Compassionate Care Versus Religious Freedom

From Hawaii Family Forum

In this article we discuss the two bills moving through the legislature that are titled “relating to compassionate care for sex assault victims.”  HB 411 HD2 and SB 1109 SD2.  HFF, HCC and HFA all testified in opposition to the bills because no conscience provisions are included.

CHOICE OR MANDATE?

Do we have to choose between compassionate care of sexual assault survivors and practicing the very core of our Christian or moral beliefs?  Some of our legislators and misguided groups in the community are saying that a Christian who believes that providing a pill that they believe can cause an abortion, and refuses to do it, is uncompassionate and shouldn’t work in an emergency room.  

How very wrong they are.  (Click here for the Catholic Church position regarding use of Emergency Contraception)

CHRISTIANS NEED NOT APPLY

It is unbelievable that any rational person would actually believe that a Christian, or someone with strong moral convictions, does not provide compassionate care to rape survivors who present in an emergency room.  The statement has so many holes in it because no one is breaking down the scenario we are talking about.   Anyone who tries to look at the issue through neutral eyes will see the absurdity in that statement.   

We have to first take into consideration that there are many venues for care in an emergency room….   There is the nurse who meets the patient at the front end, checks blood pressure and temperature, then gently gets you as comfortable as you can possibly be in that horrendous circumstance.

These emergency room heroes help bandage wounds, walk you to the restroom, and even hold your hand when you are experiencing overwhelming fear and pain.  The nurses act as a buffer between the busy physician and the police officer who is trying to get your statement (if you choose to make one.)  They are fielding phone calls from worried family members and friends who have heard about the situation.  They (both Nurses and Pharmacists) provide antibiotics, injections (if needed) and any other medication that you need to get well. 

But alas, the ONE THING some won’t do, is hand you a pill that they believe can cause an abortion.

BOTH CHAMBERS have overwhelmingly refused to add a provision that would simply allow these emergency room care givers (nurses, doctors and pharmacists) who have religious or moral beliefs to opt out from ONLY THAT PROVISION.  One person actually publicly stated that if a Christian has a problem with the emergency contraceptive pill, they should not work in an emergency room.  What an outlandish and irresponsible statement.

Using the logic used by that person, that same Christian, who provided ALL THE OTHER NECESSARY AND COMPASSIONATE CARE SERVICES, is now unfit to work in an emergency room as they have no compassion for the patient.  That is what the media has picked up and that is what is being promoted as our position.  

CURRENT OPT OUT MANDATES

But aren’t people already allowed to opt out?  The answer to that question is a little bit more tricky because Federal exemptions allow you to refuse to participate in abortion and sterilization services.  However, our legislature has actually written into the bill the language that “[e]mergency contraception is not an abortion pill, nor does it cause any abortive process to take place.”  That simple little statement puts the legislature in the position of creating orthodoxy.  They have now become medical experts who are presenting a statement that is not 100% verifiable by science as emergency contraception can mean various types.  But the effect of creating that orthodoxy is to eliminate the need for the federal exemptions since the procedure is claimed not to be abortive.  The federal exemption applies only if it is abortive.

ABORTION OR NOT?

There are various forms of emergency contraception.  One type of emergency contraceptive is the “Plan B” pill.  One of the ways Plan B may work is by stopping the woman from ovulating.  Another way it may work is by creating a barrier between the sperm and the egg, thereby stopping fertilization from taking place.  Both of these possible venues, are less problematic because a life has not been created.  The third possible way Plan B works is to stop the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall.  How does anyone ever know which one of these ways prevented the pregnancy?

Another problem with both bills (HB 411 and SB 1109) is that they do not define which type of emergency contraceptive should be provided, it just says that it must be.  There are other forms of emergency contraception that are clearly more abortificient in nature than the Plan B.  The Copper IUD and Ella are but two of these methods.    (http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/worlds-top-authority-on-morning-after-pill-says-women-must-be-told-it-may-c/ )

A conscience provision is the best and most balanced public policy approach to this important issue.  We are saddened that most of the legislature have turned a deaf ear to our reasonable request.  Having said that, we do have the highest respect for the 7 representatives and 2 senators who agreed; Senators Gabbard and Slom, Representative(s) Har, Ward, Fale, McDermott, Cheape, Fukumoto, and Johanson.

STATUS AND ACTION

The bills, HB 411 and SB 1109 are moving through the legislature and are expected to pass without an exemption.  Please send me an email, if you want to get involved on this issue and agree that Christians can and should be given a provision to allow them to practice both compassion and faith.

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