Pro-Life Groups Applaud President Bush’s New Rule Protecting Docs on Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 22, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The release of the new regulations on Thursday offering more protection for doctors, medical personnel, and medical centers that refuse to participate in abortions received hearty applause from pro-life groups nationwide. They noted how pro-abortion groups have moved from "choice" to forcing abortions.
The U.S. Catholic bishops’ spokesperson on abortion, Deirdre McQuade, welcomed the proposed regulations as a way to protect medical personnel from being coerced to violate their consciences in federally funded programs.
“Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel face pressure to participate in abortion – a practice that many find abhorrent in good conscience,” McQuade said. “The enforcement of federal laws designed to protect their freedom of conscience is long overdue.”
McQuade told LifeNews.com Thursday that the regulations helped more than just Catholic medical personnel.
“This is not just about Catholic health care. Catholics do not stand alone in opposition to the deliberate destruction of nascent human life. All health care providers should be free to serve their patients without violating their most deeply held moral and religious convictions on the value of life,” McQuade said.
McQuade talked about the transformation of the approach pro-abortion groups are taking in the face of few abortion practitioners because of retirement and them running into problems with the law.
As a result, abortion advocates are moving beyond the "freedom of choice" mantra and forcing abortions on doctors and medical centers.
“Organizations calling themselves ‘pro-choice’ are actually pro-coercion in seeking to deny the freedom of doctors and nurses,” McQuade said. “Don’t doctors have the right to choose not to participate?”
Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council chimed in as well.
"Until now regulations had not been issued ensuring the implementation of numerous laws protecting conscience," he explained. "The absence of regulations has resulted in confusion and a lack of awareness within the medical community regarding their conscience rights, leaving healthcare personnel vulnerable to discrimination."
"These regulations will ensure that pro-life medical personnel will not be forced to engage in the unconscionable killing of innocent human life," he told LifeNews.com.
"Secretary Michael Leavitt is to be commended for his courageous stance in protecting the constitutional guarantee of personal conscience and religious liberty," he added.
ACTION: Take a few minutes to express your support for the new regulations by sending an email to [email protected].
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