Join the Bishops' Battle

NCR ^ | March 21, 2009 | Tom Hoopes

[NYer]

If you have ever complained that the bishops haven’t done enough on a particular issue, now’s your chance to prove that you weren’t just complaining.

Imagine the president were backing a bill to force Jews to eat pork — or to make Muslims desecrate the Koran. Obama is doing worse with an effort to force Catholic doctors to kill unborn children.

The bishops have reacted with intelligence, imagination and boldness.

Here’s the webpage they have set up.

http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection/

There find reasons to stand up for conscience rights — given in written and video form, and even in Spanish. Find links that will allow you to make your voice heard at Health and Human Services.

If you think the bishops should do this sort of thing, then please go and help protect conscience rights. And get others to do the same thing.

If we want bishops to lead, we had better show them that we’re willing to follow.

[NYer]

Catholic ping!

[rovenstinez]

Pretty good comparison, making Jews eat pork, or Muslims desecrate their Holy Book, and making Catholic doctors abort. Someone needs to stand up...and be the tip of a LIGHTNING ROD. I wonder WHO it will be, let’s hope it’s a black Catholic Doctor.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

“Imagine the president were backing a bill to [..] make Muslims desecrate the Koran”

the quran commands adherants to kill Christians and Jews. adherants of that “religion” must either be deported, or personally cross out the parts of the document that say to kill others.

[AKA Elena]

Thank You for giving me the link for sending an objection to NIH.

i hope the lack of actual participation on your thread is indicative of FReepers reading and following the link and sending an e-mail to NIH.

Thanks again Nyer!

Good Sunday to you!

[muir_redwoods]

The church should padlock all the hospitals they run and refuse to treat patients until the government backs off.

[netmilsmom]

Done!

[narses]

+

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Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[Salvation]

Sent!

[EDINVA]

Done. Thanks for the post.

[Coleus]

NCHLA Action Center

Send E-mail

 

 

 

 

Protect Conscience Rights in Health Care: Retain Conscience Regulation

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting public comment on a proposal to rescind an important December 2008 federal regulation. The 2008 regulation implements and enforces three federal laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers, especially those at risk of being discriminated against because of their moral or religious objection to abortion. For background, see: www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection. The rescission proposal was published in the Federal Register on March 10. See: nchla.org/docdisplay.asp?ID=233. The public has until April 9 to submit comments.

As they did when the conscience regulation was first proposed, pro-abortion groups are again trying to flood HHS with comments attacking conscience rights. Their chief message: Rescind the regulation because conscience clauses (which they call “refusal” or “denial” clauses) interfere with women’s “access” to health care. These groups want to force doctors, nurses and hospitals to violate their consciences or leave the profession. The Catholic community and others must speak out so this will not happen. Talking points:

• Religious liberty and freedom of conscience have been building blocks of our society since its founding. We respect conscientious objection for those opposed to war, physicians opposed to taking part in capital punishment, and others who object to involvement in the taking of life. We can do no less in the context of abortion.
  
• Conscience protection does not threaten access to health care. Allowing health care providers to serve the public without violating their consciences protects and enhances access to health care, by ensuring continued participation by some of our most dedicated health professionals. Catholic and other faith-based providers are specially called to serve the poorest and most vulnerable, from the inner city to remote rural areas – if they are driven away, who will replace them?
  
• Abortion, in particular, cannot be seen as “standard” health care. Most physicians, nurses and hospitals choose not to provide abortion, and the Hippocratic Oath that established medicine as a profession has rejected abortion for many centuries. Forcing health professionals to be involved in abortion against their will shows a distorted sense of priorities—one that will irreparably damage the healing professions and undermine efforts to work together for health care reform.
  
• All persons are encouraged to submit comments. Health care professionals—hospital administrators, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, technicians, and the like—should submit examples or personal experiences where discrimination was or is a concern. Please write now urging the Administration to retain the regulation protecting conscience rights!

Action: An e-mail message can be sent through the NCHLA Action Center. Please click the button above. Comments can also be submitted electronically by e-mail to proposedrescission@hhs.gov or online through www.Regulations.gov (check “Select to find documents” and then enter “Rescission Proposal”). Comments also can be mailed. See instructions in the March 10 Federal Register cited above. In all comments, refer to “Rescission Proposal.”

Suggested Message: “Please retain the conscience regulation, and enforce the laws protecting the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions. The government has a special responsibility to ensure that the conscience rights of health care providers are fully protected.”

When: Please submit your comments by close of business April 9, 2009. Thanks!           3/16/09

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[dominic flandry]

Done.

[SuziQ]

The church should padlock all the hospitals they run and refuse to treat patients until the government backs off.

It would cause them to understand right quick just how many POOR people are served in this country by Charity hospitals run by Dioceses and Religious orders.

[chase19]

Done and I aim to do a lot more.

[NYer]

for your list?

[Sun]

Thank you!

Let’s TAKE ACTION!

I also sent Obama an email about this:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

[Sun]

FYI

[BykrBayb]

Thanks for the ping.