16 States Support Christian Universities in Challenge to Obamacare
- Updated Aug 11, 2015
Sixteen states have agreed to join three Christian universities to challenge ObamaCare.
According to Fox News, the 16 states filed friend-of-the-court briefs with the Supreme Court to support East Texas Baptist University, Houston Baptist University and Westminster Theological Seminary.
The colleges have appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that requires the schools to have contraception options in their health insurance plans.
“This strong show of support for HBU and ETBU (and Westminster Theological Seminary) demonstrates just how important it is that the Supreme Court address the impact of the HHS mandate, particularly on religious groups,” said Diana Verm, Legal Counsel at the Becket Fund, in a statement. “It is especially significant that the 16 state governments are supporting HBU and ETBU at the Supreme Court.”
The 16 states to ally with the schools are: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia, according to Fox News.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the International Mission Board for the Southern Baptist Convention, the Christian Missionary Alliance Foundation and the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities have also pledged to support the colleges.
The ruling requires the colleges to offer 14 types of contraception, while the three colleges only offer 10 types. The schools are arguing that the ruling violates their religious freedom.
Publication date: August 11, 2015
