Medical

Twelve nurses in New Jersey forced to take part in abortions today

A stunning story related to us by Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund (which represents the twelve nurses in this story):

Before October 2011, Lorna Mendoza and her nurse colleagues at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey served patients every day in the same day surgery unit without any hint that the hospital’s respect for the nurses’ religious beliefs was about to come crashing down around them.

Then the hospital announced that all nurses in the unit must assist with abortions or lose their job. Even though they objected, the hospital is still planing to force Lorna and Julita to assist at abortions this Friday.
This really is an open-and-shut case in favor of the rights of the nurses not to assist at abortions. Under New Jersey state law, Federal Law, and following Supreme Court precedent, you can’t force someone to perform or assist at an abortion. Period.

Yet when one of the twelve nurses objected to assisting abortions on the grounds of her religious beliefs, a supervisor responded that UMDNJ has “no regard for religious beliefs” of nurses who object to participating in abortions, even though the supervisor admitted that the abortions are elective.

I’m glad to see that the Alliance Defense Fund is aggressively defending the conscience rights of these nurses — and demanding penalties to be given to the hospital:

ADF is not only seeking a reversal of UMDNJ’s new policy, but is also asking the court to order the hospital to return a portion of the millions of federal dollars they’ve received. The money came with known and justifiable strings attached, but UMDNJ is obviously trying to break its public promise not to discriminate, and to get away with it.

The court needs to make sure such lawless hospitals understand that things just don’t work like that in a free society.

In our efforts to build a culture of life we must especially remain vigilant that pro-life nurses and pro-life doctors are allowed to practice medicine free from the coercion to assist or perform abortions. It’s amazing to me that the pro-abortion side which supposedly values the “freedom to choose” so often attempts to deny pro-life people the freedom to choose life in their professional medical practice.

So let’s hope (and pray) that these nurses are not forced to assist at abortions!

UPDATE — ADF attorney Matt Bowman has secured a temporary restraining order from a judge that “prohibits [the] New Jersey hospital from forcing any of 12 nurses that sued the facility to participate in training or services related to abortions.” More here.

Photo: LifeNews

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  • Mfrustaci

    For the hospital it looks like it’s all about the money.  Pitiful.  Pregnant mothers should realize that abortion is also a big business.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tammy-Ward-Fowler/579865344 Tammy Ward Fowler

    Thank you ADF!

  • Fergy44

    I don’t understand the problem here, if all nurses walk out, that’s going to leave the hospital with a bit of a problem since the nurses are the ones that do all of the work. They’ll be begging them to come back!

    • 12angrymen

      But with this economy, I’m sure there are many more young people who will eagerly snatch up the vacant positions. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/isaiah60.1 Michelle Guzzard-Lane

    It’s amazing to me that the pro-abortion side which supposedly values
    the “freedom to choose” so often attempts to deny pro-life people the
    freedom to choose life.

    • oldmanbob

      I fully agree with you and add that to the so called pro-choice movement choice means choosing death.  Remember the pro death movment is useing double speak all the time, ie. a baby is not a baby but a pregancy, in spite of the fact that every pregnut gal I’ve ever known is going to have a baby and is carrying either a child or a baby.This is a case where we muct pray and the ADF needs to do the best job they can, which I belive they are doing.

  • Barb

    So if abortion is such a normal medical procedure, why don’t these nurses want to assist in them?  
    Oh, perhaps because abortion is Not a normal medical procedure and goes against the healing instincts that inspired these nurses to enter the profession.
    I always go back to Dr. Lisa Harris’ “team building” exercises to “help” her staff get the mental hardness to participate in her abortion practice.  Wow, bet the oncology or the cardiology department doesn’t have to do that.

  • bubbalouwee

    Hold on firm to your faith in Jesus Christ and your pro life convictions, even if you should be unjustly terminated.  Blessed are the persecuted, for theirs is the kigndom of heaven.  It is better to serve God and be unemployed, than to kill our fellow human beings and serve the dark forces of evil.

  • Juls

    Well, it only makes sense. When you choose a job, you have to be able to comply with the job requirements, you can inform yourself beforehand, and if you don’t feel like being involved in some of those duties, you have to pick another job. Abortion is a legal operation, surgical have to be able to assist all operations provided by the medical facility, not just the ones they like.
    If I where to get a job at McDonalds and refuse to serve hamburgers because I’m a member of peta and I belive ‘meat is murder’ I’d be fired. Yes, I’m entitled to my beliefs, but if they don’t let me do the job I chose, I need to find another job; only makes sense