How Protestants Helped Make Birth Control Mainstream

Since May 3, 2022, when Politico reported that the Supreme Court was planning to strike down Roe v. Wade, many Christians have celebrated the prospect of an America where abortion is not a constitutionally protected right -- or is someday banned entirely. Meanwhile, other conservative Christians have been working on a related target: limiting access to some contraceptives. In July 2020, when the Supreme Court ruled that organizations with "sincerely held religious or moral objection" are not obligated to provide contraceptive coverage to their employees, many conservative Christians applauded. Six years before, the evangelical owners of crafting chain Hobby Lobby took their objections to covering the IUD in their health insurance plans all the way to the Supreme Court. Hobby Lobby argued -- incorrectly, according to most medical authorities -- that it was a form of abortion, and therefore they should not have to cover employees' health insurance for it. The justices sided with the chain's owners.