Freedom of Religion

I checked the preamble to the Constitution and guess what? It starts with the words “We the people.” It does not begin with we the hospitals, schools, day care centers, soup kitchens, or any other institution … not even churches!  The first amendment guarantees freedom of religion to “We the people” it does not guarantee freedom of religion to hospitals, schools, day care centers, soup kitchens, or any other institution … not even churches! The Food and Drug Administration is the agency that has been charged with the responsibility of determining what are safe and effective drugs.  If the FDA has determined that a drug is safe and effective why shouldn’t insurance companies be required to provide coverage for them?  To allow hospitals, schools, day care centers, soup kitchens, or any other institution … even insurance companies and churches …  to deny coverage to their employees for that which the FDA has determined to be safe and effective on religious grounds is to deny freedom of religion to the employees who are people.  It is a backdoor way for employers to practice religious discrimination in their hiring practices.  What’s next?  Will institutions owned by Baptist be allowed to require their employees to abstain from all alcoholic beverages because the use of alcohol is against their religious beliefs?  Will institutions owned by Muslims be allowed to require all female employees to wear burkas because of the religious beliefs of the owners?