If he is forced to violate federal regulations in order to practice his faith, Ebertz says he would see that as civil disobedience, “not going to the back of the bus, so to speak.”
He has even been wondering if, in a worst-case scenario, he would have to consider dissolving his company, which he helped found in 1998.
“I’m really at a very difficult crossroads,” he said.
Ebertz is very troubled by what he sees as the latest “broken promise” in a trend of “prejudice towards Judeo-Christian values” that has developed in the Obama administration.
A firm belief in God-given freedoms is “what separates the U.S. from other countries,” he explained.
Kevin Hostutler, CEO and president of ACGI Software, said that he faces a dilemma as a Catholic, a business owner and a citizen.
Based in Columbia, Md., Hostutler’s company creates software for professional associations throughout the country.
His company does not do business with industries that he has moral objections to, such as abortion and pornography companies.
“That’s the decision I’ve made as a business owner,” he said. “I don’t want my resources going to that.”
Hostutler is concerned that his ability to run his company according to his principles as a Catholic will be compromised by the new regulations.
Although Hostutler is not required to provide dental or vision benefits for his employees, that same reasoning does not apply to the Obama administration’s contraception mandate.
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“I can’t opt out of it,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Hostutler also mentioned that he expects the mandate to financially impact companies because more services are being covered in the insurance plans they have to purchase.
“You’re boxed into a corner,” he said. “It’s definitely coercion.”
On Jan. 31, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation that would protect the rights of both individuals and organizations who object to the mandate for religious reasons.
The bill would protect Catholics who run companies that are not religiously-affiliated.
Michelle La Rosa is deputy editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency. She has worked for CNA since 2011. She studied political philosophy and journalism at the University of Dallas.