Secular Conscientious Objectors?
NBC Philadelphia reports on an upcoming merger between two Montgomery County-based hospitals: Holy Redeemer Health System (Catholic) and Abington Health. One effect of this merger is that Abington Health will no longer perform abortions. As Abington Health President and CEO Larry Merlis explains,
We wanted assure that we would be able to provide assurances that Holy Redeemer would continue to fully comply with ethical and religious directives — and all the Catholic entities of our new organization would.
Two thoughts:
- How many of our nation’s hospitals are Catholic? How often do they influence non-religious hospitals to stop performing abortions because of mergers?
- What is the difference, if any, between getting social/legal exemptions because of your religious beliefs and getting exemptions because of your personal (but secular) beliefs? I know you can be a secular conscientious objector, but does the same mentality apply for issues besides war?
While we're on the subject of secular and not religious interpretations of history:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG8MeI0DnAA&t=32
Secular people still have values and a conscience, so of course they should be eligible for exemption based on their ethical principles. Lets face it, everyone knows by now that it's a baby–thus there are only 2 camps: those who care that its a baby and those who don't. Even if I weren't a Baptist, I'd object to killing a baby.
Even if I weren't a Baptist, I would fight to stop a gay man from marrying his male lover.
Even if I weren't a Baptist, I would tell kids who were bullied to act "less gay".
Even if I weren't a Baptist, I would ask a woman what she was thinking when she let herself get raped.
Even if I weren't a Baptist, I would have a funeral for a zygote.
The possiblilities are endless, my friends.