The Scope of a Contraception-Mandate Exemption

Although I haven't looked at Fr. Jenkins' letter on the contraception mandate, Rick's description and defense of Fr. Jenkins's overall interventions on the matter seem convincing. The "not just for Catholics" religious-freedom principles he espouses are reflected in good language in a letter to HHS (see this story) from a group of left-leaning Catholics who have supported most aspects of healthcare reform but protest the narrowness of HHS's religious exemption. The letter's proposed language would cover a “nonprofit religious, educational or charitable organization” with objections to contraception/Plan-B if it has “bona fide religious purposes or reasons” and “holds itself out to the public as a religious organization.” This would clearly cover religious organizations without ties to a denomination or organized church, thus protecting evangelical and traditionalist Jewish organizations. (Disclosure: I worked on the draft letter, although I was not among the signatories since the group was of Catholics.)

While we're at it, here's Commonweal's new editorial call for a broader exemption.