So, I know I’m late to the game on this issue. This is deliberate. Sure, I could probably get a lot of hits for my blog had I jumped into this situation with my usual…whatever it is I have.

Laying about with a philosophical Mjolnir?

I thought about coming down on the side of the Catholics in this whole forced to pay for contraceptives/abortions/etc. Not because I like or agree with the Catholics (I can’t say that I do), but because it does strike me as kind of a dick move to make people act against their beliefs.

Yes, I’ve seen the data and the fact that a lot of Catholics use contraceptives. I know that the Catholic church says contraceptives are a sin. I know they also say masturbation, sex, porn, etc are sins. They say a lot of things are sins.

I don’t think it’s a lot of fun being a good Catholic.

Still, that’s what they believe, or what their church believes. The two aren’t always the same. But that doesn’t make it right to make Catholic, or any religious organization, pay for things they don’t believe in.

And really, do we need health insurance to cover contraceptives? Sure, we need it for most medical stuff, because that is way out the ass expensive these days. Hel, if Obama had made it mandatory to add dental (which is something everyone really should have, but I am under the impression most places don’t offer) I wouldn’t be having this issue.

But seriously, how expensive is contraceptives that they have to be added to health insurances? Okay, I’ll admit, some of the stuff may be a little expensive. But seriously, I don’t think the pill is that expensive, and on my end of the scale, Trojans are what, ten bucks a box? Do I really need insurance to cover that? If I work for a religious organization, do I really need them to pay for that?

Not to mention that they might have access to what I use the insurance for, so why would I want them to know, especially if I was part of a religion that frowned on such stuff and worked for that religion’s business. In which case they might find a reason to fire my ass.

Bad road, man, bad road.

Of course, we could go with the theory that this is about politics and having one’s political views enforce over the objections of those who don’t believe as you do. In which case I will admit this whole mess does make more sense. Well, as much sense as anything to do with politics does. Okay, I’ll admit, it doesn’t make sense, but this is politics.

Personally, I’m a Heathen, and we really run all over the place on the issues of contraception, abortion, and all that other stuff. Still, I don’t really like the idea of someone coming in and making religions do things they don’t want, especially if that person (or group) is one that constantly whines when religions tread into areas they don’t want religions. Though, I suppose the argument could be made that they really don’t want religions involved anywhere except for where they help said person’s politics.

This is a complex issue, though. People do have a right to control their reproduction. Or at least, I believe they do. Not everyone agrees, which is fair. But just because we have that right, doesn’t mean we have the right to have it paid for by other people. You want power over yourself, you have to obtain it yourself. You can’t just expect people to give it to you. And you certainly shouldn’t demand it from those who don’t agree with that position, for whatever reason. Power gained that way is brittle and easily lost, while hard to maintain.

We’ve already seen the results of trying to forcibly take that power.