system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 why the contraceptive bill is a 1st Amendment issue.

>Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

How does the bill contradict this?

*Edit* Thanks guys. I guess my question was more, how do people get convinced that it is, when it seems clear (at least to me) that it has nothing to do with it...
gpt
It doesn't and it's not a bill, it is a rule change.

Since these hospitals and charities receive government money for both operations and staff, they have to follow rules and regulations. The president, as head of the Health and Human Services Dept, sets these rules. Obama recently changed the rule exemption religious health care organizations from the contraception provision requirement.

Until now, they could deny coverage to their female employees for birth control. Obama is now making them play by the same rules as all other hospitals and charities that get tax money, they have to provide coverage for it.

The compromise yesterday was this: instead of the government requiring these hospitals to DIRECTLY provide coverage, the health insurance companies used by these businesses would INDIRECTLY cover it (which is in their interest as BC is cheaper than babies). So that the catholic hospitals can still say they don't provide birth control but the female employees can still get it.

The media does a bad job at nuance. This isn't a freedom of religion thing, its a they take your tax money, but get to follow their own rules thing.