Criminalising Conscience

Zenit today highlights a quite long, but very interesting article by Elizabeth Lev.

It begins, 'A long time ago, during the reign of Commodus, six Christian men and women in North Africa refused to acknowledge the law declaring the divinization of the Emperor. It was little matter, some incense on the fire, and a public vow. First they were shunned and insulted, then they lost their jobs and homes and ultimately they were brought to trial before the Roman Proconsul Saturnius. The acts of the trial, lovingly preserved over 1,800 years, tell us what transpired...'

Elizabeth then goes on to say later in the piece, '...One of the first priorities of the administration of President Barack Obama razed the path to unrestricted abortions. The greatest impediment to this plan is a formed human conscience that recoils at the idea of murdering an unborn baby while lies in its mother's womb. Six weeks into President Obama's term of office, he has begun to uproot this obstacle by repealing a regulation granting broad protections to health workers who refuse to take part in abortions or provide other health care that goes against their consciences.'

You can see already where this post is going. The thrust of her article is that the general persecution that befell the Church during the time of the pre-St Constantinian Roman Empire could be on its way back.

The aggressive abortion legislation coming from the heart of Washington and spreading out to US states is frighteningly rapidly gathering pace and heading straight to the hearts of medical professionals across the US. The UK too, clearly, is heading in the same direction. Healthcare workers, doctors and nurses, if secular legislators get their way, will no longer be in a position to act in accordance with their consciences in the public sphere and in their daily working lives.

Cutting to the chase, the heart of the matter is that when a Catholic doctor, or any doctor who feels deeply uncomfortable with the idea of killing an unborn child at a mother's request, is asked to 'terminate' a pregnancy, he or she will no longer have the right to politely refuse and act in accordance with his or her conscience. Legislation like this strikes at the heart of individual freedom of conscience, religion and of course, the freedom of unborn babies not to be killed.

The situation is serious, scandalous and highly, highly disturbing. The situation is this...

Patient: "Doctor/Nurse, I wish to have an abortion at this hospital and I wish you to do it."

Doctor/Nurse: "I am sorry, I do not agree with abortion and can in no way be acquiescent in it or perform an abortion because I believe in the fundamental right to life."

Patient: "Get me the manager."

An hour later...

Manager: "Doctor/Nurse, please can I have a word with you for 5 minutes."

Doctor/Nurse: "Of course."

Manager: "I've just received a complaint from a lady who said you refused an abortion to her."

Doctor/Nurse: "That's right I did."

Manager: "I'm afraid that if you do not perform the abortion your job is at risk."

Doctor/Nurse: "While that is an outrage, I understand that according to state legislation, that would always be a risk if I refused to perform an abortion or to assist in performing one. According to my conscience, however, I cannot take the life of an unborn child."

Manager: "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to let you go."

Doctor/Nurse: "You are willing to see my livelihood disappear because I refused to kill an unborn baby?"

Manager: "It's about the lady's right to choose."

Doctor/Nurse: "And my right to choose? Where is that?"

Manager: "According to state legislation that right has been removed. I wish you luck in your career, but you can no longer work here."

Yes, indeed, the days of the Emperor are on the way back.