Religious Freedom and Single Payer Health Care Reform

Karen Santorum before she met Rick and had 7 kids

With the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, the protests are heating up and the Supreme Court is about to hear arguments about the case.  In Pittsburgh on Friday there was a rally titled "Stand Up for Religious Freedom" which was about the HHS mandate for employers and religious institutions to cover contraception, sterilization and morning after pills like RU-486.  The speeches in the videos (taken by Patricia Newman Hahn, their counterpart to Julie Sokolow) were restricted to the mandate though I believe that many in the crowd are also opposed to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or any other "socialized medicine" while an estimated 98% of Catholic women including Karen Santorum use contraception at one time or another.  

While the Catholic Church (including Bishop Zubik) has been vocal in it's opposition to the mandate, it has supported universal health care coverage.  For example, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has criticized the ACA because it does not cover illegal immigrants and promoted events like Cover the Uninsured Week.  They have issued many other statements in favor of comprehensive reform except when it relates to matters of abortion and contraception.  Pope Benedict himself has supported universal health care, except for abortion and contraception of course.


I posted an editorial earlier about Lawrence O'Donnell's editorial about how the whole HHS mandate controversy would be moot under a single payer system as employers would not have to worry about providing coverage.  Would they still campaign against it being paid for?

**Update**

Today, June 8 at noon, there will be more Stand Up for Rallies in Mellon Square Pittsburgh and other places throughout PA and the US.  Info is below.

Cities and Towns Participating in the June 8 Rally