Can you imagine a passionately pro-life OB-GYN who is forced by the government to provide patients with a list of abortion providers if they request one? How would this doctor reconcile promoting abortion with his or her conscience? What would this doctor tell pro-life patients who came to him or her because they wanted someone who shared and upheld their values – not someone who helps facilitate abortions?
Abortion is a serious issue. For those of us in the pro-life camp, the thought of promoting abortion—in any form—would be a violation of conscience.
Unfortunately, the Illinois legislature has passed a bill—SB 1564—that would force all medical facilities and physicians in the state who conscientiously object to involvement in abortions to adopt policies that provide women who ask for abortions with a list of providers “they reasonably believe may offer” them. In other words, the government is trying to compel the speech of pro-life providers—in the form of abortion referrals.
What the Illinois government fails to realize (or care about since we’ve brought it to their attention before) is that referring someone for an abortion goes against everything that pro-life doctors and pregnancy care centers believe about the sanctity of human life.
Not only that, but in a society that is consumed with the idea of choice, the Illinois government is working to effectively deprive women of their right to choose a pro-life doctor, which is what will happen if Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signs this unlawful bill.
This is not the first time a state has shown disregard for the free speech rights and rights of conscience of medical workers and pro-life pregnancy care centers. Alliance Defending Freedom is and has been working to get similar unconstitutional laws struck down. Several of our cases have specifically resulted in the elimination of requirements that pregnancy centers and the pro-life professionals who work at them must tell women certain things about abortion or birth control, or that force them to give women certain information about alternative service providers.
We recently saw a victory in New York where a federal court approved a final settlement between pregnancy care centers and the city of New York to ensure the freedom of speech for these centers. And in California, we’re working against a similar unconstitutional state law that forces pro-life pregnancy centers in the state to promote abortion.
Pro-life doctors and pregnancy care centers didn’t sign up to be spokespeople for government ideologies. They have a right to their beliefs and to operate their businesses accordingly. Please join us in praying that Gov. Rauner vetoes the bill and upholds the constitutional rights of its citizens.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
