WASHINGTON, August 10, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – This week the American Bar Association (ABA) will vote on a proposed resolution that would strip “conscience” protection from healthcare providers who make medical judgments on issues including abortion and contraception based upon their religious beliefs. This proposal comes just days after Family Research Council (FRC) filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court arguing to overturn a California Supreme Court decision which requires Catholic Charities of Sacramento to offer contraception prescriptions for its employees.
FRC’s President Tony Perkins commented saying, “At its core this proposal is a direct attempt to discriminate against faith-based medical facilities and professionals who hold the belief that abortion, assisted suicide and contraception are morally wrong. This is just another example of the judicial activism sweeping our country’s legal establishment.” FRC’s Senior Legal Advisor Pat Trueman added, “Hiding behind the face of ‘patients rights,’ the American Bar Association’s proposal flies in the face of its purpose to advance individual rights and responsibilities by stifling a doctor’s constitutional right to listen to his or her own conscience when it comes to performing an abortion.”
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