Ever since it was passed into law in 2010, President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act — known more colloquially as Obamacare — has drawn criticism across the U.S., particularly from members of the Christian community.
Proponents have lauded the ACA for providing healthcare coverage to underserved persons, but opponents have brought forth a litany of concerns, including provisions that some argue overstep religious freedom.
In the years since the bill was passed into law, Christian denominations have been speaking out with concerns about such issues as contraception.
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Below are seven Christian denominations that have denounced some or all of the provisions encompassed within Obamacare.
1. Baptists
In June 2013, half a year before many of Obamacare’s provisions were to go into law, several sects within the Baptist denomination called on congressional leaders to make concessions on the contraception mandates contained within the law.
At the time, Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said a companion bill offering greater latitude on religious freedom would “address threats to religious freedom and rights of conscience that have become particularly grave in the field of healthcare,”
according to The Washington Times.
2. Catholics
Catholic leaders have, perhaps, been the most vocal in their concerns about Obamacare,
as outlined in the Catholic Vote.
While there has been some support within the denomination for broadening the availability of affordable healthcare — social justice has been a widespread initiative in parishes across the U.S. — Catholic bishops have gone on the offensive about having contraceptives included in the law.
Catholics frequently equate contraceptives to abortion.
3. Christian Scientists
Many of the provisions within Obamacare fly in the face of Christian Scientists’ belief in “radical reliance” on Christian healing for all of their needs —
a fact emphasized by Real Clear Religion.
Many within the denomination have asserted purchasing medical insurance would go against their religious conscience.
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As outlined in the provisions in Obamacare, a person can be taxed a penalty if he or she refuses to take out insurance for healthcare coverage.
4. Evangelicals
Many members of the evangelical community have criticized Obamacare, including Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals,
who told The Christian Post that the ACA would force religious Americans into an untenable position.
"The final rule still leaves many religious employers unprotected. The government should not compel any of its citizens to violate their consciences," said Anderson.
5. Lutherans
Several sects within the Lutheran faith spoke out against Obamacare, even after the ruling that stated religious-based employers would not have to provide free birth control, including the “morning after” pills.
But the Lutheran denomination was in unison with other faiths when leaders spoke out against a remaining provision that still allowed insurance companies to offer free birth control.
The
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod issued a statement on the birth-control mandate.
"The LCMS objects to the use of drugs and procedures that are used to take the lives of unborn children, who are persons in the sight of God from the time of conception," the statement concluded.
6. Methodists
While the United Methodist Church initially praised the ACA, many within the denomination later reversed course,
as outlined in Christianity Today, when provisions within the law caused for some members to lose church-sponsored health insurance plans.
7. Mormons
Leaders within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were part of a diverse coalition of religious denominations that in 2013 wrote an open letter in opposition to the healthcare reforms concerning contraception as well as the perceived infringement on religious liberty.
The Deseret News reported on the "
Standing Together for Religious Freedom" letter and LDS Church Presiding Bishop Gary E. Stevenson presence on the letter as a signatory.
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agrees that the religious freedom implications of this legislation are significant and is happy to join with other faiths in expressing that view,” said the LDS Church in a statement, according to the Deseret News.
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