Posted on 04/25/2007 2:57:26 AM PDT by Bluestateredman
HomeU.S.BusinessWorldEntertainmentSportsTechPoliticsElectionsScienceHealthMost Popular Secondary Navigation Local News Education Religion Politics Crimes and Trials Search: All News Yahoo! News Only News Photos Video/Audio Advanced
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Religious group attacks religion in U.S. healthcare By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Tue Apr 24, 6:11 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of religious leaders took on the Catholic Church, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Bush administration on Tuesday with a plea to take religion out of health care in the United States.
ADVERTISEMENT
They said last week's Supreme Court decision outlawing a certain type of abortion demonstrated that religious belief was interfering with personal rights and the U.S. health care system in general.
The group, calling itself the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said it planned to submit its proposals to other church groups and lobby Congress and state legislators.
"With the April 18 Supreme Court decision banning specific abortion procedures, concerns are being raised in religious communities about the ethics of denying these services," the group said in a statement.
"They are imposing their points of view," Barbara Kavadias, director of field services for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, told reporters in a telephone briefing.
She noted that the five Supreme Court justices on the majority in the 5-4 decision were all Catholic men -- Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Antonin Scalia.
All were appointed by conservative Republican presidents who oppose abortion, including President George W. Bush.
The group also complained about Catholic-owned hospitals that refuse to sterilize women who ask for it, refuse to let doctors perform abortions and do not provide contraception.
"Doctors, pharmacists and nurses are also increasingly exercising a so-called 'religious or moral objection,' refusing to provide essential services and often leaving patients without other options," the group said in a statement.
CODIFYING RELIGION
"And now, to make it worse, the government is codifying these refusals, first through legislation and now with the recent Supreme Court decision, where five Catholic men decided that they could better determine what was moral and good than the physicians, women and families facing difficult, personal choices in problem pregnancies," it added.
The group includes ordained Protestant ministers, a Jewish activist, an expert on women's reproductive rights and several physicians.
"The threat comes from a few, but powerful, religions and a few ... powerful religious leaders who pretend to speak for all religions," said Larry Greenfield, executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago.
"Health care decisions ought to be made freely, based on medical expertise and individual conscience," he added.
The group wrote up a series of guidelines and asked for all health care providers to implement them.
They include allowing doctors to use best medical practices, providing comprehensive counseling on sexual or reproductive health and an agreement to honor advance directives -- including "do not resuscitate" orders.
"Refusal to provide health care would be balanced by alternate service delivery so that no one would be victimized when another exercises his/her conscience," the guidelines read.
Marie Hilliard of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia said she had grave concerns about the report.
"There is no recognition of the true meaning of the separation of church and state, which mandates that the free exercise of religion, including that of the provider, be respected," she said.
"What we have tried to avoid is to be coercive ourselves," Greenfield said. "We have tried to allow for the freedom of conscience of every participant in the health care system."
Email Story IM Story Printable View RECOMMEND THIS STORY Recommend It:
Average (152 votes) » Recommended Stories Full Coverage: Health Care News Stories Religious group attacks religion in U.S. healthcare Reuters via Yahoo! News, Apr 24 Emergency Care Lacking for Patients Over 90 HealthDay via Yahoo! News, Apr 24 Posing as pals, drug reps sway doctors' choices Reuters via Yahoo! News, Apr 24 Group backs U.S. critical care changes AP via Yahoo! News, Apr 19 Feature Articles Gates Foundation billions change pharma landscape Reuters via Yahoo! News, Apr 17 A Generation Uninsured: Living Without Health Insurance at NY Magazine, Mar 26 Opinion & Editorials Lower prices will expand coverage at Orange County Register, Apr 25 Celebrate Small Business: First Do No Harm at FOX News, Apr 23 U.S. News 6 dead as storms strike Texas community AP Police: No motive in Va. Tech shootings AP Riot breaks out at Indiana prison AP Ga. residents flee as wildfire spreads AP Base mourns 9 soldiers killed in Iraq AP Most Viewed - U.S. 6 dead as storms strike Texas community AP Riot breaks out at Indiana prison AP Judge: No religion at post office AP Fla. woman dies after camel sits on her AP 9/11 pilot's brother runs for Congress AP U.S. News Video Shock jocks in trouble CNN - 14 minutes ago Wiccan gravestones CNN - 15 minutes ago 'Why?' Still looming question at Va. Tech AP - 31 minutes ago Bush hints Iran talks possible AP - 1 hour, 38 minutes ago Sponsored Links( What's this? )
Vonage - Official Site Talk all you want for just $24.99 per month & get 1 month free. www.Vonage.com Refinance Loan Quotes Up to 5 quotes with 1 form. Serious refinance inquiries only please. www.NexTag.com Online Degree Programs Accredited degrees from top US colleges - 100% online. Find out more. www.bisk.com
To leftists, religious churches are another class of groups they want to infiltrate to get a whole new set of libs.
In the case of UU, it seems to be working...
So, everyone that thinks abortion is wrong is basing it on religious convictions? I am a Christian and believe it is Biblically wrong, however, I also disagree with it for other reasons. I believe that life begins at conception. There has to be a starting point and it’s not at birth, or there would be nothing to abort. I think medical science makes that clear, period. These people are so deceived.
You nailed it!
What an evil little man. Using his ill-gotten gains to undermine America and Western Civilization under cover of various front groups.
If the media would do their job and expose his funding of these groups, the groups would lose their illegitimate influence.
What about the 5 or 6 justices (not sure of number) in 1973 that imposed their beliefs on every state. The science has advanced so much since that ruling and they were proved wrong. They, too, were relying on blind faith that the fetus felt no pain, etc.
Another bunch of religious idiots who knoweth not God...
You are right. I am building a house and am therefore behind the times.
For a very long time (I think since Roman times in fact) the medical and ethical position has been to put the life of the mother ahead of that of the unborn child, in the tragic circumstances when such a horrid choice has to be made.
Personally I’m quite sure that is right.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.