Nova Scotia's Pro-Life Doctors Could Lose Their Jobs
Believe it or not, doctors in Nova Scotia will soon be forced to take part in killing and maiming their patients or risk losing their licence to practice medicine.
No, I am not joking. And, no, this is not the plot to some crazy dystopian movie.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia has announced that it will impose a new policy called the “Professional Standard Regarding Conscientious Objection”. Under this policy, a doctor’s morals and ethics must no longer be considered when administering certain controversial "treatments" to a patient or referring that patient for "treatment" elsewhere. All doctors must agree to go along with the wishes of their patients, even when those wishes are harmful, so long as the "treatment" is legal.
And pretty much everything is legal these days!
In particular, the new policy focuses on three specific scenarios, all of which happen to be the radical left’s favourite hobby horses: abortion, euthanasia, and sex-change procedures.
Doctors know better than anyone that abortion destroys a new human life. They also know that euthanasia (a.k.a. “Medical Assistance in Dying”) is a sterilized form of homicide. As well, they understand that sex-change treatments do nothing to actually change a person’s genetic sex, but often leave a person physically and mentally damaged. That’s why conscientious, morally-minded physicians will have nothing to do with these modern “medical procedures”.
Nevertheless, the College wants to force all doctors to participate in these evils one way or another. If a doctor refuses to actually commit the abortion, homicide, or sex-change amputation, then he or she must connect that patient to someone else who is willing, and make sure the patient gets the “service” he or she requests. And throughout this process doctors are told they “must not promote their own moral or religious beliefs to patients”, which means they are hamstrung from changing patients’ minds.
In certain “emergency” situations, the College even proposes to force doctors to commit abortions, homicides, and sex-change procedures if it is deemed urgent, “notwithstanding any issues of conscience.”
Can you believe it? Our doctors – the highly skilled, highly trained men and women we trust to take care of our health and well-being – are being ordered to violate their consciences and ignore the timeless medical standards set out in the Hippocratic Oath! That Oath clearly states, “Do no harm”.
According to David Deane, Associate Professor at the Atlantic School of Theology, “Being complicit in a system that is radically immoral is problematic. If the state said that you’ve got to be part of this process, which would lead to the euthanization of this person, then you’ve got to resist that, and whether that’s in a referral or suggesting other doctors, you were still part of that chain.”
It is vital that we stand up for the conscience rights of morally-minded doctors.
Even in times of war, when our very existence as a nation was under threat, our leaders acknowledged the value of conscience and made room for those who objected to killing because of their beliefs. According to the Canadian War Museum, “Canada had recognized conscientious objector status since the late eighteenth century.” That’s for over 200 years! It is even written into our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In fact, freedom of conscience is one of the principles that our soldiers went to war to defend. They understood what the College of Physicians has apparently forgotten – that we are no better than dictators and tyrants if we abolish freedom of conscience! Without freedom of conscience, we hand over our values, morals, and beliefs to the will and whim of our earthly rulers. And that is never a good idea.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what the College of Physicians wants every Nova Scotia doctor to do – laying their principles on the chopping block. And we are not even in a time of war. How far we have fallen!
Larry Worthen, executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada (CMDAC), is fighting hard for conscience rights. He says, “A physician needs to maintain their own integrity, whether it’s because of their religious beliefs or moral conviction.” The CMDAC is urging the College to reverse-course. It is also calling on the provincial government to intervene. According to Mr. Worthen, the College’s policy is unacceptable in every respect – even to simply refer a patient to another doctor for an immoral “procedure” like abortion, euthanasia, or sex-change. He says, “For us, a referral is a recommendation for services and we’re not able to provide a formal recommendation.” How can you expect a doctor to recommend a “treatment” that kills and maims?
Above: Larry Worthen of the Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada
I had a conversation with Mr. Worthen last week, and he shared his concerns over the potential loss of conscience rights for doctors of faith in Nova Scotia. Not only will this be bad for the province’s doctors, but it will be bad for patients too. No longer will patients be able to access a doctor who shares their beliefs and values. The only type of doctors who will be available are those who provide or recommend abortion, homicide, and sex-change services. Doctors who have any moral fibre – who actually adhere to the principles set down in the Hippocratic Oath – will be pushed out.
In response to the College’s new policy, a coalition of conscientious doctors has formed, supported by the CMDAC. These doctors have written a letter stating their refusal to refer for, or participate in, immoral and unethical practices. In total, 28 Nova Scotia doctors have made this commitment so far.
If the College’s new policy goes into effect, which could happen as soon as next month, we can expect these 28 doctors to either leave the province, retire, or loose their licence to practice medicine. That would be an enormous hit to the Nova Scotia medical system, causing thousands of patients to lose access to health care.
Campaign Life Coalition is joining with the CMDAC to support conscientious doctors in Nova Scotia by calling on the College of Physicians to abandon its conscience-crushing policy proposal. We are also reaching out to MLAs to intervene and secure the freedom of conscience for all doctors and health care workers in the province.
Please take a moment to stand side-by-side with these 28 doctors and join us in the fight by sending an Action Alert Email to your MLA right now. We have prepared some sample emails you can use, or you can write your own.
The CMDAC has also set up a web site where you can send an email to the College of Physicians to let them know your objections to their new policy. So far over 500 emails have been sent!
Let’s work to defend Nova Scotia’s conscientious doctors and the pro-life, pro-family, and pro-faith values they are fighting for.
Click here to contact your Nova Scotia MLA: https://www.votervoice.net/CALIFE/Campaigns/114455/Respond