a ringing-- well, maybe jingling -- defense of conscience
By Diogenes ( articles ) | May 28, 2010
At an April panel discussion at Boston College on "conscience clause" exemptions for health-care workers, Father J. Bryan Hehir spoke first. The priest who frames public policy for the Boston archdiocese delivered this message, as reported in Boston College Magazine:
If we don't achieve a "fair adjudication" to thorny questions such as whether a gynecologist who refuses to perform abortions must refer a patient to an abortion provider or whether a pharmacist can be required to supply a morning-after contraceptive, we put at risk the health-care profession, the patient requesting the services, and the role of non-profits in the social welfare system, Hehir said.
To be fair, the phrasing of that message (apart from the 2-word quote) was done by the magazine reporter, not Father Hehir. We can blame the reporter for using telltale terms like "abortion provider" rather than "abortionist," and "morning-after contraceptive" rather than "abortifacient pill." Still, assuming that the reporter came within shouting distance of Father Hehir's intent, let's take a closer look:
...we put at risk the health-care profession, the patient requesting the services, and the role of non-profits in the social welfare system,...
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