Battle over 'Provider Conscience Rule' to Protect Pro-Life Health Care Providers

The proposed rule would prohibit those who receive Federal funds from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to participate in abortions or sterilizations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - President George Bush is trying to protect the rights of Health Care Providers and Health Care Professionals who believe that children in the first home of the whole human race, their mothers womb, should not have their lives taken by abortion.

The New York Times reports today that opposition to the outgoing Presidents efforts to protect these Pro-Life Americans who object to such procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a growing number of protests. If passed it also faces the promise of repeal by the incoming President.

The proposed rule is called the "Provider Conscience Rule". It would prohibit those who receive Federal funds from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who, because of their religious beliefs or moral convictions, refuse to participate in abortions or sterilizations.

Further it would prevent the effort to force such employees to participate in these acts or face discipline or termination of their jobs. This concern has heightened in the ranks of Pro-life Medical Professionals with the recent leaks from the incoming administration that the President Elect intends, by executive order, to essentially lift all current restrictions on abortion.

President - Elect Obama expressed, during the campaign that he believed that the proposal would raise hurdles to women seeking "reproductive health services". This phrase has all too often become a deadly euphemism for "women seeking abortion" which is the taking of the life of an innocent child in the womb. Officials at Health and Human Services intend to issue a final version of the "Provider Conscience Rule" within a matter of days.

The proposal has the full supported of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association which represents all Catholic hospitals. It also has the strong support of Pro-Life Evangelicals.

The heightened concerns arising out of the new executive orders of the incoming Obama administration has been the subject of much discussion within the Catholic and broader Christian community. The President of the Catholic health Care Association Sister Carol Keehan recently expressed her concern in these words, "we have seen a variety of efforts to force Catholic and other health care providers to perform or refer for abortions and sterilizations."

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