The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) and the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA) are part of a national coalition in a call-to-action to protect the conscience rights of health care providers, especially nurses. Dr. Marie Hilliard, Director of Bioethics and Public Policy at the NCBC and a Registered Nurse asks, “What will happen to nurses whose only fault is being unwilling to be compelled by government to be sources of death and destruction?”
The coalition sent this letter:
Dear Friends,
The next two to three weeks are critical. We must demand key conscience protections be included in the law Congress must pass by December 11 to fund government programs for the 2016 Fiscal Year. Urge Congress again to protect conscience rights.
What if you spent years training to help the sick as a nurse – only to find that to keep your job, and your license you must take part in the killing of a defenseless five-month-old unborn child?
What if a church in your town lived up to its teaching on healing the sick by providing its employees with excellent health coverage – but was told that is illegal, unless it pays for abortions that violate its teaching on life itself?
These are not projections of a nightmare future. Rather, each of these things happened recently in our country – and will keep happening, unless we stand up as citizens and demand a change in the law. Contact Congress now to urge them to protect the rights of pro-life health care providers.
A solution is available and we should be part of it. The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA) will close loopholes in existing law and provide a private right of action, so that healthcare providers, whose freedom of conscience is denied, can defend their rights in court. It is now part of the House of Representatives’ appropriations bill for funding HHS. By early December, Congress needs to pass a law funding government programs in Fiscal Year 2016 – and this urgently needed reform should be part of that final bill.
We must speak up now to protect our cherished right of conscience.
Thank you for acting in defense of life and liberty. Tell everyone you know to join us in raising our voices. Together we will be heard!
Lend your voice to this important effort. Send a message to Congress today through the Catholic Advocacy Network.
