of universal contraception coverage claim. And the Obama administration did not trample the religious feelings of all Catholics as its adversaries aver.

As a nation, we must uphold two longstanding values—the health and welfare of all residents and their religious liberty, too. Unfortunately, the pols did precious little to advance these causes, but a beneficial outcome prevailed anyway.

—Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.