George Jones Debate, Part 1 - Religious employers must cover birth control

We are beginning a new series of posts on this blog. A life-long friend will be discussing and debating contemporary events, especially those that are in the political arena. His last name is George, my last name is Jones, our first name is the same. Therefore, we shall call this dialog the "George Jones Debate." It is my hope that we can find some common ground.

The first topic that I would like to discuss is the Obama's Administration recent directive that Religious employers must cover birth control. HHS Sec. Katheleen Debius states it will increase "access to important preventive services" as part of Obamacare.

Please defend and justify this specific Obama policy which forces individuals and organizations to buy a product that violates their conscience. Please read the below articles, listen to these two talks, and refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

The Hill - Health plans ordered to cover birth control

Conscience, Denied

"A Foul Ball, By Any Standard" -- On Conscience "Edict," "The Bishops Vow To Fight"

Mandated Contraception, Sterilization: Caesar Demands Church Violate Conscience

Contraception: Why Not (MP3) by Dr. Janet Smith

A new revised edition of Dr, Janet Smith’s groundbreaking expose on the devastating effects of the pill on modern society. Introduced in the late 1950s, the contraceptive pill promised couples greater freedom to express sexual love, stronger marriages, fewer divorces and a decrease in teenage pregnancies. In fact, the opposite has occurred. Divorces have skyrocketed, more than 40% of children are born out of wedlock, and babies are seen more as a burden than a blessing. What happened? Backed by statistics and armed with decades of research, Dr. Smith shows the crippling effect of our contraceptive culture on our relationships, our families, and our physical and mental health...

Janet E. Smith's accompanying PowerPoint presentation

Why Contraception Matters (MP3) by Steve Patton, M.A., J.D.

Practically speaking, widespread use of contraception has led directly to massive increases of divorce and abortion. Personal union and yearning for fertility are written physically into the structure of sexual relations, and shutting down one of these aspects hurts the whole relationship...

Zenit
POPE BACKS US BISHOPS' CONCERN ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

BENEDICT XVI'S ADDRESS TO US BISHOPS ON 'AD LIMINA' VISIT - "The Legitimate Separation of Church and State Cannot Be Taken to Mean That the Church Must Be Silent"