ken – I believe the schools and institutions involved would respond that the religious liberty they are arguing about is a fundamental right, unrelated to whether they take or don’t take government funds. However, if that option was offered, in the final analysis, I suspect they would (and will) do that. I could be wrong about that but one option is closing down, so your suggestion would be somewhere short of that.

Zoe/Emily K – Bishop Lori yesterday told the panel that birth control pills used for medical reasons are covered and permitted under Catholic doctrine.

I’ve had both female and male reproductive glands removed – both were dysfunctional by that time anyway. So I’m sterile.

I also have to take fairly massive quantities of hormones that are usually used for birth control. In my case, they keep me healthy, and it’s possible that I’d die after a few months without them. Although as a scientist I’d be interested in furthering our research in this area, I have no wish to repeat the experiment. I did try for a month, the experience was unpleasant, with deleterious effects still not entirely gone after 2 years.

Some of the hormones aren’t available in this country, but fortunately the rules were changed to allow import for private use, with a prescription.

I doubt that the plight of Intersex people ever entered the good theologians minds. If it did, it would be for the first time, we’re not supposed to exist according to Genesis.

So, they should indeed cover the pill for people using it for things like cramps or preventing ovarian cysts. To do this they would be forced to inquire on a person’s medical needs.

Additionally, they should refuse to provide insurance benefits to the spouses of couples that were previously married to other people. Divorce is a grave sin in Catholicism, as I understand it. And those people aren’t really spouses; their first spouses are the true spouses in the eyes of their god and their religion.