The First amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right of individuals to believe in the religion of their choice as they choose to believe in it. It does not guarantee the right of religions to exert doctrinal authority over their membership. Churches have no right to conscript government into proscribing medical procedures otherwise guaranteed access to under law. Requiring religious employers to cover religiously proscribed medical procedures does not require them to perform or to choose such procedures. The ability to conscript government into the role of enforcing church doctrine is neither a proper application nor interpretation of the First Amendment.
Why is this important?
Because constitutional guarattee of religious liberty does not mean a guarantee of religious authority.
