Obama To Rescind Religious Protections For Physicians

March 4, 2009 – In a direct slap in the face to Christians and other people of faith, Obama is poised to revoke conscience protections for health care workers.

President Obama is going to rescind the Bush “conscience rule” that protects health care workers who refuse to participate or perform abortions or other medical procedures that violate their religious beliefs.

The attacks on the rights of conscience for Christians is well-advanced in California. As TVC has been reporting for years about these efforts to violate the rights of Christians. In fact, the California Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that two Christian physicians violated the law when they refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian woman! Homosexuality trumped the First Amendment. Now, it seems that abortion will also trump the First Amendment.Current law enables the federal government to deny funding to governments, hospitals, etc., that violate the religious beliefs of employees. Obama is reversing this process. Under Obama’s edict, a person could be forced to perform abortions or lose his or her job. This will have the effect of driving religious persons out of the medical field altogether.

The removal of protections for pro-life physicians could have another effect as well. If religiously-affiliated hospitals receive federal funds, they could be denied those funds and their physicians could be de-certified by pro-abortion medical associations.

One of those groups is the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), which certifies OBGYNS. According to ABOG, if a doctor violates its rules or ethics, the physician can be decertified or denied certification. If ABOG decides that performing abortions is an ethical duty of all physicians, then pro-life physicians are in jeopardy.

The Christian Medical & Dental Association is deeply concerned over Obama’s attack on religious freedom and conscience. David Stevens, CEO of the CMA issued a statement on February 29, criticizing this move. It said, in part: “

The move to rescind the healthcare provider conscience regulation imperils women's healthcare access, threatens healthcare professionals' freedom to practice medicine according to ethical standards, and exposes the myth of moderation in Obama's abortion policy.

“The Obama administration claims, without offering a shred of statistical evidence, that the regulation has 'created confusion' and will somehow hinder access to healthcare. What can be clearer than not using federal funds to force healthcare professionals to violate longstanding principles of medical ethics like the Hippocratic Oath, which guided medicine for over two millennia? The real threat to healthcare access is driving out every healthcare professional who conscientiously practices medicine according to life-affirming ethical standards.”

TAKE ACTION: Contact the White House today and ask that conscience protections be kept in the law

There is currently a 30-day public comment period before Obama’s anti-conscience edict goes into effect.

TAKE ACTION: Contact the White House today and ask that conscience protections be kept in the law

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