Category: Conscience Rights

By Wesley J. Smith There was a day in the not-too-distant past when physicians were respected, even revered, as learned professionals. We understood that doctors followed a “higher calling.” Indeed, physicians were expected to adhere to a code of conduct—epitomized by the Hippocratic Oath’s venerable injunction, “do no harm.” Times have changed. The old hierarchies …

By Dave Andrusko Talk about time flying! Had not the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) sent out an advisory tonight, I would have completely forgotten that it was a year ago today that the Supreme Court did the right thing in NIFLA v. Becerra. Preceding the 5-4 decision (it should have been …

By Michael Cook Conscientious objection must be one of the hottest topics in bioethics at the moment. In the US, the Trump Administration is trying to permit it; in Canada, the Ontario government is trying to snuff It out. It would be helpful if we could agree on what conscience is — then we could …

Doctors must refer patients for ‘medical assistance in dying’ By Michael Cook Back in 2006, Oxford University’s Professor Julian Savulescu published a frontal attack on the notion of conscientious objection in medicine in the BMJ [British Medical Journal], a popular medical journal. At the time it seemed odd rather than dangerous, the dream of an …

By Wesley J. Smith The culture of death brooks no dissent. In Canada, doctors have been ordered to bend the knee. Here’s the story: The Canadian Charter (Constitution) guarantees “freedom of conscience and religion”— a stronger and more explicit protection of religious liberty than our First Amendment. After the Supreme Court created a right to …

By Wesley J. Smith The New York Times has published an opinion column by cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar that decries the Trump administration’s increased enforcement of medical conscience. But he actually promotes a one-way conscience right that favors protecting the predominate ideological views of the medical intelligentsia, while forcing dissenters to sacrifice their own religious and …

By Wesley J. Smith The Left once honored conscientious objection, such as the civil-rights movement’s campaign of peaceful civil disobedience (who didn’t?) and men refusing to be drafted during Vietnam. But when conscientious objectors refuse to obey policies with which the Left agrees, the screaming, howling, and name calling could shatter eardrums. Case in point: …

“Conscience protection should not fluctuate as administrations change” Editor’s note. Last week we posted a story headlined, “HHS announces final rule protecting individuals and health care entities from discrimination on the basis of their exercise of conscience.” I had not seen the following important contribution until today. WASHINGTON—Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, …

HHS rulemaking ensures enforcement of existing conscience protection statutes WASHINGTON – President Trump today announced a final rule by the Department of Health and Human Services ensuring that protections of the conscience rights of health care providers are enforced. National Right to Life welcomed the announcement. “There are many statutes that would protect the conscience …