ACLU sues Catholic hospital over refusal to abort children

Similar case was tossed in 2013 for having no merit.

The ACLU is suing Trinity Health Corporation, a Michigan-based Catholic hospital chain, because the organization refuses to perform abortions. The suit is similar to one brought by the ACLU in 2013, that case was dismissed by a Federal court.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against Trinity Health Corporation because the organization refuses to perform abortions on still-living children in the womb.

According to the ALCU, the eighty-eight hospitals in the group, which are all overseen by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, refuse to abort babies in cases where the mother has lost her amniotic fluid. The suit cites five specific cases where this has happened.

Doctors contend that while most such cases end in miscarriage, it is not a foregone conclusion. However, most secular physicians recommend abortion because the mother faces increased risk of infection. Despite the risks involved, there is universal agreement that the child is still alive with a heartbeat and ongoing development. As such, it is a human life and should be protected until the point of natural death.

This is the religious belief of the Church and asking doctors who sincerely share that belief to violate it is trampling on their religious freedom. It is also the terms and conditions of the hospital, which makes clear that it is functioning as a ministry of the Catholic Church and cannot therefore condone practices which are opposed to the faith.

Indeed, a similar suit brought in 2013, was dismissed by a Federal court as being without merit.

Killing children has nothing to do with healthcare.

Catholic hospitals have been targeted, especially with the coming of Obamacare, because Obamacare makes abortion on demand even easier for women to obtain. In addition, sterilizations are also performed under Obamacare, but not in Catholic hospitals. There are those who see this as a form of resistance to the Obama administration's edicts.

While a Catholic hospital can expect to prevail against such a claim, the impact of repeated attacks on its operations takes a toll. Even when vindicated by the courts, cases still cost millions to argue. This means that money is derived from people who need care. The alternatives are to bow before the false ideology of the Obama administration, or to close altogether.

Catholic Healthcare West quit administering Catholic hospitals in the Western U.S. in anticipation of Obamacare and its impact. The healthcare community rebranded as Dignity Health and elected a secular board. The chain quit being a ministry of the Catholic Church, although a nun still serves on its board of directors.

Sadly, the number of Christian, non-profit healthcare facilities are dwindling as they face assault from secular forces that seek to undermine the place of religion in American society; we are all poorer for it.