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Contact: Margie Shealy, 423-341-4254
BRISTOL, Tenn., August 18 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Christian Medical Association CMA the nation's largest association of faith-based physicians, today assailed a decision of the California Supreme Court that would mandate the in-vitro insemination of an unmarried lesbian patient regardless of the healthcare professionals' ethical standards.
CMA CEO Dr. David Stevens said, "This case was never about discrimination against patients on the basis of sexual choices; it was about discrimination against healthcare professionals on the basis of their sincerely held ethical standards. The physicians in this case had determined to only provide in-vitro fertilization to married patients. That's hardly a novel or extreme ethical position.
"Physicians of course must treat all patients with compassion and respect, regardless of the belief systems or sexual norms of the patients. But tolerance is a two-way street: we must also respect the right of healthcare professionals to make decisions based on ethical standards.
Dr. Stevens explained, "This court decision, like so many others in which the courts have waded into areas exceeding their proper reach, violates long-established principles of medical ethics. Even the American Medical Association officially affirms that 'neither physician, hospital, nor hospital personnel shall be required to perform any act violative of personally held moral principles.'
"The overreaching court decision also conflicts with federal laws protecting right of conscience and with the First Amendment rights of healthcare professionals to exercise their conscientiously held moral beliefs. This decision reaches beyond the medical profession. Taking away the First Amendment rights of healthcare professionals puts at risk the rights of every working American.
Dr. Stevens also noted, "When faced with the decision to choose between conscience and providing a medical service, physicians of conscience are most likely to stop providing this service rather than violate their conscience. If the courts are going to decree that only a certain type of physician may practice in California, the net result is that patients will have decreased access to physicians."
To schedule an interview, please contact Margie Shealy at (423) 844-1047 or by e-mail: margie.shealy@cmda.org. The Christian Medical Association is equipped with Ku Band Digital Uplink satellite and ISDN lines.
