Surgeons and bishops
Monday 6 October 2008 12:52 AM
I'm not a Catholic, which it seems is a good thing in Victoria just now. A few weeks ago a front page Age headline grabbed our attention: "Archbishop's abortion threat". Now (The Age, 6/10) it's the "Catholic lobby" who've "escalated the pressure on Victoria's lawmakers" in "the latest attack" on the abortion bill. Well that certainly gets our attention, doesn't it Nick Miller. Now with Spring Street's proximity to St Pat's, I reckon it's time to bring the troops home.
Are Archbishop Hart and Catholic Health Australia emotionally blackmailing the women of Victoria? Or are they simply stating unambiguously the practical implications of their convictions, should the bill become law? It seems you can act on a secular ideology and be an enlightened humanitarian, or you can act on religious convictions and be a social terrorist.
Well now, here's an enlightened liberal democratic legislative thought. If doctors with conscientious objections to abortion must make referrals to those of contrary persuasion, then let the reverse also apply. That would be truly liberal. Any takers? No? Didn't think so.