A court has issued an order preventing the US Government from forcing six Christian organisations to facilitate abortions.
The Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, requires employers to provide insurance for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilisation and contraception.
The legal battle, which lasted over four-years, has just been won by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) securing religious freedom for the organisations.
‘Permanent protection’
Colorado’s federal district court highlighted that the way the law was being used violated the organisations’ rights to religious freedom under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Six Christian organisations – Association of Christian Schools International, Samaritan Ministries International, Taylor University, Indiana Wesleyan University, Asbury Theological Seminary and ADF – are now exempt from providing abortifacients.
Senior Counsel for ADF, Gregory Baylor said: “Religious organizations have the freedom to peacefully operate according to their beliefs without the threat of punishment by the government.
“Tuesday’s order fully affirms that freedom and provides permanent protection from the mandate.”
Christian beliefs
Under the law, the Internal Revenue Service (and other federal agencies) were allowed to enforce heavy penalties on organisations who didn’t meet the abortion-pill mandate requirements, regardless of their moral convictions.
Baylor added: “These faith-based organisations no longer have to fear being forced to pay fines for simply abiding by the Christian beliefs that they teach and espouse”.
“The government has many other ways to ensure access to these items without forcing people of faith to violate their deepest convictions”.
Other federal district courts have issued similar rulings in recent months for Christian organisations in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida.