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U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton granted a preliminary injuction to temporarily prevent the Obama administration from enforcing its contraceptive mandate under the new health care law on Tyndale House Publishers, a Carol Stream, Ill., Bible and Christian book publishing company. The contraceptive mandate would force Tyndale House to offer contraceptive coverage — including aborifacients, such as Plan B, Ella and intrauterine devices — to its 260 employees. Walton wrote, "The contraceptive coverage mandate affirmatively compels the plaintiffs to violate their religious beliefs in order to comply with the law and avoid the sanctions that would be imposed for their noncompliance. "
Matthew S. Bowman, the lawyer who brought the suit last month on behalf of Tyndale House, said in an email to the Associated Press that Bible publishers "should be free to do business according to the Book that they publish. The Obama administration is not entitled to disregard religious freedom." Tyndale House Publishers will have to appear in court again, and arguments will be heard as to whether to make the injunction permanent.
