Why Does Obama Grant Exemptions for Obamacare Left and Right, And Yet Refuses To Do So for Faith Objectors?

From Ace of Spades HQ:

Via NRO, this sounds exactly right.

How can you diagnose when somebody is suffering from ideological obsession?

Consider the case of the Affordable Care Act. This law was supposed to provide for universal health insurance for all Americans. Yet the law is filled with exemptions, and the Administration has granted even more exceptions and exemptions as the implementation date for the law approached on New Year’s Day.

Here are just a few of the exemptions that were incorporated in the law itself: people who can’t afford coverage, even with a subsidy; people with income levels too low to require filing a federal tax return; members of certain Indian tribes; people who can claim a hardship; people who will have a short gap in their coverage; members of certain religious groups that conscientiously oppose insurance benefit programs (e.g., the Amish); members of a “health care sharing ministry”; people in prison; and people who are not lawfully in the United States.

In the last few months, with all the mess associated with the new health exchange websites, and all the other chaos associated with the law, the Administration has granted new exemptions...


So, what does this have to do with ideology? Well, despite all those other exemptions, waivers and extensions, one group has not been able to obtain an exemption, despite repeatedly asking for it, petitioning for it, and finally suing for it — religious organizations that have a moral objection to facilitating contraception, sterilization, and abortion, as would be required under the so-called HHS Mandate.

For these groups, there is no flexibility at all. There is instead an adamant insistence that they will have to cooperate, regardless of their deeply-held religious beliefs. The Amish get out of the law entirely, but when it comes to Catholic dioceses, schools and charities agencies, the government offers nothing except artificial and unsatisfactory “accommodations”.

.............

The government won’t even grant temporary respite while legal challenges are working their way through the courts. They can’t even bring themselves to give a break to the Little Sisters of the Poor, who spend their entire lives caring for needy elderly people.

Why is this? It’s not that hard to understand. The current Administration is entirely beholden to an ideology of sexual liberationism that considers contraception, sterilization and abortion to be “sacred ground”. They consider this ideology to be so central to life that they will brook no opposition, and will do whatever it takes to bring to heel anyone who opposes them.

That is an ideological obsession. It is dangerous to the souls of those who suffer from it, and it is dangerous to any society in which they wield power.

This reminds me of the suspension of Phil Robertson. It's not about the positions themselves. I think gays and the gay-friendly have the right to argue for greater accommodation of gays, and I think it's just swell if women wish to dwell exclusively on "women's issues," fixating entirely upon reproduction. Back to the Future, you know. The way it used to be.

The problem comes in that you are not even permitted to disagree. You cannot object; you cannot opt-out. The various Leftist Cultural Asks are, apparently, so powerfully certain and true that the government will actually legally punish you for suggesting otherwise.

The Dear Leader's adamant demand that Christian religious organizations be forced to adhere to all of the requirements of Obamacare, while at the same time allowing his allies get exemptions, comes as no surprise. It is consistent with his Regime's crony capitalism. The constant flow of organizations asking for religious exemptions could easily be addressed with little pain, news, or threat to unravel his signature legislation. The NRO article makes me think, there is more to fighting these religious organizations. If these exemption requests were to originate from, say, a muslim group, it would be granted with little fanfare. I don't think it's because he is a closet muslim or he would have not been able to attend Rev. Wright's services for 20 years. Being so stubborn that he is willing to take chances in court tells me there is some deep seated dislike or hatred toward these religious.