Blindness and the Law

              There is a case before the Supreme Court that is trying to argue that corporations have the right to express their own religious beliefs, and not obey the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that provide for contraception for employees.  Lawyers are arguing that the corporation, Hobby Lobby, which was created by evangelical Southern Baptists ought to be able to practice their religious beliefs in the context of the contracts that they have with those who work for them. 

            In many ways, this is the same kind of argument that was used in the Citizen’s United case, when corporations were held to have the same rights as individuals, and were thus able to contribute unlimited amounts to candidates for political office.  This ruling radically changed our electoral spectrum, allowing rich people to have unlimited power to influence elections.  The Citizen’s ruling by the Supreme Court has had a lasting negative effect on our country.  I suspect that this latest case will unleash untold mayhem on our culture, allowing corporations to refuse anything that they don’t like on religious grounds.

            I can imagine that corporations founded by Jehovah’s Witnesses might try to refuse to allow payment for blood transfusions on similar grounds; or perhaps Amish corporations might try to refuse to pay for transportation by other than horse and buggy.  As ridiculous as that sounds, these idle speculations travel the same ground as Hobby Lobby is working in the case currently before the court.

            As described in the 9^th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus healed the man born blind on the Sabbath.  This was against the rules that the Pharisees had created for the Jewish people.  Nevertheless, our Lord healed the man on the Sabbath, ultimately causing him to be thrown out of the synagogue.  Rules are at issue.  Should we side with the Pharisees or the blind man?  That doesn’t seem to me to be a difficult choice.  Jesus felt free to be the Son of God, and to further his mission no matter what day it happened to be.  When Jesus saw need, he met it.  He didn’t ask what day it was and tell the person in need to come back when the rules would apply; he simply did what he needed to do, no matter what others might have thought.  I think that is a great example for all of us.

            There are those who hold their religion above all things, regardless of what needs there may be around them.  I have always been appalled at the way that some Christians use their religion to allow or forbid things that the rest of society needs.  Their blindness is what is appalling here.  It ought not to be hard for the Supreme Court to decide this issue; but I suspect that with their extreme conservative bent, it will become a very difficult choice for them indeed.