Supreme Court Rejects Contraceptive Mandate for Corporations [POLL]

In a victory for conservatives, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that requiring family-owned corporations to pay for contraception under the Affordable Care Act violates a federal law that protects religious freedom.

According to New York Times.com, the ruling applies specifically to two Christian-owned companies, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties.

The current health care law requires companies to provide comprehensive insurance coverage, including a variety of forms of contraception, some of which, the companies believe to be comparable to abortion. The companies have expressed no objection to many forms of birth control including condoms and several types of birth control pills.

One of the questions being asked today is about the fairness of the ruling. Does it show preferential treatment to Christian-owned companies? Is the protection of religious freedom a legitimate issue in this case? Does it go too far - or not far enough? Does this ruling open the door to other corporations to challenge parts of the health care law they find objectionable, regardless of whether it is on religious grounds or not?

The entire health care debate remains a divisive issue and very little of it has to do with religious issues. Today's ruling is just another hitch - or glitch --in the current state of health care in the United State. The debate is far from over, and it's doubtful this will be the final word we hear concerning the religious implications of mandated health care coverage.