Conscience Protection for Religious Institutions

Today I sent the following email to my US Congressman:

I request that you urgently communicate to the President the displeasure of many Minnesotans with the unreasonable narrow criteria for conscience protections by the HHS regulations concerning the provision of insurance for employees under the health care reform law. That criterion is so narrow that many churches, most religiously run schools and all religiously run hospitals in our mostly rural area will be forced to fund insurance coverage of actions abhorrent to their ethical standards.

I urge you to support in congress a measure that would restore conscience protection for religious institutions that many voters feel the president had promised during the health care reform discussions. The first article of the Bill of Rights (Religious liberty) has been held in high regard by Democratic, Republican and independent citizens for over 200 years. Do not let this become a partisan issue now.

I urge my fellow citizens to contact his or her Congressman on this matter as soon as possible. Here in Minnesota political caucuses  will be held this week. Please attend your party's caucus and bring this issue to your fellow citizens attention. If you are religious I urge you to pray, starting now, that wisdom visit our civil leaders on this matter.