Thursday, April 2, 2009

Abp. Nienstedt: Conscience protection rule critically important

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On Feb. 27, 2009, the Obama administration placed on their federal Web site an announcement that they intend to remove a conscience protection rule pertaining to the Department of Health and Human Services.

This rule is one of the critically important legal protections currently offered to our nation’s health care workers — our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others who care for the infirm and disabled.

The rule protects those who object to being involved in an abortion or other morally objectionable acts that are contrary to both their faith and their Hippocratic Oath.

Our U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops president, Cardinal Francis George, has expressed concern that this action on the part of our federal government could be the first step in moving our nation from democracy to despotism. The American public should presume that freedom of religion and freedom of conscience are always safeguarded by the laws of our land. Gov­ernment should never come between an individual citizen and God.

This is one of the reasons for which so many of our forebearers came to this country, i.e., to worship God freely and to live their faith according to their inner convictions.

Those in the medical profession should not be deprived of the legal protection to be true to their own convictions.

Abortion is the taking of human life. This is not only a faith-based conviction, it is a scientific fact.

Images from ultrasound show prospective parents the living movements of their child in the womb. No government should force a doctor or nurse to act in a way that they know to be morally wrong.

I urge you to let the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., know that you object to the removal of legal protection for the consciences of those who work in the field of health care.

One way of doing so is to access an action alert put out by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Let’s not start down what would surely be a slippery slope to moral chaos.
Catholic Spirit

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