'My conscience and religious beliefs do not allow me to engage in procedures to which I have a moral, ethical or religious objection,' said Dr. Diane Haak, president of the Christian Medical and Dental Society.
The new policy, approved Friday morning, forces doctors to refer patients for abortion or euthanasia, and could see doctors forced to commit them in certain cases.
If the College approves the policy, doctors who want to keep their integrity 'may be forced' to leave Ontario or to quit medicine altogether, says the Catholic Organization for Life and Family.
'Although physicians have [freedom of conscience and religion] under the Charter, the Supreme Court of Canada has determined that no rights are absolute,' states the Ontario College of Physicians.
“We feel that [members of] the Equality Commission are pursuing us because of our beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Daniel McArthur said.