Obama's Health Plan

It has been much in the news recently, that the Obama administration is forcing religious organizations (outside a very narrow exception clause) to supply what they call contraceptive coverage. I say "what they call" because the "Morning After Pill" they call contraceptive, but it is really abortive. (The Morning After Pill prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb. They say this is preventing pregnancy and therefore contraceptive. But if life begins at conception - which we believe - then it is abortive.) The Roman Catholic Church has been mostly in the news opposing this action, and they seem to be the organization that will feel the greatest impact. But I have been wondering: does it impact the LCMS also? Will our Health Plan now have to supply what we believe to be sinful?

President Harrison issued a statement today saying NO. Concordia Health Plan opted to be "grandfathered" in under Obamacare. I am not exactly sure what that all means, but apparently it means they will be exempt from a lot of the new changes and are allowed to operate as they have been all along. This is most certainly good news! But please keep those who are now "under the gun" in your prayers. I am sure there will be lawsuits aplenty coming soon, and this is likely to drag on for awhile. Pray for our country and world to return, as John Paul II put it, to a culture of life rather than a culture of death.

Be sure also that this kind of persecution will continue. The Scriptures promise it. As our culture continues to degrade, the church which becomes more and more countercultural will face more and more pressure to do what the world wants and says is right. Not only with regard to issues like health care, but also with, for example, gay marriage. How long till the government tries to say that churches must marry whoever or lose their right to perform marriages? Or lose their tax exempt status? Or have to pay fines? It's coming.

But whatever happens, whatever threats are made or carried through, the church must remain faithful to the Word. "And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won, the kingdom ours remaineth." (from: A Mighty Fortress by Martin Luther.)