Protection of Conscience Project News
Service, not Servitude
LifeSite News
RZESZOW, Poland, May 24, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – An infamous private hospital in Poland has reportedly ceased committing abortions after every doctor at the hospital signed a clause opting out based on conscience.
The abortions at the Specialist Hospital Pro-Familia in Rzeszów were first exposed by midwife Agata Rejman in January 2014 at an emotional press conference where she discussed her traumatic experiences at the hospital. . . [Full text]
The Christian Times
Baptist Housing, a Christian senior care provider in Brtiish Columbia, Canada, will not provide physician-assisted death in its facilities, which has disappointed some people who are for allowing terminally ill patients to have the option to end their lives.
“We feel that as a faith organization we would want to exercise our conscience in terms of that,” said CEO Howard Johnson, as quoted by CBC News. “We do believe that there is sanctity in life.”
Grace Pastine, litigation director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Union, said that the housing’s stance is unconstitutional since assisted suicide is legal in Canada and it is “a constitutional right for critically ill Canadians.” . . . [Full Text]
Physicians News Network
Huntington Hospital leaders voted behind closed doors recently for the facility’s hundreds of doctors and affiliated personnel to opt out of California’s assisted-suicide law, which goes into effect June 9.
If the proposed amendment to the hospital’s medical rules is approved by the board of directors on May 26, Huntington will become one of the largest non-religious medical institutions to reject the new California law.
It’s unclear at this point if Huntington will be an exception or representative of a wave of opt-outs to be revealed by month’s end. . . [Full Text]
[Adressées individuellement]
Au nom de notre organisation, le Projet pour la Protection de la Conscience, je vous écris au sujet du projet de loi C-14. Notre organisation était un intervenant dans l’affaire Carter à la Cour suprême du Canada. On ne prend pas de position sur l’acceptabilité de l’euthanasie ou le suicide assisté.
Notre organisation a présenté un mémoire au Comité permanent de la justice et des droits avant la date limite, mais (parmi plusieurs d’autres) il n’a pas été distribué aux membres du Comité avant qu’ils ont conclu leurs délibérations. Compte tenu de cela, le temps alloué et de la gravité du sujet, il a été décidé d’écrire directement aux députés et aux sénateurs.
Ci-joint l’amendement au projet de loi C-14 proposé par notre organisation. Ironiquement, nous ne proposons pas un amendement pour la protection de conscience . . .
La modification proposée établirait que, en matière de droit et de la politique publique nationale, personne ne peut être obliger de devenir partie à l’homicide ou de suicide, ou puni ou défavorisé pour avoir refusé de le faire. . .
On behalf of the Protection of Conscience Project I am writing to you concerning Bill C-14. The Project was an intervener in the Carter case at the Supreme Court of Canada. It does not take a position on the acceptability of euthanasia or assisted suicide.
The Project submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights by the deadline, but (like many others) it was not distributed to Committee members before they concluded their deliberations. In view of this, the time constraints and the serious nature of the subject, it was decided to write directly to Members of Parliament and Senators.
. . . Enclosed is the amendment to Bill C-14 proposed by the Project. Ironically, perhaps, what the Protection of Conscience proposes is not a protection of conscience amendment. . . .The proposed amendment would establish that, as a matter of law and national public policy, no one can be compelled to become a party to homicide or suicide, or punished or disadvantaged for refusing to do so. . .
Project Letter