Right before leaving office, President Bush implemented conscience protection provisions for healthcare providers who do not want to be involved in abortions. Now some bishops, like Cardinal George of Chicago, are rallying to keep them in place, with no mention of the fact that Bush obviously put them in place to make trouble for the Obama presidency. It's hard to believe Bush would have put these provisions in place if John McCain had been following him.While Cardinal George compares it to the conscientious objection that Americans can make towards military service, that is not the case. It is similar to selective conscientious objection, which states that a person already in the military should be able to decide to fight only in just wars. While this is official Catholic teaching, the bishops are not pressing for this. A true comparision to regular conscientious objection would mean that people have the right not to enter the medical field.
In truth, I do not have a major problem with medical conscientious objection, I think it is basically a good thing. My concern is that the U.S. bishops have basically made the seemless garment cover fertility to birth and then skip to one's death bed. They have all this other teaching on economic rights, selective conscientious objection for military service, etc., but they have become a one issue religion. It's as if the U.S. bishops read John 3:16 as: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that anyone against abortion who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
A Faithful Catholic
9 comments:
Bush obviously put them in place to make trouble for the Obama presidency.
Is your paranoia treatable?
It's called Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS). Experts believed the election of President Obama would be enough to cure even the most severe of cases, sadly they underestimated the malignancy of the disease. They are working night and day destroying embryos in the hope of finding a cure. (SARCASM)
Dad, what is your theory then for Bush not implementing this the first week of his presidency? He waited until after the election results came in. He did it immediately after Obama was proclaimed the victor...
Who's paranoid and who is naive?
Hey, dad, I know you won't respond to me (out of fear) but how did you like getting "blown out of the water" by Catholic Wintertime?
Cw, I might see the doctor conscience thing, but could you explain the 'official' catholic position on conscience rights of pharmaists? Jack
OK, here's the "For Dummies" brief, as recapped by the USCC letter of June 2008.
Although there is a Church amendment, implementing regulations have NEVER existed, allowing for confusion. For example, ACOG opined (2007) that their members MUST perform abortions.
Congress refused to clarify, so GWB had to do it through regs.
I know that it's difficult for you to actually READ the links you post.
Happy to help! Now take your meds.
He still chose to do it through regs immediately after the election. When it come to abortion legislation, there is no such thing as coincidence.
Thanks for explaining the background though.
FC, I did have a question about pharmacists and there 'right' not to dispense certain drugs and other things. Do you have any information on that? Jack
Jack, here are a couple interesting articles:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0326/p01s03-ussc.html
http://www.tldm.org/News11/WisconsinRulesAgainstCatholic
Pharmacist%27sConscientious
Objection.htm
Bush thought the needed to put in extra protection when we knew Obama was elected. Its kind of like putting up sand bags when you know the river is going to flood. What does it matter anyway when Bush implemented it. It is implemented and as Catholics we should all agree that it is the right thing. Right?
Post a Comment