Conscience

Be Heard Project -Protect Pro-Life Doctors from beheard on Vimeo.

The fact that Barack Obama wants to rescind the so-called "conscience clause" implemented by George W. Bush demonstrates a truly astonishing thing about the abortion debate: the pro-choice side must not believe that pro-lifers are sincere.

Think about it. We have a "conscience clause" for pacifists. We have laws that allow them to abstain from combat. Pro-lifers don't believe in killing unborn humans. Why shouldn't we have laws allowing pro-life doctors and nurses not to participate in abortion?

Sadly, I think this is happening because pro-choicers feed themselves this lie that pro-life beliefs are just based on a patriarchal mindset coming from religious dogma, and that pro-lifers just want to "punish women." I say this because I have heard these very words spoken by some of my pro-choice friends. I have even heard a professor (at my alma mater, no less) compare pro-lifers to holocaust deniers and state, "We don't have to tolerate the intolerant."

Please, America, do not buy into this nonsense. Even if our country insists on keeping abortion legal, at least be charitable enough to assume that pro-lifers really can't in good conscience participate in abortions, because we believe it's killing innocent children. These beliefs are based on a critical evaluation of scientific evidence, as well as philosophical considerations.

Many people believe abortion is good for women. Many people also believe it's right to fight for your country. Yet we don't force people to fight, because we know that when there is moral ambiguity, it is right for a person to defer to his or her conscience. So should it be with abortion.

So even if you love Barack Obama, please oppose his overturning of the conscience clause for doctors and physicians. Sign the petition now.