3. How does religious freedom relate to debates about contraception or abortion?
Debates on social policies often pit people with strong opinions against each other. That’s especially true when policies touch on questions of morality. One example is the United States federal government’s directive requiring organizations that provide health care insurance to their employees to include coverage for contraceptives. Some faith-based organizations feel that providing that coverage violates their religious beliefs. In these difficult situations, religious freedom dictates that government finds ways to accommodate the beliefs of religious people and institutions. On the issue of abortion, no one should be required to perform or assist with an abortion against his or her religious beliefs.