Church Amendments

The Conscience provisions (collectively known as the "Church Amendments") were enacted at various times during the 1970's in response to debates over whether receipt of federal funds required the recipients of such funds to perform abortions or sterilizations. The first conscience provision in the Church Amendments, provides that the receipt of any grant, contract loan, or loan guarantee under (certain statutes implemented by HHS) by any individual or entity does not authorize any court or any public official or other public authority to require; 1.) the individual to perform or assist in a sterilization procedure or abortion, if it would be contrary to his/her religious beliefs or moral convictions. 2.) The entity to make it's facilities available for sterilization procedures or abortions, if the performance of sterilization procedures or abortions in the facility is prohibited by the entity on the basis of religious beliefs or moral convictions. 3.) The entity to provide personnel for the performance or assistance in the performance of sterilization procedures or abortion, if it would be contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of such personnel.

We will address more amendments in future blogs, but we encourage you to comment on the first Church Amendment. This amendment is very concise and is the foundation for good medicine. Medicine separated the idea of healing from the idea of killing in the year 500 BC by Hypocrates. Do no harm is the foundation of medicine. If medicine does not support moral stands, the practise of medicine will become immoral.

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