Trump administration creates new religious, moral protections for health workers
Source: The Hill
BY JESSIE HELLMANN - 01/18/18 09:59 AM EST
The Trump administration will create new protections for health workers who have religious and moral objections to certain medical procedures.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday it will create a new division under the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) responsible for investigating complaints filed by workers claiming that their employers have violated their religious rights.
The changes represent a major change for the OCR, which in the past has primarily focused on enforcing patient safety and privacy concerns. The new division, called the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, will enforce "laws and regulations that protect conscience and prohibit coercion on issues such as abortion and assisted suicide" in HHS-funded or conducted programs," according to OCR's updated website.
"By ensuring individuals and institutions can exercise their conscience and religious freedom rights, OCR furthers justice and tolerance in a pluralistic society," says an announcement that published in the Federal Register Thursday morning.
Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/369513-trump-admin-creates-new-religious-moral-protections-for-health-workers
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Sure, right after you try living as a nonagenarian Jewish man, who fled the Nazis as a child, in the Southwest.
We all have a story. I don't doubt you've had serious difficulties.
But your experience has biased you against religious people. My religious viewpoint is not remotely narrow, except as to myself. Each person must find his way.
And I read the Atlantic story before I asked you for a source. (I was very curious to know where your 20% figure came from; I could not find anything to support the 20%; hence why I asked.) It appears the doctor was fired for unknown reasons (the hospital refused to say) but apparently because he conducted a bizarre letter-writing campaign to the board of directors. Nothing in the article (except the title) appears to indicate he acted poorly towards patients.
I did find one other article about a pediatrician name "Roi" (religion unknown) who refused to care for a child of a lesbian couple. She apparently decided she was mistaken, but they (wisely) moved on.
And I am not really sure what religious doctrine would cause a doctor (or other healthcare) professional to refuse to care for a homosexual person. Obviously, all I really know about is Judaism, where respect for life is paramount. This is why you see terrorist combatants in Syria (all sworn enemies of the Jewish people) bringing their wounded to the border of Israel for care -- they know they will be well treated and healed. A Jewish doctor -- at least one who understands Judaism -- would never refuse care to a homosexual, regardless of his religious beliefs about the lifestyle.
"Love your neighbor as yourself, the rest are details," to summarize the Law like Hillel did (and later paraphrased by a Nazarine preacher of marked renown in non-Jewish circles.)
I had always assumed Nazarines (aka "Christians"
followed this tenant, as well, as that has generally been my experience with them. They've been annoying. And I often disagreed with them. But their motives were pure.
The "Conscience and Religious Freedom Division."
"Big gubmint" protection for bigots and zealots as a "civil right"? Good gawd.
Pathetic and dangerous.
If your religious zealotry trumps your professional and legal obligations then you clearly got into the wrong line of work and you need to move on.
We're taking away your workplace safety and employment regulations, endangering your retirement and disability benefits, reducing regulations on public and workplace air and water pollution, shifting trillions of dollars of new government liabilities onto your future generations, and giving anyone that wants the right to be armed at any time - and fire at you if you piss them off.
But, we're protecting your freedom to stuff your religious beliefs down everyone's throat, and to throw our system of justice into complete turmoil.
Something like that, eh?
..................
Going all the way back to the Nixon days, all one had to do was filter out their BS and look at their actions. They learned to use emotional issues that have little or nothing to do with government to control the electorate - things like guns, immigrants, abortion, family values and religion. Then, add a healthy dose of hatred for all things government including taxes, and a big dab of racism and nationalism to this toxic brew.
All the while, in the shadows they take the axe to government functions Americans want and need, and they typically do it slowly and deceptively.
Someone summed it up very simply several years ago: "Republicans cannot govern". It's also becoming increasingly clear they do not want to govern, but they do want to insure there's nothing left to govern..
