Friday, December 19, 2008

What's It All About?

The Bush administration granted sweeping new protections to health workers who refuse to provide care that violates their personal beliefs. You can read about it here and here. The best quote:

"This is a huge victory for religious freedom and the First Amendment," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.

Nope, it's not about medical care.

Imagine an attorney telling you she cannot represent you because of her religious beliefs. Imagine a waiter telling you he cannot serve you because of his religious beliefs. Imagine a bus driver telling you she cannot let you on the bus because of her religious beliefs. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? And yet nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and just about any other medical professional can refuse to provide certain types of care and medication because of their religious beliefs.

I'm all for freedom of religion. By all means choose whatever religion you want or none at all. But why should that freedom allowing a person to worship as they please also permit them to deny legal treatment, services, or medication for someone else regardless of their religion?

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