Hypocritical oath

By Capt. Fogg

I like the idea. Pennsylvania State Senator John Eichelberger -- a Republican, of course -- has introduced a bill strategically titled the Conscientious Objection Act. Of course, the idea of exempting someone from the draft because of conscientious objections to war isn't often associated with the Conservative "ethic," but Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1255 isn't about war, it's about birth control and abortion. It provides immunity for those hospitals and doctors who won't administer drugs designed to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching itself to the uterine wall and who won't perform abortions or inform a patient as to the availability thereof:

A health care institution that declines to provide or participate in a health care service that violates its conscience shall not be civilly, criminally or administratively liable.

I'm amused by the suggestion that a corporation can be possessed of a conscience, but, as I said, I like the idea. Forcing health care professionals to provide health care is, after all, unnecessary government regulation and this sort of protection should be extended to other public service providers.

I would like to see firefighters and their departments allowed to pick and choose which buildings they protect and which people they will rescue according to their prejudices consciences and I would prefer that policemen not chase after those who commit crimes against atheists or pagans or followers of false religions. Souls are, after all, at stake.

Doctors should be given the freedom to treat or not treat certain afflictions according to conscience. Syphilis, after all was sent by Gawd to torment sinners along with a host of plagues he's provided to punish populations for their tolerance of sins and intolerance of religious rule. We shouldn't be interfering with his will in a country so dedicated to him that congress had to take time out last year to pass legislation to make sure GOD was more prominently displayed on new coins. In Gawd we trust and under Gawd we are.

The next time some terminally pregnant woman is at death's door because of a hydrocephalic fetus she can just die in the street for want of a "partial birth abortion" and the next time that 12 year old retarded girl knocked up by a hospital orderly wants the morning after pill she can forget about offending the consciences of the health care corporations. Gawd will be pleased.

(Cross-posted from Human Voices.)