religious employers must cover birth control

[Deebs]

I honestly don't know. I had the same thought, but i do know that GIFT is acceptable. When DH was in med school, he had a doc who practiced solely at the Catholic hospital and they did tons of GIFTs, but he told DH that not many practitioners do them frequently. We had a long discussion about it with our family friend who is a bishop (although I didn't know that IUI was forbidden, so we never discussed that aspect).

[SuzySunshine]

Thanks Deb, I know there is not an answer to this, at least not here.

[Pollyanna]

Most theologians consider the procedure known as LTOT, or Lower Tubal Ovum Transfer, to be morally acceptable. This involves transferring the wife's egg beyond a blockage in the fallopian tube so that marital relations can result in pregnancy. Another method, more morally controversial, is called GIFT, or Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer. It involves obtaining a husband's sperm following marital relations and aspirating an egg from the wife's ovary. Egg and sperm are placed in a tiny tube separated by an air bubble, and the contents of the tube are then injected into the wife's fallopian tube with the hope that fertilization will occur. Some theologians consider this to be a replacement of the marital act, and therefore immoral. Other theologians see it as assisting the marital act, and therefore permissible. Because the teaching authorities of the Church—the Pope and bishops—have not made a judgment about GIFT, Catholic couples are free to choose it or reject it depending on the guidance of their own conscience. If the teaching authority of the Church should judge the procedure to be immoral, however, GIFT should no longer be used.

Also,

The Pope John Center, in consultation with Msgr. Carlo Caffarra, head of the Pope John Paul II Institute for the Family in Rome, approved the GIFT procedure in 1985, with the restriction that sperm are collected during an act of sexual intercourse.

The Catholic Church believes science and it's advances to be a gift from God. They work within the framework of the faith to include those advances. I think most people just scratch the surface, become turned off, and then turn away from what they THINK the Church believes. Even many priests are unaware of how to counsel infertile couples, we are seeing this change with the new priests under 40 because it is more part of their training and formation as a priest.

[reciprocity]

IVF I agree with probably everyone here on.

I'm pretty sure that's impossible

[SuzySunshine]

I'm pretty sure that's impossible

Yes, you're probably right.

Interesting Tara, so if the sperm was collected during an act of sexual intercourse I wonder if they would allow IUI. Like I've said before we were counseled by 3 priests, one my age (35) who all told us anything past the drugs wasn't allowed.

[Pollyanna]

Interesting Tara, so if the sperm was collected during an act of sexual intercourse I wonder if they would allow IUI. Like I've said before we were counseled by 3 priests, one my age (35) who all told us anything past the drugs wasn't allowed.

Unfortunately many priests just do not understand the teachings themselves. It is very complicated. Dh and I have been reading and studying on and off since before we have been married and only found one priest in town who was an ethicist who really "got it" and could explain it. I do though think many of the newer priests are being trained in the Theology of the Body and humanae vitae

[Deebs]

While the church is mostly uniform, there is still some discretion in certain areas. We have found that certain diocese are more or less conservative (maybe restrictive is a better term). For example, when we had DD2 baptized, we wanted the Bishop to perform the baptism. He is busy almost all spring with confirmations. The one weekend we all had free was during Lent, and when we asked our church to book the date, they told us that in the Peoria Diocese they still don't have baptisms during Lent, but if the Bishop (who is well known throughout the Midwest, at least) wanted to do it, of course it was fine. When I called and told him that, his reply was, "we're bringing a baby into the faith, not performing some CIA mission.". We had the baptism during Lent. .

[Pollyanna]

. When I called and told him that, his reply was, "we're bringing a baby into the faith, not performing some CIA mission.". We had the baptism during Lent. .

Great reply!!!!

[oceanchild]

In fact, apparently there are already 8 states which require insurance coverage of contraception with no religious-based waiver (cite: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecente...s/spib_ICC.pdf ), anyone know what Catholic employers do in Washington?

Colorado's on this list. I can see that the archdiocese testified against the last bill (in 2010), but I can't find much about how Catholic organizations in the state have responded since it passed. Now I'm curious.

[SuzySunshine]

Looks like there will be an announcement...

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_ne...ceptive-policy

[SoonerTexan]

Just saw that. Pretty impressive to please a Catholic Organization and Planned Parenthood, etc. at the same time. I'm sure the insurance companies are pissed, though

[Vanquisher]

Just saw that. Pretty impressive to please a Catholic Organization and Planned Parenthood, etc. at the same time. I'm sure the insurance companies are pissed, though

Nah, they'll pass on the costs somehow. Don't worry about them.

I am pleased that they could come to this compromise.

[scrub-jay]

Just saw that. Pretty impressive to please a Catholic Organization and Planned Parenthood, etc. at the same time. I'm sure the insurance companies are pissed, though

Not bad, I'm impressed (for now...we'll see how implementation shakes out).

[MissCrabette]

The insurance companies will just bump up the rates, which the religious employers will end up paying a sizable portion of. I don't see how that's that much better than requiring them to cover BC fully. Let's call a spade a spade. But hey, if this kind of thing makes the Catholic Church happy, who am I to complain?

[MarissaNicole]

What I've read online sounds good, but I'm curious how it will actually play out and whether it will really appease both religious employers and those seeking to have birth control covered?