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Southern Baptist Convention’s Richard Land on why Obama’s birth-control mandate infringes on religious freedom.
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Religious leaders on Capitol Hill today expressing outrage over the Obama administration's contraception mandate.
-- a house here the leaders argued the Obama administration's rule.
Violates basic rights to religious freedom.
To congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Carolyn Maloney both walked out of the hearing asking quote where are the women.
They were joined by fellow democratic congressman Mike Quigley who also walked -- but apparently had no such questions.
Joining me now is Richard Land southern Baptist convention's president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
A Richard it is great to have you here.
This this.
Obama did create.
Has set off a firestorm in and then in the faith community and in this country.
A declaration of war on the part of the administration but against the Catholic Church it's turned out to be much more than that -- Well -- -- the Sadat about contraception is thought about Catholics it's about content.
It's about the Frito in the -- -- ability of the conscience.
Which is guaranteed.
In the First Amendment of the constitution.
That we have the right to free exercise of our faith.
Just -- we have conscientious objectors conscientious objector status to going to war.
We must give people of faith.
Conscience protections.
Against they're conscious being compelled by the government.
I've got to an issue that's it's one of the most important -- religious leaders in the country.
Did the Obama administration talk to you about this did anyone from health and human services talk here at all anyone from the noted not at all.
No.
It does that in and of itself surprise you.
It doesn't surprise me but it's very -- And what does it tell -- Well it tells me that time they they -- listing to a small group of people inside the White House I'm told there was.
Disagreement within the White House from Catholic.
People in the White House.
But this was this was driven by the ideologues.
Who are running policy in the Obama administration.
And when a woman supposed sexual rights conflict with -- religious rights religious right -- given short shrift.
There is certain that there is a I guess we're caught with inflation of -- here and issues.
And nomenclature.
-- and in some ways I think false flags as well.
Because this and -- Being described as as a mandate and an issue of women's reproductive health.
The word abortion as being the -- -- contraception avoid.
-- but plainly and straightforwardly this is about contraception who pays for him why and who mosques and who are will be permitted not too.
There was apparently if you on the part of the administration that if they simply gave a waiver.
To the Catholic.
The Catholic institutions.
That they would effectively be buying off their objection.
They've got to be surprised -- the fire storm.
Well I think they are surprised at the firestorm.
Because they didn't give a -- to Catholic institutions just Catholic church's right and by the way the supposed compromise this lipstick on a period.
All that is at the moment is a press conference because the final ruling that was filed has no mention of a compromise no mention of the president's line -- All that we have is the in the so called compromise.
Is a slide of hand.
Public relations trick.
About the president's idea about how it might be compromised or altered in the future.
There are Chris Wallace if Fox News asking.
Jack -- the president's chief of staff.
Twice OMB director and he about where the president got authority.
To require that insurance companies pay.
Four contraception.
And he replied from the the reply from the affordability act.
About every expert I've talked -- it cannot find any reference to such an authority.
Or.
Everyone art on I've talked written in terms of the constitution -- the fifth and then would be who would be.
Prohibitive of such a power if it were there well what in the world is going up.
Well this president routinely ignores the constitution when it suits his purposes.
He ignored the constitution when it came to Libya in terms of the war powers act.
He ignored the constitution when he gave a recess appointment when the -- wasn't in recess.
And now he's ignoring the constitution again when it comes to the First Amendment freedom.
Of conscience because it interferes with his belief system and what he wants his policies to do now this is really a gift.
Because what the president has done.
Is take ought taken off his mask and we've seen the ugly business the end of government run health care as mrs.
Thatcher once put it.
When the government -- health care no one's ever truly free again.
Richard -- the southern Baptist what will it take two.
To appease you in two to satisfy your concerns about.
This infringement on religious freedom.
Well we want we want -- conscience exemption we want.
The right for.
Four groups.
To have that are religiously affiliated that have.
Conscience objections to.
To contraception which we don't.
But we want we think people who do have objection to contraception should not have those trampled.
Two aboard inflation's into other medical procedures.
To have a conscience exemption we think that the Hawaii compromise would be a perfectly good compromise.
We're in Hawaii they have a rule where if they -- our charity does not want to offer these services.
They don't have to -- in there government.
It in there are a company run -- charity run health care.
They just have to provide information to their employees as to where they're very employees -- get such services if they want.
Are are we think that this president would be somewhat open to -- Hawaii.
Accommodation we will we will -- Richard let me rejected it he was he was offered at any rejected.
We appreciate your being with us and thank you so much richer but who's the president of -- the southern Baptist convention's --
