The "Equality Act" will erase religious freedom and medical judgment

 

The U.S. Congress has taken one step closer to ending religious protections—and medical judgment for health professionals—on gender issues, by passing the Equality Act by a largely partisan vote in the House of 224 – 206.

This radical legislation, a top priority of the Biden administration and the Democrat party that controls Congress, would literally remove religious freedom protections on gender issues and replace medical judgment with governmental coercion regarding treatment of children and adult patients experiencing gender dysphoria.

The Christian Medical Association (CMA), which has been fighting in court to strike down a similarly coercive Obama-era transgender mandate, outlined reasons for opposing the Equality Act in a letter to Members of Congress.

Biden reverses life-affirming policies

From U.S. House of Representatives pro-life advocates, a sad summary of damage to life-affirming policies done by President Biden in his first 10 days of office:

On Jan. 28, President Joe Biden issued a memorandum that rescinded the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy, directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider rescinding the Protect Life (Title X) Rule, channeled money to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), directed the United States to withdraw from the Geneva Consensus Declaration, and emphasized federal foreign assistance for “sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.”  The White House fact sheet may be viewed here.

Federal court strikes down transgender mandate, protects medical judgment and conscience

 A federal court has provided protections for physicians committed to following medical evidence and conscience convictions regarding the transgender and gender-questioning patients for whom they care.

The U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota has struck down an Obama-era rule that would have nixed physicians' considerations of conscience and medical judgment on transgender procedures and prescriptions. Becket, the legal firm representing the plaintiffs in the case--an order of Catholic nuns, a Catholic university, and Catholic healthcare organizations--describes the victory in a press release below.

Becket also represents the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) and a Catholic health entity in a different federal court in a similar case, Franciscan Alliance v. Azar.

Policy versus politics: A retrospect and prognosis

A physician member of the Christian Medical Associations (CMA) recently asked me for a perspective on the tragic temporary takeover of the U.S. Capitol and the role of politicians before and after that tumultuous event.

The physician's email began, "I’m so saddened by this incident and so appalled…."

I've been asked to share the response to that physician more widely, so my edited response is below, followed by some thoughts on public policy ministry, the past four years and the next four years.

Thoughts on the Capitol takeover and surrounding events

I responded to the physician's concern and request for perspective about the Capitol takeover and surrounding politics as follows:

Dr. Fauci reveals his true political colors as an abortion advocate

If you've ever wondered where Dr. Anthony Fauci is politically, or exactly how "unifying" the Biden administration plans to be on abortion, read Fauci's 1/21/21 comments below on abortion.

Fauci delivered these remarks as President Biden's newly appointed representative to the World Health Organization (WHO). The previous administration withdrew U.S. funding from WHO, charging that the organization lied about the Coronavirus due to its entanglement with the Chinese Communist Party.