Abortion Mandate Threatens Religious Freedom

Last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals showed its disregard for religious liberty

by ruling that a local church in Washington State does not have the right to challenge

a state law forcing it to cover abortion in its employee health care plan.

The case, involving Cedar Park Assembly of God, a Pentecostal church in Kirkland,

Washington, began in 2019 when the church was informed by its provider, Kaiser

Permanente, that it could no longer exclude abortion from its insurance coverage due

to Washington’s so-called “Parity Act.” This law states that if a plan covers maternity care,

it must also include both contraception and abortion. For Cedar Park—a Pentecostal

congregation whose beliefs hold life sacred from conception—this was a direct violation

of their Christian faith.

The church filed suit, standing firm on the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious

freedom. And for good reason. What kind of freedom exists if the state can force a

church to participate—financially and administratively—in the destruction of innocent

life? This is not just about one church in Washington—it’s about the rights of all faith-

based organizations. If the state can compel a church to pay for abortion, what else can

it compel?

This fight is far from over. Cedar Park plans to seek a rehearing from the full Ninth Circuit

and potentially appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. The stakes are high. If

this ruling stands, religious institutions in the nine states impacted by this decision, such

as churches, Christian schools, pro-life nonprofits—could be forced to violate their

convictions or face crippling legal consequences. And while the ruling currently applies

only to states under the Ninth Circuit’s jurisdiction, it could easily set a legal precedent

that influences other courts and encourages lawmakers in additional states to adopt

similar mandates. The ripple effect could undermine religious liberty nationwide.