The ACLU Targets Catholic Hospitals

The ACLU of Washington State is targeting Catholic hospitals.

Concerned about a number of Catholic hospitals merging with secular ones in Washington State, the state's ACLU has put together a petition to be sent to the Governor to "ensure that religious ideology does not dictate the health care services a patient may choose."

This is the same Washington state that approved same-sex marriage, okayed assisted suicide, legalized marijuana, and is home to very liberal abortion laws. Yeah, that Washington state.

One might think it a good thing that the Catholic Church helps so many but leave it to the ACLU to worry about those evil Catholics. "Religious restrictions are putting at risk access to lawful, medically appropriate services including end-of-life care, reproductive health care, and care free of discrimination for LGBT patients," writes the ACLU. "Religious ideology should not control a patient’s choice of health care services."

The petition reads:

Dear Governor Inslee, As religiously affiliated health systems take over secular ones at an unprecedented pace in Washington, patients are at risk of being denied access to important medical services and prevented from receiving information necessary to make fully informed decisions. All patients should have access in their local communities to their choice of lawful, medically appropriate services, including end-of-life care services, reproductive health care, and without discrimination toward LGBT individuals and families.
Health facilities provide an essential public service, supported in part by tax dollars. Denying patients access to medical services and information because a health system is controlled by religious doctrine puts patients at risk. And it goes against Washington’s strong and long-standing protections under the State Constitution, and voter-approved laws that protect reproductive freedom, death with dignity, and LGBT rights.
I strongly urge you to take action to ensure that religious ideology does not dictate the health care services a patient may choose. With your help, the State of Washington can uphold our strong protections and preserve patients’ right to access to best care medical services.

Catholic hospitals are supposed to follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Some do. Some...not so much. But the ACLU seems to be seeking to make it illegal for Catholic institutions to follow their conscience. The ACLU is supposed to protect freedom but here they're asking for the government to infringe on religious liberty in the names of abortion, condoms, and killing the elderly.