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Docs: We'll Quit If Obama Lifts Bush Abortion Rules

Analysts: older regs let health workers avoid certain procedures

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 6, 2009 12:28 PM CDT

(Newser) – Some doctors who oppose abortion say they’ll quit their jobs if President Obama repeals Bush regulations that allow health care professionals to refuse to perform operations that are in opposition with their beliefs, NPR reports. A Christian Medical Association report found that “90% of those surveyed said they will quit their practices before violating their conscience.” A repeal “sends a clear message: It's open season on health care professionals of conscience—discriminate at will.”

But some experts cite other, longstanding rules that protect those who don’t want to carry out certain operations. “Conscience clauses are on the books in almost every state,” says a bioethics analyst, who feels that the Bush rules are too vague. “Words like belief, when you talk about them in the context of health care, aren't just anything you might think of. They have to be defensible. And a false belief about science or the promotion of ambiguity where things can be disambiguated is not ethical."

President Barack Obama meets with Senate Democrats to discuss health care, Tuesday, June 2, 2009.
President Barack Obama meets with Senate Democrats to discuss health care, Tuesday, June 2, 2009.   (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
President Barack Obama speaks about health care during a town hall meeting at the Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., Wednesday, July 1, 2009.
President Barack Obama speaks about health care during a town hall meeting at the Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., Wednesday, July 1, 2009.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Former President George W. Bush addresses a Fourth of July crowd at the Let Freedom Ring 2009 festival at Crystal Beach Park Arena in Woodward, Okla., Saturday, July 4, 2009.
Former President George W. Bush addresses a Fourth of July crowd at the Let Freedom Ring 2009 festival at Crystal Beach Park Arena in Woodward, Okla., Saturday, July 4, 2009.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 39 comments
Silverbow7
Jul 18, 2009 11:46 AM CDT
It's about freedom. Freedom to think, feel and act according to your own conscience and beliefs, not mine. Not the governments. No law can make you do abortions if you really don't want to do them. In fact, there is no law like that nor could there be.
AdaptAndOvercome
Jul 7, 2009 12:40 PM CDT
Then let them take on a job as a vet. They'd still be practicing and they wouldn't have to be hypocrits. Oh, I forgot, they already are. They don't complain about what they do when they are sucking medicare dry and using the money to buy luxurious homes and vehicles and vacation spots.
bewilderbeast
Jul 7, 2009 12:25 PM CDT
No, ack. Not true. As a doctor you have to be ethical. Ethical, not religious. Your religion is separate to your practice - or should be. You should be able to treat ethically a person of different persuasions and beliefs to your own. You mostly have the right not to do certain procedures (and it would be hard to force you to perform abortions except where you have to for medical reasons - say to save your patient's life in an emergency) but whatever you do has to be medically defensible and in the patient's best interests (and if that offends your pastor, it's no business of his). Doctors know this, so these doctors are making a political point, not a medically defensible stand.

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