Discouraging

[snousle]

Ugh, this is a completely horrible development:


Health providers' 'conscience' rule to take effect:
The last-minute Bush administration declaration lets doctors, clinics, receptionists and others refuse to give care they find morally objectionable.

This is especially bad for people in small towns. In several small towns around California, the only hospitals are run by Seventh-Day Adventists, who have some truly far-out beliefs let's say "a history of curious beliefs" about medical care. I've heard of non-religious doctors getting frozen out, and the nearest non-Adventist care is more than fifty miles away.

The Web is curiously silent about the Adventists' moves, and I can't find much commentary on it beyond allegations of them discouraging abortion. But this eleventh-hour ruling is very disturbing given the domination of rural California health care by a religious group that seems likely to make immediate use of this law.

[Edit: It might be that I should be taking some of the things I hear with a grain of salt, having had limited direct contact with this group.]

Comments

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

It's a typical Bush maneuver; it's apparently intended as a stab at abortion and contraception - but like many of his ham-handed policies, it'll have all kinds of unintended negative consequences. Here's hoping its quickly reversed.

I have no idea what the Adventists are up to now. I do know I was delivered by an Adventist OB/GYN ... in a Catholic hospital (named St. Joseph's, in fact) ... and circumcised by a Mohel - who was recommended by the Adventist OB/GYN, on the basis of "if you really want this done, wouldn't you rather have the guy who knows what he's doing than an intern just after a few extra bucks?"

[bonemead.livejournal.com]

How about these hopeless cases on life support that conservative Christians are so passionate about keeping alive? If health care workers feel that it's morally objectionable, does this mean that we don't have to take care of these people?

[snousle.livejournal.com]

Good point! I was thinking of how this might be turned around against the xtians, and that is an excellent example.