Four Christian Medical Association members testified on September 12 before the President’s Council on Bioethics on the issue of conscience rights in healthcare. These testimonies are, to me, very convincing and hopefully will help more and more of us support a healthcare professional’s right to exercise his or her conscience when it comes to deeply-held religious or moral beliefs.

Excerpts below:

Here is a thought-provoking Op-Ed by Admiral Joxel Garcia, MD, the assistant secretary for health with the Department of Health and Human Services, published in The Washington Times.  He begins, “There is no more sacred right than the right of conscience – the right to be guided by one’s own cherished beliefs and morall convictions. In certain professional fields, like health care, questions of conscience are particularly likely to emerge.

More of the editorial:

The National Post is reporting that the regulating body for Ontario physicians has backed off a controversial proposal that would have forced doctors to put aside their religious views when dealing with patients. Protests from the Ontario Medical Association and numerous religious groups appear to have tempered the thinking of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Hopefully the US will do the same.

More Info:

There’s an excellent opinion piece in the LA Times titled, “The Fundamental Right to Refuse.” It’s by a ‘pro-choice atheist,’ who articulates that the present battle over conscience rights in healthcare is not only a fight for faith freedoms, but also a fight to preserve some of the most cherished unalienable rights on which western civilization and our republic was founded.

My Take?

LifeSiteNews.com reported that last Friday was marked the deadline for public comment on the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeon’s draft policy that seeks to prohibit medical professionals from obeying their consciences. In light of this, several prominent parties have made concerted efforts to condemn the proposed policy that, if put into effect, will force medical professionals to “set aside their personal beliefs” and take part in grievous anti-life practices.

My Take?

For years the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) has been advocating in Washington, DC for the conscience rights of its members and all healthcare professionals, encouraging legal protections and education and reform in the medical profession. The issue took center stage recently when the New York Times published an article based on a leaked copy of draft regulations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on conscience rights in healthcare.

The revelation of draft regulations to protect conscience rights set off an avalanche of protests from abortion advocates, many of whom have asserted that healthcare professional literally should choose another career if unwilling to participate in abortions. Opponents of the regulations wrongly asserted that HHS was trying to stop abortions and limit contraceptive use—very difficult charges to make stick, since the regulations would not outlaw a single abortion and since HHS this year will fund over $1.6 billion in “family planning” services.

CMDA responded to the New York Times article and alerted its members to communicate with HHS and their congressional leaders, and to write letters to the editor, to explain the need for conscience protections in healthcare. Members responded with insightful communications and personal stories such as those excerpted below:

CitizenLink is reporting that abortion advocates are targetiung federal guidelines designed to protect pro-life medical workers.

My Take?

LifeSiteNews.com is reporting that Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Monday on behalf of a licensed counselor who was fired after referring a person seeking counsel with a same-sex relationship to a colleague. Rather than attempt to provide a service that would conflict with her sincerely-held religious beliefs on homosexual behavior, Marcia Walden referred her to another counselor; however, the counselee later filed a complaint that ultimately cost Walden her job.

My Take?

LifeSiteNews.com is reporting that the British Medical Association’s (BMA) policy-making body will consider a proposal to remove the rights of conscience that allow doctors to refuse to commit or refer women for abortions. The proposal will be considered at the BMA’s upcoming Annual General Meeting, 7-10 July. 

My Take?

The Christian Medical Association (disclaimer: I am a lifetime member of the CMA) has been leading the way in the national fight to protect the right of prolife physicians (and healthcare professionals) to choose to not perform or refer for abortions and other morally objectionable procedures and prescriptions.

But, according to the CMA, recent events may lead to ob-gyns possibly losing their board certification simply for refusing to refer a woman to an abortionist.

Here’s an article by by friend, Jon Imbody, that explains this unimaginable possibility: