Mass. version of Palin speaks out against Catholics

[Garcia Bronco]

Coakley: Catholics shouldn't work in the emergency room.

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http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/w...bly-shouldnt-/

Martha Coakley: Devout Catholics 'Probably shouldn't work in the emergency room'
By Kerry Picket on Jan. 14, 2010 into Water Cooler

How can a Massachusetts Senate candidate possibly offend 39 percent of voters in her state? If it's Democrat Attorney General Martha Coakley, she would tell devout Catholics not to bother working in an emergency room (H/T Jim Hoft - Big Government). In the audio clip below, Ms. Coakley chokes on a question from radio host Ken Pittman referring to the conscience clause. Under the conscience clause, workers in health-care environments ranging from doctors to maintenance men can refuse to offer services, information, or advice to patients on issues like contraception, blood transfusions, etc..if the workers are morally against it. Here is how Ms. Coakley handled the matter. (audio and transcript below):

Ken Pittman: Right, if you are a Catholic, and believe what the Pope teaches that any form of birth control is a sin. ah you don’t want to do that.

Martha Coakley: No we have a seperation of church and state Ken, lets be clear.

Ken Pittman: In the emergency room you still have your religious freedom.

Martha Coakley: (……uh, eh…um..) The law says that people are allowed to have that. You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn’t work in the emergency room.

[Fedaykin]

The first problem here is the idiocy of the referenced law. Legally allowing health care workers to not actually do their job is absolutely stupid.

The second issue is what this person is trying to get at. The law *shouldn't* allow you to not do your job, and if you have a problem with that, you probably shouldn't try to do that job.

It's happened before with Muslim female nurses who tried to file a suit when they were fired for refusing to wash their hands up to their elbows as is required by their job (it's considered sinful for them to expose their arms).

This case is no different. If you are a Catholic and want to be a health care worker, you best do you job as required by your employer and the industry you are in. If you think birth control is a sin, find a job that doesn't involve birth control.

Just like freedom of speech does not include speech that harms others, freedom of religion does not include practices that harm others. If you are a Muslim who refuses to wash your hands, a JW who thinks blood transfusions are a sin, or a Cathloic who thinks condoms are a sin, you are not qualified to work as a health care worker and your attempts to exercise your religion are harming others.

Sorry, but this politician is being rational, and not a idiot like Palin. (note: I have no idea who this politician is, I am basing that description based only on what is in the linked article)

[Fedaykin]

P.S. The specific issue here, based on the context of ER workers, is probably about emergency contraceptives. In an ER, these are prescribed to rape victims.

[Tombstone RJ]

This is a non-issue... really, it's nitpicking crapola like this that throws everyone off track on the important issues that need to be resolved.

I don't care what she said, she's just trying to say "hey, maybe if your a practicing and devout Catholic, you should think twice about working in an Emergency Room..."

At least, this is what I'm getting from here statement, and certainly, I may be wrong...

[Rohirrim]

I agree with Coakley. It your belief system might cause you to refuse assistance to someone who is dying, you shouldn't work in an ER. Pretty simple stuff.

[Beantown Bronco]

P.S. The specific issue here, based on the context of ER workers, is probably about emergency contraceptives. In an ER, these are prescribed to rape victims.

This is it.

What's scary is that this has become one of the two three big issues in this election, despite all the other more important things on the table right now. Coakley has been attacking Brown relentlessly because he supported a bill that supposedly had a clause in it that said that ER workers could refuse emergency contraception to rape victims if such a thing was against the ER worker's religion.

[Garcia Bronco]

The first problem here is the idiocy of the referenced law. Legally allowing health care workers to not actually do their job is absolutely stupid.



I think it's clear she doesn't get the whole church and state thing. She is running for Senate to replace Dirt Bag Kennedy.

[Fedaykin]

I think it's clear she doesn't get the whole church and state thing. She is running for Senate to replace Dirt Bag Kennedy.


What isn't she getting? Did you read my post and disagree with something I said as well?

[Garcia Bronco]

What isn't she getting? Did you read my post and disagree with something I said as well?

Seperation of Church and State is not a matter for the public hospital. It doesn't even apply.

[Fedaykin]

Seperation of Church and State is not a matter for the public hospital. It doesn't even apply.

It does if the hospital is government run, which many are.

[Beantown Bronco]

Seperation of Church and State is not a matter for the public hospital. It doesn't even apply.

The words "public hospital" were not mentioned before she brought up the concept of separation of Church and State.

[Garcia Bronco]

It does if the hospital is government run, which many are.

I bet just about all of them have a Priest and a Chapel. And no it doesn't apply. Seperation of Church an State has changed meanings of the years. The originally meaning was that it's not a requirement to run or hold government office. That's straight from JEfferson's mouth and he was the one who wrote based on the same Virginia Law he championed in the Virginia Legislature.

[Fedaykin]

I bet just about all of them have a Priest and a Chapel. And no it doesn't apply. Seperation of Church an State has changed meanings of the years. The originally meaning was that it's not a requirement to run or hold government office. That's straight from JEfferson's mouth and he was the one who wrote based on the same Virginia Law he championed in the Virginia Legislature.

BS. Jefferson was against government involvement in religion at all, not just that it's not a requirement to run for office. Here, in Jefferson's own words:

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."

- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptist, Jan.1.1802.

[bpc]

" KEEP YOUR CHRISTIANS OUT OF MY HOSPITALS!!! "

ha ha. Some of you guys are f'n clueless.

[Fedaykin]

" KEEP YOUR CHRISTIANS OUT OF MY HOSPITALS!!! "

ha ha. Some of you guys are f'n clueless.

That's about the most silly interpretation of this I've seen, and I'm not surprised that you are the one putting it forward. A much better interpretation is:

"If you aren't willing to do the job, don't"

[Bronx33]

I agree with Coakley. It your belief system might cause you to refuse assistance to someone who is dying, you shouldn't work in an ER. Pretty simple stuff.

As a medical person don't they have an oath to uphold?

[bpc]

That's about the most silly interpretation of this I've seen, and I'm not surprised that you are the one putting it forward. A much better interpretation is:

"If you aren't willing to do the job, don't"

I'm not surprised by what most of you liberal folks are thinking. We're going through the transition to seeing it all.