Wheaton College Wins Religious Freedom Victory, Will Not Be Forced to Provide Abortion-Inducing Drugs

Wheaton College has won a religious freedom battle it has been fighting for five years and will not be forced to provide abortion-inducing drugs in their employee healthcare plans.

The Christian Post reports that a district court judge has ruled that forcing the Illinois-based Christian college to fund the morning after pill or abortion-inducing drugs would violate their religious freedom.

Wheaton, as well as other Christian institutions and organizations, have been fighting against the contraceptive mandate included in Obamacare which would force them to include abortion-inducing drugs and birth control in their healthcare plans.

"The government is not above the law — that's why we have civil rights laws. Wheaton should never have had to go to court to protect its rights in the first place. This order ensures we won't have to come back," said Diana Verm, Wheaton alumna and legal counsel at Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the college.

Wheaton’s president, Philip Ryken, said that the college is thankful for the ruling:

“We are grateful to God that the court recognized Wheaton's religious identity and protected our ability to affirm the sanctity of human life. The government should never have tried to force us to provide drugs and services against our faith, and we are pleased by the resolution of our case."

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Publication date: February 26, 2018