Growing up, I believed that religious freedom meant that I was lucky enough to live in a country that allowed people to be who they wanted, believe what they want and practice how they want. Recently, however, the term religious freedom is being used as a basis of discrimination across our country.
In the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby trial, I wouldn’t say the Supreme Court ruling is a huge win in religious freedom. Not being able to receive the proper health care you deserve because of someone else’s views is not freedom. I believe that I have the freedom to make my own decisions in the terms of religion, but I don’t see how I, or anyone else for that matter, can force others to comply with my own beliefs. The belief in your opinions should not control the fate of others. If you don’t believe in birth control, don’t use it. If you don’t believe in abortion, you don’t have to get one! Don’t let your views get in the way of the health of others. The great thing about opinions is they are just that – there is no right or wrong answer. It’s just what you believe to be true for yourself.
Companies nationwide are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of religion when hiring their employees, yet can now harm them because they don’t share their same beliefs. The healthcare of a woman should be decided between her and her doctor, not by the owners of a multi-billion dollar corporation. The main argument by many is that there are still other forms of birth control covered, but they aren’t looking at the bigger picture. With this Supreme Court ruling, anything is possible. What’s next? Denying blood transfusions or coverage of same-sex couples in states where same-sex marriage is legalized, all in the name of religious beliefs?
Most importantly, I am tired of the fate of my uterus being determined by men. Never in their lifetimes will they be faced with the need to take an emergency contraceptive or the decision to implant an intrauterine device. Yet, they controlled my right to choose. It’s easy not to understand a woman’s rights when you’re not a woman. I’m sure it’s easier to be pro-life when you’re not faced with carrying a child for nine months. It’s easy to think you’re killing a child with an emergency contraceptive if you don’t know your female anatomy and realize it’s just preventing conception, not destroying a life already formed. It’s easy not to understand being denied proper health care when your Viagra will still be covered by companies like Hobby Lobby, and you’ll be able to treat your erectile dysfunction so you can inseminate a woman who may or may not be receiving the proper birth control coverage in her health plan. So while SCOTUS ruled that certain heath care plans discriminated against religious freedom, the discrimination against women is apparently no discrimination at all.
I believe we are entitled to practice religion freely without repercussion. I believe we are entitled to act in cohesion with our opinions and beliefs. I believe that women are entitled to decide what’s best for them and their own reproductive organs. But as the ruling stands, I believe 5 Supreme Court Justices denied us these rights.
Rachel Wilson is a junior accountancy major from Tupelo.
