You did say pro-*choice*, didn't you?

Ecumenical Insanity ^ | 11/24/2004 | Athanasius

[sionnsar]

All right. Enough of this geek stuff. Back to what matters. [FWIW, there were some technical glitches with Ecumenical Insanity the past day or two -- sionnsar]

As if we needed it, here's more proof (via Ted Olsen at Christianity Today Weblog) that many who claim to be pro-choice are actually pro-abortion and anti-choice. The evidence comes from members of Congress upset that the recently passed omnibus spending bill contained this provision:

None of the funds made available in this Act may be made available to a Federal agency or program, or to a State or local government, if such agency, program, or government subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.

Translated from the legalese, that simply means that federal or state entities that discriminate against doctors or hospitals that refuse to get involved in the abortion business will have their funds cut off. In other words, the government can't force health care practitioners to act pro-abortion if they believe abortion is wrong.

You'd have thought that Congress had voted to institute the full Handmaid's Tale regime from some of the reactions:

"They should not be doing this," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.) told The New York Times. "On a huge spending bill they're writing law, and they're taking away rights from women."

Of course, no woman is denied the right to have an abortion, consult with an abortionist, have her abortion paid for by her willing insurance company, etc. But you'd never know that from House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi:

"The Weldon amendment is essentially a domestic gag rule, restricting access to abortion counseling, referral and information," she told the Associated Press.

To which Ted adds, "In Pelosi's world, prohibiting prolifers from opposing abortion is freedom of speech." And forcing people to act contrary to conscience is freedom of information. And so much for freedom of choice for those who don't consider abortion a secular sacrament.

UPDATE: The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice [sic] has weighed in on what they're calling the "Thanksgiving Surprise":

Just before Thanksgiving–a time Americans give thanks for our freedoms–Congress was busy curtailing reproductive freedom. In a behind-the-scenes maneuver, the Republican leadership tucked a provision into the massive $388 billion appropriations bill that will enable health care companies, hospitals and insurance companies to ignore Roe v. Wade. The provision–which pro-choice advocates term the Federal Refusal Clause–will give the go-ahead to health-care entities to bypass state and local laws and regulations that make certain that women's access to reproductive health services includes access to abortion.

The intention behind the Federal Refusal Clause is to further curtail already dwindling access to abortion services and even counseling that mentions abortion as a legal option. The provision does this by denying federal financing to government agencies that ''discriminate'' against health care providers who choose for any reason to disregard state mandates to offer abortion-related services. This is a vast expansion of the ''conscience clauses" already in place in 45 states, which appropriately protect individuals who have objections to abortion based on religion. The Federal Refusal Clause treats HMOs, health care insurers, and hospitals as individuals–and in doing so, places their preferences above those of patients.

Ah, freedom. What a wonderful word. Pity you give it up when you run afoul of the abortion absolutists, for whom the Supreme Court-created right to kill children, rather than the First Amendment freedoms, is the sine qua non of liberty.

[Grey Ghost II]

"On a huge spending bill they're writing law, and they're taking away rights from women."

No, Senator, they are preserving the rights of the most innocent and helpless members of society.

[Coleus]

Action Alert: House (Hyde-Weldon) Protects Health Care Providers on Abortion, Senate Will Battle!

Catholic, House DemonCrap Leader Nancy Pelosi: "Roe v. Wade is the Law of the Land, But Republicans are Gutting It Step by Step"

[NYer]

"In Pelosi's world, prohibiting prolifers from opposing abortion is freedom of speech." And forcing people to act contrary to conscience is freedom of information. And so much for freedom of choice for those who don't consider abortion a secular sacrament.

Ahhh ... Nancy Pelosi .... member of the Progressive Caucus. What! Never heard of this group? The "Progressive Caucus" is the pseudonym used by the American Socialist Party. Want to hear more? This article was posted in 2003. It is timeless! It needs to be read over and over again!! Commit it to memory and refer, constantly to the list of members from the "Progressive Caucus". Instill it in your children - pass it along to your friends and acquaintances. Whatever you do, bookmark this article and refer back to it at every opportunity. These are the most dangerous members of Congress!

Treason From Within .

Congressional members of the Progressive Caucus.
MEMERS

Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

What's even more disturbing is the fact that yet another member of this noxious grouping of congress critters-Cynthia McKinney-has been welcomed back into the House of Reps with open arms.

We need to do something to shrink the "Progressive" Caucus, if you ask me.

[Mr. Silverback]

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Vic3O3]

life ping! (you gotta read the 'small print' to get it...)

[John Locke]

Abortion macht frei! ping

The exact German sentence would be

Abtreibung macht frei

Close enough to the original to make a striking statement.

[Gingersnap]

"The intention behind the Federal Refusal Clause is to further curtail already dwindling access to abortion services"

Where are they "dwindling"? What girl/woman is unaware of abortion as an "option"?

Where to they come up with this stuff?

[weshess]

None of the funds made available in this Act may be made available to a Federal agency or program, or to a State or local government, if such agency, program, or government subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.

I always hated the fact that our tax dollars are used for such a heinous practice. It makes the whole society implicit in taking the life of a child. If you want to murder a child do it on your own dime, stand before God and
tell him how you were exercising your right of Choice. !