Protect Conscience - URGENT: USCCB Nationwide Bulletin Insert

My family brought the following message back from church this morning.

In case you didn't find it in your bulletin, here's a copy of the text, from

• "UPDATED Bulletin Insert" (pdf)
  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (January 7, 2010)

"URGENT:USCCB NATIONWIDE BULLETIN INSERT
"Stop Abortion Funding in Health Care Reform!
"Protect Conscience
"Ensure Affordable Health Coverage
"Allow Immigrants to Purchase Private Health Insurance

"As long-time advocates of health care reform, the U.S. Catholic bishops continue to make the moral case that genuine health care reform must protect the life, dignity, consciences and health of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Health care reform should not advance a pro-abortion agenda in our country.

• "On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed major health care reform that reaffirms the essential, longstanding and widely supported policy against using federal funds for elective abortions and includes positive measures on affordability and immigrants.
• "On December 24, the U.S. Senate rejected this policy and passed health care reform that requires federal funds to help subsidize and promote health plans that cover elective abortions. All purchasers of such plans will be required to pay for other people’s abortions through a separate payment solely to pay for abortion.
• "Outside the abortion context, neither bill has adequate conscience protection for health care
  providers, plans or employers.
• "These two bills must now be combined into one bill that both the House and Senate will vote on in final form. Provisions against abortion funding and in favor of conscience protection, affordability, and immigrants’ access to health care must be part of a fair and just health care
  reform bill, or the final bill must be opposed.

"ACTION: Contact your Representative and Senators today by e-mail, phone or FAX.

"To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.
[redirects to a page on the NCHLA (National Committee for a Human Life Amendment) website]
• "Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.

"Contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov.
"MESSAGE—HOUSE:
" 'I am pleased that the House health care bill maintains the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion. I urge you to work to uphold essential provisions against abortion funding, to include full conscience protection and to assure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Until and unless these criteria are met, I urge you to oppose the final bill.'

"MESSAGE—SENATE:
" 'I am deeply disappointed that the Senate health care bill fails to maintain the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion and does not include adequate protection for conscience. I urge you to support essential provisions against abortion funding, similar to those in the House bill. Include full conscience protection and assure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Until and unless these criteria are met, I urge you to oppose the final bill.'

"WHEN: Votes in the House and Senate on the final bill are expected in January.
"Act today! Thank You!"

"Updated 1/7/10"

[URL links mine]

Political? Well, maybe. American congresspeople - congresspersons - whatever - are politicians. So yeah, this is sort of political.

It's also about making it possible for people who don't approve of killing other people to have jobs in medicine. That, and whether or not it's okay to kill people who are an inconvenience. Like babies and sick people.

And if it's against the rules for religious leaders to tell folks that it's not right to kill babies: we need new rules.

I've sent a message to my representative and senators. No pressure, but I suggest you do the same.

Related posts:

• "Senate Okays Funding for 'Elective Abortions': Time to Pray"
  (January 17, 2010)
• " 'The Manhattan Declaration' Who's More Powerful than the United States Supreme Court?"
  (November 20, 2009)
• "Abortion, "Health Care," "Life of the Mother," and a Story About Two Guys"
  (November 20, 2009)
• "Reality Check Turns Planned Parenthood Director Around"
  (November 2, 2009)
• "Health Care Reform, or 'Who Needs a Conscience? This is Medicine!' "
  (October 31, 2009)
• "Kennedys, Catholicism, and Abortion: So That's What Happened"
  (August 26, 2009)
• ""Your Life, Your Choices" is Back"
  (August 23, 2009)
• "Help Abort or Be Fired: A Nurse in Brooklyn"
  (July 26, 2009)
• "Inconvenient Classes of Persons and Health Care"
  (July 26, 2009)
• "Late Term Abortions Reality Check"
  (June 2, 2009)
• "DHS Report Identifying Veterans and Pro-Lifers as Potential Terrorists (Quietly) Withdrawn"
  (May 14, 2009)
• "Dred Scott, the Slavery Compromise, and Who to Trust"
  (February 2, 2009)
• "My Life Has Purpose: Everybody's Does"
  (January 5, 2009)
• "Life: It's a Single Issue, and an Important One"
  (November 2, 2008)
• "Capital Punishment: Killing Those Who Deserve to Die"
  (October 2, 2008)