Bush’s last pro-life action

November 19, 2008 by 7 Comments

From Last-minute Bush abortion ruling causes furor :

A last-minute Bush administration plan to grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections, including a strenuous protest from the government agency that enforces job-discrimination laws.

The proposed rule would prohibit recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to perform or to assist in the performance of abortions or sterilization procedures because of their “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

It would also prevent hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices and drugstores from requiring employees with religious or moral objections to “assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity” financed by the Department of Health and Human Services. . . .

The protest from the [Equal Employment Opportunity] commission [which says their current rules are sufficient] comes on the heels of other objections to the rule by doctors, pharmacists, hospitals, state attorneys general and political leaders, including President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama has said the proposal will raise new hurdles to women seeking reproductive health services, like abortion and some contraceptives.

Some of you have said that a president’s views on abortion do not matter. We’ll see.

Filed Under: Government, Life Issues 7 Comments

About Gene Veith

Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College, the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, a columnist for World Magazine and TableTalk, and the author of 18 books on different facets of Christianity & Culture.

  • http://www.brbible.org/category/blog/from-rich Rich Shipe

    One small encouragement to me in this story is that Obama thinks it will “raise hurdles to women seeking” abortions. If that is really the case than there are a significant number of nurses and doctors who believe abortion is wrong. That is great! Especially considering that they know the scientific facts about the humanity of the fetus better than most.

    I have a friend who just had a daughter born premature at 23 weeks. She’s doing very well considering her very early delivery. She is very small (1 lb 7 oz) but if you consider that a mere 23 weeks ago she didn’t exist it is staggering how huge and developed she is!! Every detail of her body is there. Ears, eyes, fingernails, hair, etc. It is all there. How can anyone in their right mind kill that child?!! Abortion is shocking and I’m ashamed at how often it doesn’t shock me personally.

  • Susan aka organshoes

    I meet more and more often babies who were born extremely prematurely, at extremely small weights, who thrive and flourish after the precarious period immediately following birth.
    It’s a marvel of medicine that’s too little hailed, right up there with successful stem cell treatments sans embryonic stem cells.
    Which pretty much goes to prove that much of what we claim to clamor for is only a mask for what we really want: science and society unfettered by moral constraint–unfettered by anything of God. Abortion rights and embryonic stem cell ‘cures’ are just steps along the way.

  • Bryan Lindemood

    There was an awesome interview with Martin Luther King Jr’s neice on Issues Etc. Everyone should hear it!

    Find it here, hear it, and pass it on:

    http://www.issuesetc.org/ondemand.html

    Pray that our President-Elect Obama changes his mind to embrace this fundamental human right to life. Bush is right at least on this point – that this is the human rights struggle of our time! Even though I despise what he has done to grow the federal government and consolidate political power in Washington, I applaud him for doing what he can to push this (yes, its extremely shocking how American families are living, or actually dying, but refuse to talk about this) issue into the light of day.

    Although, I guess I do hear more and more elderly talk about how few grandchildren or great-grandchildren they have or how slow their children are to procreate. Or perhaps there aren’t so few and perhaps they aren’t that slow.

    This is not the time to rest – to action, dear friend! Obama can change his mind – that’s change I believe in.

  • Bryan Lindemood

    Can Obama change his mind on abortion?

    YES HE CAN!

  • Lisa

    Would it have convinced some to vote pro life if Bush had done this sooner and shown how the President can affect the issue? Why didn’t he?

  • http://www.toddstadler.com/ tODD

    Much as I agree with Bush’s action, I have to wonder why he waited until the last minute to do this. Like Clinton’s orders given before he headed out the door, it does not lend itself to an image of bold leadership.

  • Bryan Lindemood

    Have to agree here, the timing could have been better – but still listen to that interview from yesterday’s Issues Etc.


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