California's Supreme Court recently heard a case that pitted homosexual rights against religious freedom.
At the center of the case was a lesbian who sued two doctors who declined to provide in vitro fertilization (IVF). The doctors were concerned about conducting IVF for someone who would be a single parent.
Even though they referred the lesbian to another fertility doctor and offered to pay for any extra cost, the court is likely to rule against the freedom of the doctors to follow their consciences.
One justice suggested, "If you can't provide this kind of service, then don't go into this kind of practice." This doesn't bode well for health care providers who believe they should practice medicine within moral and ethical boundaries.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time health care providers have been told to keep their religious views in the sanctuary. The Rev. Katherine Ragsdale with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights provides an excellent explanation of what the anti-religious folks are saying. She told one newspaper, “We believe in conscience, but if you can't provide the full range of services, choose another field."
Ragsdale is "pro-choice" for everyone except the doctor who has a moral problem with abortion. She is not alone in her thinking. There is a steady stream of examples of physicians, pharmacists, nurses and hospitals facing opposition when they attempt to establish ethical and moral lines.
Morally based medicine and religious liberty are foundational concepts in our nation. For many health care providers, these go hand in hand. If we sacrifice either of these, it will be at our peril.
