During House Oversight’s contentious hearing on the administration’s contraception rule, witness Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, CT dedicated his entire opening remarks to an analogy comparing the idea that women at religious organizations have a right to contraceptive coverage to the right of someone to order a ham sandwich from a Jewish deli. The detailed analogy can be found in full in his opening statement. 

“For my testimony today, I would like to tell a story.  Let’s call it, ‘The Parable of the Kosher Deli,’” Lori began. “Once upon a time, a new law is proposed, so that any business that serves food must serve pork. There is a narrow exception…but kosher delicatessens are still subject to the mandate.” When Jewish deli owners object, says Lori, people respond that pork is good for you and that lots of Jews eat pork anyway. The analogy went on to discuss a hypothetical ‘accommodation’ that is not sufficient. 

Finally, Lori said concluded his story:

This story has a happy ending.  The government recognized that it is absurd for someone to come into a kosher deli and demand a ham sandwich; that it is beyond absurd for that private demand to be backed with the coercive power of the state; that it is downright surreal to apply this coercive power when the customer can get the same sandwich cheaply, or even free, just a few doors down.