PrintApril 8, 2009
The Medical Conscience Clause: Guard it with your life.
I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art. - From the original Hippocratic Oath used in America until the late 20th CenturyIs there anything more fundamental than the right to refuse to kill for the state? As Americans, we have given steadfast honor to this bedrock individual liberty throughout our history. Even in times of all-out war, when millions and millions of American citizens have been conscripted into military service, there was always respect for an individual's religious/moral beliefs in the realm of killing other human beings. Conscientious objection has been the law of the Land. Men could be drafted into the military, but we did not force them to fight or kill if this would violate their individually held beliefs.Yet, President Obama has stated his intention to...(Read Full Article)
