After enduring fiery criticism from religious leaders and Republican lawmakers, the Obama administration announced that it would alter its health care policy on mandating religious employers to provide female employees access to birth control.
Online sentiment seems to be as contentious as the debate itself.
While about 12 percent of social media mentions believe that the Obama administration should stand by its support for access to contraception, 20 percent believe that Obama is attacking religion. Approximately 18 percent of online conversations believe that Republicans are targeting women’s rights on this issue and 22 percent believe the Catholic Church has influenced the president’s decision. About one third of mentions think that Obama’s initial decision was not a big deal and that it did not place undue stress unto religious institutions.