Freedom isn't free

I don't know quite what to say about the Bush administration's midnight regulations allowing healthcare workers to exercise their "conscience", or the Obama administration's rapid undoing of same, because I find both sides so inimical to liberty.

The rule prohibits recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to perform or assist in abortions or sterilization procedures because of their "religious beliefs or moral convictions." Its supporters included the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association, which represents Catholic hospitals.

In praising the Bush administration last fall, Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, said that in recent years "we have seen a variety of efforts to force Catholic and other health care providers to perform or refer for abortions and sterilizations."

But opponents of the regulation, including the American Medical Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and Planned Parenthood, said it could have voided state laws requiring insurance plans to cover contraceptives and requiring hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape victims. It could also allow drugstore employees to refuse to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, critics of the regulation have said.

Moreover, opponents of the regulation have said, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 already offers broad protection against discrimination based on religion, spelling out that an employer must make reasonable accommodations for an employee's practices and beliefs.

"Today's action by the Obama administration demonstrates that this president is not going to stand by and let women's health be placed in jeopardy," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, said on Friday.

I find it vile both that anyone wants to use the majesty of the law to force Planned Parenthood to employ healthcare workers who will not perform abortions, or that they plan to do so in order to make Catholic hospitals perform abortions or hand out birth control.  I think pharmacists have a perfect right of conscience to refuse to dispense birth control, but the pharmacy has a perfect right of conscience to fire him for not doing his job.  What's next?  A first amendment right for Christian scientists to become surgeons without performing procedures?  A legal obligation for doctors to preside over executions?