‘Catholic’ Senator Introduces Bill to Force Christian Hospitals to do Abortions

New Mexico State Senator Ortiz y Pino

By Fr. Frank Hodges
Life Site News

A self-described "faithful" Catholic has introduced legislation forcing Christian healthcare workers to refer for abortions and Christian hospitals to perform them.

State Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino introduced Senate Bill 282, which would repeal religious exemptions for participating in abortions.

SB-282 states, "A hospital shall not refuse to provide a reproductive health service if withholding the reproductive health service would result in or prolong a serious risk to the patient's life or health; and, where a failure to provide the reproductive health service would violate the medical standard of care owed the patient."

The legislation defines "reproductive health service" as including "termination of pregnancy."

Ortiz y Pino labeled his bill a "Patient Protection Act." He did not explain how abortion “protects” women, and the title of the legislation does not consider the baby in the womb to be a "patient."

New Mexico law allows exemptions for both individuals and hospitals with moral or religious objections to abortion. While SB-282 does not directly refer to those legal exemptions, the bill would eliminate those religious freedoms.

Ortiz y Pino voted to keep abortion legal up to the day of birth for any reason in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He justified his vote against a late-term abortion ban by claiming that the Bible doesn't say abortion is wrong.

New Mexico Alliance for Life (NMAFL) executive director Elisa Martinez called the bill a "double attack."

"SB-282 forces pro-life medical professionals to participate in abortion and its definitions of ‘standard of care’ and ‘health’ are so broad as to have no meaningful limitations," she said.

State Senator Bill Sharer, also a Catholic, explained, "SB-282 will require Catholic healthcare providers to commit mortal sins, which should horrify anyone of good conscience."

"It was bad enough when Senator Ortiz y Pino used his Catholic faith to justify abortion until the day of birth," Martinez said. "Now he wants to force healthcare providers, including those of his own Catholic faith, to violate their consciences by participating in abortion."

Life Site News article continues

Hobby Lobby CEO: Christians Will Lose Their Religious Freedom if Donald Trump Isn’t Elected

By Micaiah Bilger
Life News

David Green knows first-hand how much Americans’ religious freedoms are in jeopardy.

In 2014, the Christian CEO of the craft store chain Hobby Lobby was forced to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to find relief from the Obamacare HHS Mandate, which required him to pay for abortion-causing drugs and devices in his employee health insurance plans.

Green wrote a column published in USA Today on Thursday explaining why Donald Trump “is our only hope” for the future of religious freedom. He pointed out how so much is at stake involving the U.S. Supreme Court. The next president could have the opportunity to nominate up to four justices and sway the court’s decisions for years to come.

Green wrote, “… Donald Trump has been steadfast in expressing his commitment to uphold the Constitution, and his list of possible Supreme Court nominees inspires confidence that there is hope in my future — and in my grandchildren’s future — for a country that will value those most fundamental rights.”

However, that power in the hands of pro-abortion Democrat Hillary Clinton could bring an end to religious freedom in the U.S., Green wrote. His own religious freedoms were protected by a narrow majority two years ago.

Green explained:

Fortunately, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby in 2014, but it’s frightening to think that we — and all Americans — were just one judge away from losing our religious freedom. 

Make no mistake, the vacancy left by Justice Scalia and the subsequent appointment to fill his seat makes this presidential election one of the most significant in modern times. During a 2015 speech at the Women in the World Summit, Hillary Clinton declared that religious beliefs “have to be changed.”

What I fear she really means is that the beliefs of people of faith across our nation will be discounted, and those people will be forced to violate their conscience under her presidency — a philosophy that would be carried out by anyone she nominates for the Supreme Court.

… Clinton has made no secret she believes government interests supersede the protection of religious liberty.

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Inclusion Act Receives Strong Support From Three USCCB Chairmen

From USCCB

Religious liberty is important for all, including child welfare providers
Inclusion Act protects religious liberties and excludes no one
Parental choice in adoption is important and deserves protection

WASHINGTON—Three chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gave strong support for the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2015. The Act would forbid the federal government, and any state receiving federal funds for child welfare services, from taking adverse action against a provider that, for religious or moral reasons, declines to provide a child welfare social service.

“Our first and most cherished freedom, religious liberty, is to be enjoyed by all Americans, including child welfare providers who serve the needs of children – the most vulnerable members of society,” wrote Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty; and Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage; in letters of support to Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) in the U.S. Senate, who introduced the bill.

Highlighting the inclusivity of the legislation, the chairmen noted, “Rightly, the Inclusion Act protects the religious liberties and moral convictions of all child welfare providers. No providers are excluded by the Act.”

continue reading at http://www.usccb.org

HLI in the News: Comments on President Obama’s Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast

In a speech during the National Prayer Breakfast on February 6, President Obama made statements on freedom of religion and the right to life at odds with the policies of his administration. Human Life International Communications Manager Adam Cassandra was asked by the news media to comment on the president’s statements.


“It’s also clear that around the world, freedom of religion is under threat … No society can truly succeed unless it guarantees the rights of all its people, including religious minorities,” the president said.

When asked by The Daily Caller for comment, Mr. Cassandra said:

The president is right, freedom of religion is under threat, not only in the United States but increasingly around the world. Unfortunately, the actions of the Obama administration, especially in terms of the HHS mandate dealing with contraception and abortifacient drugs, its policy on abortion, and the administration’s support for redefining marriage, have greatly contributed to the persecution of Christians, especially Catholics. The rights of religious minorities deserve protection, but the mainstream moral values of Christianity also need protection, especially from this administration, and should not be labeled as ‘intolerant,’ which only incites hatred and violence towards Christians.

continue reading at http://www.hli.org/