ORTHODOX UNION WELCOMES PRES. OBAMA’S REVISION TO HHS REGULATION ON WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICES AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY; POSITIVE STEP FORWARD, DETAILS ARE CRUCIAL


Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – welcomed President Obama’s announcement that he is revising the regulation announced on January 20 by the Dept. of Health and Human Services in re: employers’ health insurance plans and religiously affiliated institutions.

The Orthodox Union criticized the previous regulation as being harmful to religious liberty and disturbingly defining religious entities that serve or employ people of other faith as undeserving of religious liberty protection.

Under the revised rule, no nonprofit, religious institutional employer that objects to providing contraceptives and sterilization services will have to pay for or provide coverage for it.   The plan rightly recognizes that the government must not force religious communities to pay for or provide services forbidden by their faith.  Also, no objecting religious employer will be required to make referrals for services to which they object.  This will remove any burden upon the religious liberty of these employers.  At the same time, employees of objecting religious hospitals, universities, and social service agencies will have access to these important benefits directly from insurers.

Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s executive director for public policy, issued the following statement:

The Orthodox Union welcomes President Obama’s announcement today revising the recent regulation regarding religious institutions and health services for women.

According to the White House description of the revised rule, the new regulation will resolve the religious liberty concerns and respects the interests of Americans who would like to have these health benefits.

We commend the President and his advisers for responding to the deep concerns regarding America’s first freedom of religious liberty expressed by our organization and so many others.   We thank the White House officials with whom we discussed this critical issue – as recently as yesterday – for their attention and action.  The President’s stated commitment is a positive first step forward, the details of implementation are crucial and we look forward to working with the Administration to see that through.”

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  • Juddy123

    What a disgrace. Looks like Nathan wanted to go home too quickly for candle lighting rather than carefully considering the matter and standing up for core for religious principles and values. Obama is simply playing accounting games here, and the OU is buying into the nonsense. Serious Christians will view the OU’s approach here as typical “Pharasaic” Judaism — getting bogged down by technicalities, typical pilpul, and destroying the spiritual essence of what matters of conscience are about. Remember the story of Chana and her seven sons? The King offered an “out” for the youngest by picking up the King’s ring so he wouldn’t be “perceived” as having bowed down to Zeus — but the son saw through the ruse and refused as a matter of religious liberty and conscience. Had Nathan and the OU been advising Chana and her youngest son at that time, they would have been told to go ahead and pick up the ring because he could have “kavanah” to not bow down to Avodah Zarah — and you should avoid getting the “King” angry if you can find a technical loophole. But even a little child saw through the ruse and sacrificed his life rather than compromise on matters of religious freedom and conscience — but the OU can’t even muster the courage and convictions of Chana’s youngest son. What a disgrace.

  • Anonymous Orthodox Jew

    I am confident that once the smoke clears and Mr. Diament has had some time to consider and reflect on this sham “accommodation” he will put up another post noting that the details are entirely unhelpful and do nothing whatsoever to remedy the grave harm this regulation inflicts on religious freedom in American. Juddy, I understand your vexation but I believe that tomorrow Mr. Diament will set this right.

  • Juddy123

    I sure hope so, although Jack Lew seemed to suggest there is not much else to discuss. If the frum community doesn’t push back hard on this, how can we expect Christian support the next time there is a movement, say, to ban Shechitah? Government should not be allowed to define for anyone the extent of their religious convictions. It’s that simple.

  • Anonymous Orthodox Jew

    You make a very fine point. Religious liberty is an issue that we need to be concerned with for a variety of reasons. Which is why I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until a clarification is posted.

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