Should the Government Decide What Is/not a Religious Value

The "Little Sisters of the Poor", a Catholic order dedicated to caring for the elderly poor (founded in 1839), filed a lawsuit against the U.S.  federal government.  The sisters claim the new health care laws would force them to indirectly help provide their employees with free access to contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations.  Both sides are dug in.  Government supporters point out that Little Sisters is exempt from direct provision of these services and so is their insurance group called the Christian Brothers Trust.  All they have to do is authorize a third party to negotiate coverage for their employees.  Bingo! Problem solved!

Wrong!  This so-called "accommodation"  still forces Little Sisters to sign a form that triggers the start of coverage for contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations.  According to their values, even this simple act of a signature condones these services and violates their religious beliefs.

Opponents argue that Little Sisters' objection is not about religious freedom.  They see something far more sinsister.

An article in the British Guardian newspaper (Jan.3, 2014)  asserted:  "religious liberty should end at your own nose, and not entitle you to demand that anyone within your reach (employees)  adhere to your same principles.  It certainly should not give any religiously affiliated organization carte blanche to argue that filling out a form is a substantial burden, and the form requirement itself is tantamount to religious discrimination".

This argument completely misses the point.  In a democracy, freedom of religion is not determined by a government.  No one, no organization, no agency, no society should dictate what is/not a legitimate religious value or practice.  If you don't like it, don't work for them!  Threatening a group of women with a solid 170 year history of helping the elderly poor;  a band of sisters dedicating their lives to that mission is so vile that words fail me.