I need to make a point regarding recent comments made by those opposed to Bush’s recent regulations on birth control. This issue is essentially one of conscience, not abortion or birth control directly.
Opinion such as this article by politicalaffairs.net try to portray the recent regulations as confusing “birth control with abortion.” What needs to be acknowledged however is that many forms of birth control contain an abortifacient in them, in order to expel a newly conceived child from the womb, rather than merely preventing conception.
Thus, a medical professional’s right to conscience regarding all birth control forms should be respected just as much as the right to conscience regarding abortion in particular.
Something that Mr. Wendland fails to address in this article is the fact that these regulations effect men in the same way they do women. These regulations protect a medical professional’s right to deny anyone birth control based on personal conscience. Men also use contraception and birth control, not just women. These regulations are not an attempt to attack anyone, or even to restrict abortion or birth control.
They merely protect one’s right to abstain from participating in something they feel is wrong.
