Interesting reference, Warren, to RCC hospitals' conundrum over laws that conflict with church doctrine. But how is that germane to whether Adventist hospitals should claim a legally available ERISA exemption when it comes to funding pensions? Try as I may, I cannot lay my finder on the Fundamental Belief that addresses this issue.

On the larger issue of "compartmentalization," one of the signs of intellectual maturity is the ability to recognize that intellectual inconsistency is seldom seen in the mirror. We are already experiencing this truth in spades as vigorous political dissent from elected authority has instantly morphed from being obstructionist, racist and un-American - as it has been since 2009 - to once again being the highest form of patriotism. Intellectual maturity would hopefully lead one to seek a higher level of abstraction, where the seeming duplicity might resolve. But sadly, the limited response length on this site makes such in-depth exchanges impossible.