Sentinel Watch July 23, 2012 Issue

A healing standard

Mark Sappenfield—Newton Highlands, Massachusetts

Courtesy photo

This election season has seen one aspect of President Obama’s health-care law come in for particular scrutiny. A rule announced earlier this year requires all businesses to offer employee health insurance that includes access to birth-control services, and some faiths—particularly the Roman Catholic Church—are not happy. They charge that the requirement amounts to an attack on religion.

The clash of church and state is of interest to Christian Scientists, too. But another, subtler aspect of the debate may be of greater importance to us as healers.

In backing Obama’s rules, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman said: “This isn’t a religious or political issue—it’s a medical issue, and that’s where we should keep it. It is unbelievable that in the year 2012 we have to fight for access to birth control.”

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Items of Interest

A summer of 'radical acts'