So, Hobby Lobby. I love a good rhyme, but I’ve always been a Michael’s gal myself. Just kidding, I don’t do crafts. But I am a Christian, and an American, and a woman so I have some things to say. First, I want to talk about how a lot of people in this country want the government to intercede for them but stay out of it when someone else is suffering. Second, I want to talk about how this decision from the Supreme Court is increasing class and gender disparity.
I know a number of Christians (and other people) who want less government. Less bureaucracy. Less control from a fuzzy and conceptual power. They do not want the government to help the poor or provide affordable healthcare. (Please note that most of these people are not poor themselves.) They only want the government to step in when their values are at risk. They want the government to regulate morality, to make following the Christian law the legal standard. I have written about this before in relation to gay marriage, but the point is the same. The government can force me to follow every Christian rule in the books, but it will not make me a Christian. It is by the grace of God that I am saved, not by the rules I choose to follow.
Personally, I would not take the morning after pill. I can say that with some confidence because I am waiting until I’m married to have sex so that greatly limits the chance that I’ll need it. I am trying to ensure that if I ever get pregnant I won’t be out in the cold when it happens. But not everyone makes that choice, or is allowed to make that choice. Women are raped, women are in abusive relationships, women are never told that saying 'no' is an option. Limiting their access to contraceptives isn’t going to change any of that. It’s only going to increase their pain. It is not showing any compassion, or grace, or care for the marginalized.
This leads to my second point. Who suffers because of this decision? As is often the case, it is women and people living in poverty who will bear the brunt of this blow. At the end of the day, all Hobby Lobby is doing is discriminating against the poor and limiting their ability to choose. A wealthy person will still have uninhibited access to whatever contraceptive methods they prefer, while a poorer person who makes 9 bucks an hour at Hobby Lobby does not. A man can still walk away when his partner gets pregnant, a woman has to make a choice, and she often has to do it alone. Now poor women who work at Hobby Lobby have even less choices, while men can go on like nothing happened. This cements a culture of patriarchy and elitism. That is not Christian and that is not American.
This is not a ‘win’ for religious freedom. It’s just one more nail in the coffin of equality. One step further in the segregation between the rich and the poor. Don’t you see that this decision impacts the marginalized and leaves the established perfectly intact? It limits choices for women and for the poor. Wealthy people and men will go on living their lives. Because if you’re rich you can buy it anyway, and if you’re a man you can just leave because a baby isn’t growing in your body.
If you don’t want to use certain types of contraception, that’s great, don’t do it. I’m not. If you do, then that’s okay too. Because access does not force a person to do anything. It gives them the choice. A corporation can limit my access to the morning after pill, but they can’t force me not to take it. A corporation can provide me with great access to the morning after pill, but they can’t force me to take it. It’s my choice, based on my resources and my conscience.
You, as an individual, have the choice to use whatever contraceptive methods your conscience allows. But if you’re poor then you can only use condoms. I’m pretty sure that’s in Hezekiah somewhere. (Hezekiah is not a book in the Bible.)
Please note that I have simplified things somewhat and not gone into detail about which methods of contraception Hobby Lobby will cover and which ones they will not, because that's not really my point. I acknowledge that access to some contraceptives will still be covered and applaud them for that.
Personally, I would not take the morning after pill. I can say that with some confidence because I am waiting until I’m married to have sex so that greatly limits the chance that I’ll need it. I am trying to ensure that if I ever get pregnant I won’t be out in the cold when it happens. But not everyone makes that choice, or is allowed to make that choice. Women are raped, women are in abusive relationships, women are never told that saying 'no' is an option. Limiting their access to contraceptives isn’t going to change any of that. It’s only going to increase their pain. It is not showing any compassion, or grace, or care for the marginalized.
This leads to my second point. Who suffers because of this decision? As is often the case, it is women and people living in poverty who will bear the brunt of this blow. At the end of the day, all Hobby Lobby is doing is discriminating against the poor and limiting their ability to choose. A wealthy person will still have uninhibited access to whatever contraceptive methods they prefer, while a poorer person who makes 9 bucks an hour at Hobby Lobby does not. A man can still walk away when his partner gets pregnant, a woman has to make a choice, and she often has to do it alone. Now poor women who work at Hobby Lobby have even less choices, while men can go on like nothing happened. This cements a culture of patriarchy and elitism. That is not Christian and that is not American.
This is not a ‘win’ for religious freedom. It’s just one more nail in the coffin of equality. One step further in the segregation between the rich and the poor. Don’t you see that this decision impacts the marginalized and leaves the established perfectly intact? It limits choices for women and for the poor. Wealthy people and men will go on living their lives. Because if you’re rich you can buy it anyway, and if you’re a man you can just leave because a baby isn’t growing in your body.
If you don’t want to use certain types of contraception, that’s great, don’t do it. I’m not. If you do, then that’s okay too. Because access does not force a person to do anything. It gives them the choice. A corporation can limit my access to the morning after pill, but they can’t force me not to take it. A corporation can provide me with great access to the morning after pill, but they can’t force me to take it. It’s my choice, based on my resources and my conscience.
You, as an individual, have the choice to use whatever contraceptive methods your conscience allows. But if you’re poor then you can only use condoms. I’m pretty sure that’s in Hezekiah somewhere. (Hezekiah is not a book in the Bible.)
Please note that I have simplified things somewhat and not gone into detail about which methods of contraception Hobby Lobby will cover and which ones they will not, because that's not really my point. I acknowledge that access to some contraceptives will still be covered and applaud them for that.