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Many pro-life nurses and doctors today are facing intense pressure to violate the Hippocratic oath—by being coerced into participating in abortions.

This unjust discrimination impacts not only health professionals but also patients.

Because if pro-life doctors and nurses can be forced out of medicine simply for following the Hippocratic oath, where will patients turn who want a doctor and nurse who share their pro-life values?

Nurse Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo testifies to the trauma of coercion against her convictions on abortion:

“On May 24, 2009, the hospital where I work coerced me to assist in a 22-week abortion. My duties as a nurse included being present for the bloody dismemberment and accounting for body parts afterwards.”

Nurse Cenzon-DeCarlo in 2004 had registered her conscientious objections clearly with her hospital employer in New York.

Yet according to her attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom, “Administrators at Mt. Sinai Hospital threatened DeCarlo with disciplinary measures in May 2009 if she did not honor a last-minute summons to assist in a scheduled late-term abortion.”

And abortion coercion is spreading nationwide.

The state of California last year began demanding that all health insurance plans that fall under the state’s Department of Managed Health Care–even those purchased by churches and other religious organizations—must cover elective abortions.

That means the state is forcing churches to pay for abortions for any and every reason.

The state’s edict is forcing churches to pay for grisly and inhumane late-term abortions. It is also forcing churches to pay for sex selection abortions—such as when parents simply don’t want a girl baby.

The state allows no exemption of any kind—religious or otherwise. This despite the fact that the First Amendment clearly forbids the government from prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

America was founded on freedom of belief and conscience. It’s time to get back to our roots.

The coercion in California and nurse Cathy’s story of trauma highlights the need for Congress to finally pass the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act.

This bill would strengthen existing federal conscience laws by providing a way for health professionals, who experience discrimination and harm because of their pro-life convictions, to take discriminators to court.

As nurse Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo explains,

“You cannot force your medical personnel, your nursing personnel, to assist in abortions that are against every moral fiber of their being.”

Thankfully, pro-life Members of Congress have an opportunity to protect freedom of faith, conscience and speech now—by including this legislation in must-pass funding legislation (HR 3020).

Jonathan Imbody, Director, Freedom2Care

To urge your congressional leaders to pass the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act:

Use the pre-written, editable form here: (http://tinyurl.com/ANDA3020)

To learn more:
Stories of discrimination  — http://tinyurl.com/F2CStories
“Q and A” fact sheet  — http://tinyurl.com/o8tsopf
Nurse Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo video — https://youtu.be/uknxrMI61WI
[ 19 Nov 2015, Freedom2Care email]