Charlotte, NC-- President Obama's health care plan has been debated at dining room tables, at the Supreme Court, and in churches nationwide.
Catholic faith leaders claim that the plan infringes on religious liberties. The Catholic Church does not support contraception. The healthcare reform plan requires employers to cover the cost of contraception.
The Catholic Church only believes in something they call, "Natural Family Planning."
Carri and Scott Richter teach Natural Family Planning in Greensboro for young Catholics. It's a birth control method that doesn't use contraception. The Richters admit that they're rare being the only NFP teachers in the Greensboro area. For the Richters, it follows the teachings of Christ and they say it brings them closer as a couple. But, Carri didn't always feel this way.
"In taking the pill it was very disturbing or me as a woman that I was taking something that altered the way that god designed my body. To me, that was unnatural," said Carri Richter.
Richter added, "Practicing the method as we have been since day, we have been able to build a strong marriage and to foster a happy marriage where we communicate comfortably."
On Tuesday, in Charlotte, the Bishop of the diocese, Peter Jugis touched on the idea of "religious freedom" in a sermon he delivered at an afternoon service.
"This is really about religious liberty. This is about the first amendment," said David Hains, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Charlotte.
The Charlotte diocese along with the entire Catholic faith feels that it's a clash between a worldwide religion and the President. Barack Obama's health care reform requires employers to cover the cost of contraception and that violates official Catholic beliefs.
Hains added, "Now we have a regulation in our government stating that we have to pay for this for our employees."
So the church is taking the government to court.
"The problem for us is that the regulations as they're stated right now sort of require a church to do something that goes against its conscious, Hains told News 2's Liz Crawford.
And now this week, a national convention that brings the issue center stage in Charlotte. And perhaps this whole debate will come to a head on Thursday. The headquarters of the Diocese of Charlotte is located in Uptown Charlotte. If you walk just two blocks, you'll find the Bank of America stadium where President Obama is set to speak on Thursday.
In the meantime, polls show that a huge majority of American Catholics don't find contraception morally wrong and the church may have a paradox of its own to deal with.
"We need to do a lot more what we can catechesis or teaching on the fundamental importance of contraception," said Hains.
The President did come out with a compromise in January. Basically, it said Catholic institutions that are concerned with the health care law would not have to pay for it. Instead, the insurance companies would. The problem is that many Catholic institutions, including the diocese of Charlotte are self-insured.
WFMY News 2