The President-elect appears to have stepped back from some of his
campaign promises. That merely is speculation. We shall see. The
President-elect did make a dogmatic statement regarding the so-called
"Freedom of Choice" Act (FOCA). He said he will propose FOCA, which
would eliminate all State and Federal restrictions upon abortion. It
would purport to force Christian hospitals to perform abortions or
close. It would demand that physicians perform abortions or give up
their practice.
Whatever happened to freedom of conscience? A hallmark of
professionalism in the United States has been that we never force anyone
to violate his or her conscience in the performance of a duty. That is
the first line of defense of the pro-life movement. Even more than the
Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited funding by the Federal Government
of many abortions, the idea of freedom of conscience unites all parties
in the pro-life movement, which has made progress since the passage of
the Hyde Amendment. There hardly has been a Congress which made no
progress on the right-to-life issue. And when progress was stymied at
the Federal level, many restrictions were enacted at the State level.
Most were tested in the Federal courts and were held to be
constitutional.
It is inconceivable to me that a majority in Congress can't agree upon
freedom of conscience. Counting the votes, I doubt that there are enough
pro-lifers in Congress to maintain the restrictions previously passed by
Congress. However, even honest liberals would favor allowing a physician
to practice medicine consistent with his or her life-saving principles
of conscience. Most Republicans, as well as many Democrats, ran as
pro-lifers in the 2008 election. This fundamental issue may become the
first test of their commitment to life. If we force hospitals and
physicians to perform abortions against their beliefs, in other words in
violation of their conscience, then we will be on a downward spiral from
which there may be no return.
This will be a test, America. God help all of us.