Dear ProLife Colleague, You remember the ACOG Ethics Committee Opinion #385, The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine, November 2007. It told us an ethical doctor would not refuse to refer for abortions, and would even locate his/her practice in proximity to an abortion clinic for the convenience of his patients. No kidding. Read it. But where did this come from, and, more importantly, where is it going? The Europeans were there before us, and here is where Europe is now. It is chilling, and it will come this way. Note particularly the establishing a “list of objectors”—that would be you and me in this country. The following is a petition by the French Alliance for Life objecting to the proposal to “regulate the right of conscience objection:” (to read it in French, go to http://www.adv.org/appel-objection-de-conscience/appel-en/european-appel/) On 7th October 2010; the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which groups 47 countries, will debate and put to vote a resolution to “regulate the right to conscientious objection” in the field of health care. We, citizens of a Member State of the Council of Europe, * We do not accept that the right to consciencious objection for healthcare providers being put into question; * We reaffirm our attachment to the right of all professionals to not be obliged to collaborate in a procedure that his or her conscience condemns; * We reject any idea of a list of objectors, which would open the door widely to vexations and professional discriminations. In the name of freedom of conscience, such as it is recognized in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, we solemnly demand that the members of the Parliament representing our countries at the Council of Europe oppose this serious attack on freedom. The text puts into question healthcare providers who do not wish to participate in acts contrary to their conscience: abortion, sterilisation, techniques of medical assistance for reproduction, even euthanasia in the Member States where it would be legal. The draft resolution is an attack on the right to conscientious objection which would suffer 3 serious encroachments: 1/ The obligation to perform the procedure “in case of emergency”; 2/ The prohibition for persons participating “indirectly” in the performance of the procedure to exercise their right to conscientious objection; 3/ The establishment of an official list of conscientious objectors; The French Alliance pour les Droits de la Vie (Alliance for the Right to Life), member of the European Union fundamental rights platform, will address this appeal to the members of the Council of Europe Parliamentary assembly prior to 7th October 2010. AAPLOG note: Don’t miss “The establishment of an official list of conscientious objectors.” If this happens here, and it may well happen here, Hippocratic doctors all need to plan to proudly be on that list. We are in the majority, probably a large majority, and we need to prepare to stand for what we believe. (it is virtually impossible to discriminate against a large majority. Do you remember the moto from U.S. colonial times: We must hang together, or we will most certainly hang separately.
Menu
Menu