Religious hospital shouldn't change position on abortion for legal defense
Abortion has long been a controversial topic in our nation. Many anti-abortion activists defend their opinion through their religious beliefs, and the Catholic Church has upheld the belief that life begins from the moment of conception and ends at death. However, a recent court case seems to entirely contradict this opinion.
A woman from Colorado named Lori Stodghill suffered a heart attack while pregnant with twins and passed away in a hospital in 2006. St. Thomas Moore Hospital doctors opted against a cesarean section attempt to save the fetuses, leading to the twins’ death. Stodghill’s husband Jeremy believes the doctors should have attempted the surgery to save his sons and sued the hospital two years later.
The owner of the hospital, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), requested the charges be dismissed on account of the Colorado state law that declared that an embryo is not a person until it is alive. So far, the court has ruled in favor of CHI in direct contradiction to their Catholic beliefs, which is creating huge public support for Jeremy Stodghill.
Every person is entitled to his or her opinion on the matter of abortion and when life begins. That said, the manipulation of this opinion in order to benefit oneself is unacceptable. A hospital cannot consider itself a Catholic institution and not follow its Catholic beliefs. The church holds a public stance against abortion, and so it is not Catholic to then support the law opposing that same view when the hospital’s actions are being challenged. The law it’s using to protect itself could be interpreted to show no issue with abortion because it suggests that since an embryo is not alive, no life is placed in danger.
If the church is not prepared to support this idea, it should not be able to use it in its defense. Legally, the Catholic Health Initiative’s argument should hold because if the law states that a fetus is not alive, the surgery was not necessary because they were not people. But morally, this should be reconsidered. While the CHI can use this law, it does not believe in it. Therefore, it was not the true reason behind their actions.
This particular instance suggests that the opinion of the church is that life begins at conception only when it benefits them. While this case is extreme, it will cause people to question the integrity of the Catholic Church and its beliefs.
This case is only one hospital representing the Catholic Church. However, if the defendant continues to win support, including that of the Supreme Court, without protest from Catholic bishops, it can only be assumed that the Catholic Church is in support of CHI’s argument.
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