Shocker! American Bishops Seek Conscience Exemption from Killing Babies

I'll admit that I've biased, or have some preconceived notions about health care. For example, I don't think lobotomizing annoying people is a good idea; and I am quite convinced that killing babies isn't nice, and that we shouldn't do it.

Seems that the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has this notion about killing babies, too. And, has the gall to write something about their counter-cultural belief - in what amounts to a public place! Granted, not all that many people spend time browsing through the USCCB's website, or reading their media blog - but an unsuspecting American might blunder into these shocking statements.

There's no password or warning or anything.

What the USCCB has been up to, is promoting the Stupak-Ellsworth Amendment to the House version of the 'health care reform' bill. The American bishops are pushing this because it "will keep in place current federal law on abortion funding and conscience protections in the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962)," as they wrote in a blog post. (November 7, 2009)

My guess is that quite a few people will think that the USCCB is out of line. I can think of some of the possible (reasons?):

• Religion should have no place in politics
  • They're our babies, we can kill them if we want
• It isn't "spiritual" for religious leaders to voice opinions about secular matters
  • Ideas about morals and ethics should be mentioned only in church
    • Once a week
    • On Sunday
• Abortion is a "Catholic" issue
  • How dare those Catholics say it's wrong to kill babies

I've almost certainly left out a great deal from that list: it's not intended to be at all comprehensive.

Without that "Stupak" amendment, it's likely enough that a lot more people will be in Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo's position: having to choose between helping to murder a baby, or losing their jobs. (July 26, 2009)

Except, of course, that in America's dominant culture, it isn't "murdering a baby," it's "terminating a pregnancy." Sounds much nicer that way.

Related posts:

• "Reality Check Turns Planned Parenthood Director Around"
  (November 2, 2009)
• "Health Care Reform, or 'Who Needs a Conscience? This is Medicine!' "
  (October 31, 2009)
• "Vaccines, Aborted Babies, and Catholic Bioethics"
  (October 26, 2009)
• "Kennedys, Catholicism, and Abortion: So That's What Happened"
  (August 26, 2009)
• "Help Abort or Be Fired: A Nurse in Brooklyn"
  (July 26, 2009)
• "Late Term Abortions Reality Check"
  (June 2, 2009)
• "Dr. George Tiller's Murder Link Page"
  (June 2, 2009)
  • No, I don't approve of murder
  • Yes, I grieve his death
  • Yes, I know that he was an abortionist
• "Pro-Life People - "Domestic Terrorists and Violent Racketeers": Who Knew?"
  (June 1, 2009)
• "'Hand of Hope' Spinal Bifida Case - Eugenics, Ersatz Compassion, and Life"
  (May 6, 2009)
• "Dred Scott, the Slavery Compromise, and Who to Trust"
  (February 2, 2009)
• "Pro-Abortion Slogans Sound Nice, Hide Nasty Facts"
  (November 15, 2008)
• "American Catholic Bishops Intolerant! (I Should Hope So)"
  (November 13, 2008)
• "Elections and Citizenship, Catholic Style"
  (September 24, 2008)

News and views:

• "RUSSERT AND SLOGGING THROUGH THE HEALTH CARE MORASS"
  (November 7, 2009)
• "BISHOPS URGE PASSAGE OF STUPAK-ELLSWORTH ANTI-ABORTION AMENDMENT FOR HEALTH REFORM BILL"
  (November 7, 2009)
• "Bishops' Conference Blankets Parishes with Inserts Against Expansion of Abortion Through Health Care Reform"
  USCCB News Release (October 30, 2009)

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A tip of the hat to usccbmedia, on Twitter, for the heads-up on the Stupak matter.