Those two reasons do make a lot of sense and help put things in perspective, but I definitely agree things need to change. I could understand a private catholic hospital having the authority on what they will or will-not do (which is what I thought the original title was implying), but if there's even a penny of funding coming from the government (which from the sound of the article saying they're merging with regular hospitals, there is) then no single religious doctrine should have authority over medical policies.
The American Atheists group is lobbying for new legislation to require health care providers to inform patients, insurance companies, and government agencies about any medical procedures and services the provider chooses not to perform because of the provider’s religious beliefs. It wouldn't solve the problem of people being unable to find health care that isn't restricted by religious dogma, but it would at least help us map how widespread the problem has become.
Those two reasons do make a lot of sense and help put things in perspective, but I definitely agree things need to change. I could understand a private catholic hospital having the authority on what they will or will-not do (which is what I thought the original title was implying), but if there's even a penny of funding coming from the government (which from the sound of the article saying they're merging with regular hospitals, there is) then no single religious doctrine should have authority over medical policies.
The American Atheists group is lobbying for new legislation to require health care providers to inform patients, insurance companies, and government agencies about any medical procedures and services the provider chooses not to perform because of the provider’s religious beliefs. It wouldn't solve the problem of people being unable to find health care that isn't restricted by religious dogma, but it would at least help us map how widespread the problem has become.
Good!