Matthew 19:18 ESV “And Jesus said, “You shall not murder…”
Editor’s Note: Throughout the scriptures, God has made it clear that shedding innocent blood is murder, and no murderer will enter heaven. In addition to the death of the unborn baby, abortion also substantially harms the women and many times, families, husbands, boyfriends and a whole sphere of relationships connected to and surrounding each abortion. Often, lifelong guilt and other social, relational, spiritual and even physical problems follow the murder of innocent babes in the womb. Pastor Jim Bakker believes that this issue, abortion, may be the single most significant issue that brings God’s judgment on this nation more than any other.
A proposed bill in California is aiming to overturn an order of the California Department of Managed Health Care that requires all insurance companies in the state to cover abortions, effectively forcing all churches and religious groups to pay for abortions.
“Abortion is a basic health care service,” Director Michelle Rouillard wrote to the seven insurance companies that refused to offer coverage.“All health plans must treat maternity services and legal abortion neutrally.”
The action of the CDMHC was widely believed to be in response to two Roman Catholic/Jesuit universities to no longer pay for abortions.
California Assembly member Shannon Grove has presented a proposal that would overturn the mandate along with making it illegal for entities to be punished in any way for not providing abortion coverage.
“Notwithstanding any other law, a health care service plan is not required to include abortion as a covered benefit. The director shall not deny, suspend, or revoke the license of, or otherwise sanction or discriminate against, a licensee on the basis that the licensee excludes coverage for abortions pursuant to this section,” A.B. 1254 reads.
Casey Mattox of the Alliance Defending Freedom testified in support of the bill.
“Assembly Bill 1254 would simply restore the status quo ante and ensure California’s continued compliance with its obligations under the Weldon Amendment,” he stated. “It would not prohibit insurers from covering any legal health service, but religious employers would remain free, as before, to contract for insurance plans that did not require them to pay for abortions.”
“Churches and other religious employers should not be coerced by the government into violating their fundamental beliefs by being party to elective abortion,” Mattox continued. “When Congress enacted the Weldon Amendment, it sought to ensure that the government could never strong-arm pro-life employers into paying for abortion coverage. California is blatantly ignoring federal law and pushing its abortion ideology on citizens while still receiving taxpayer money.”
