Pa. Christian college sues over birth control regs

PITTSBURGH — A Christian college in western Pennsylvania sued the federal government Tuesday, saying regulations that require employers to offer birth control coverage that includes drugs that abort fertilized embryos are "directly at odds" with its religious values, including the Bible's Sixth Commandment.

The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian civil rights group, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh on behalf of Geneva College. The school in Beaver Falls was founded by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America.

"At Geneva College, we only have one Lord, and he does not live in Washington, D.C.," Geneva College President Ken Smith said in a statement.

The lawsuit argues that the contraception provision "illegally and unconstitutionally coerces Geneva College to violate the Sixth Commandment under threat of heavy fines and penalties," a reference to the biblical directive against murder.

It asks for a judge's ruling that the regulations violate federal law and the First Amendment rights of the college and similar faith-based or church-related groups. It also seeks an order exempting the school from complying with the birth control rule in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

The suit comes amid national controversy that erupted this year when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious groups protested the rule that required church-affiliated universities, hospitals and nonprofits to include birth control without co-pays or premiums in their insurance plans.

Their opposition led President Barack Obama to modify the rule with changes that shift the burden from religious organizations to insurance companies, a solution that did little to satisfy the opposition.

The alliance has filed a similar lawsuit in Louisiana on behalf of Louisiana College in Pineville, and Republican lawmakers in a handful of states have filed legislation that would allow insurance companies to ignore the mandate.

Other religious and conservative groups also have criticized the Obama administration. They object in particular to contraception that prevents fertilization or aborts embryos after fertilization. These include "ella" and "Plan B," also known as the morning-after pill.