Health Care Ethics

May I just say that God's pretty cool?  He planned this semester perfectly...at the same time I'm learning how to dialog with others about the HHS mandate, he threw in this awesome class called "Seminar in Medical Ethics" with a superb teacher who is using a text for the class that he edited that hits the nail on the head.  Without completely writing out the entire chapter for everyone to read, which I wish I could, I'd like to highlight for you some of the key points that really tie into what's going on now politically:

"From it's earliest beginnings, the Catholic Church has ministered to the sick and dying of the world. The Catholic involvement in health care is considered an important extension of the healing ministry of Jesus, to which all Christians are called."
"Even today, as many hospitals and clinics close due to financial losses or form bold, new partnerships in order to compete in today's health care market, the Catholic presence in health care remains strong. As a natural consequence, Catholic scholars have regularly addressed moral issues relating to health care, long before the term "bioethics" was coined."
"However, under the current influences of secular humanism, fueled in part by the political notion of the 'separation of Church and State,' the views and arguments of Catholics appear less and less welcome in public discussions of health care ethics. Some question whether a specifically 'Catholic' approach to health care ethics is legitimate. The larger concern here extends to anyone who follows a specific religious tradition. Certainly American society actively promotes religious tolerance, viewing religion as a personal and private choice. But does a religious person have a place in public discourse in this country, or must a person of faith live with a separated psyche--private religious beliefs and secularized public ideas? At a time when America is recognizing the need to empower the disadvantaged in society, and to provide more open and public forums that recognize America's diversity, the religious voice is becoming marginalized in those very same forums. The be fair, the religious person is always 'officially' welcome in the public forum as a 'citizen'--no one is overtly denied the opportunity to voice opinions. But the unfortunate trend today is that the arguments of religious persons are often dismissed in the public arena and glossed over by the mainstream media simply because they come from religious people! Part of the problem here is that the difference between a 'religious argument' and 'an argument from a religious person' is being blurred. Because of this, religious voices are being neutralized within public discussions of health care and bioethics, as well as in other public policy debates in our society."
"Even the very identity of religious health care facilities as 'religious' and 'denominational' is coming under fire in the public arena. there is increased government and public pressure on religious medical facilities to perform treatments that secular society deems necessary and important, yet which conflict with these hospitals' religious missions. When the conflicts are pointed out to the media, the religious objections are generally viewed unfavorably and are cast as attempts to 'force' religious views upon others. Religious hospitals and health care facilities are charged with being unresponsive to the needs of the community, and--what seems worse to many in the pubic forum--intolerant of others. This has been increasingly noticeable in recent years regarding reproductive rights and women's health issues, HIV and AIDS, and issues related to the so-called 'right to die.' The reasons for not providing certain treatments, drugs, and services are characterized as 'Catholic reasons'--not just 'reasons.' How can Catholic health care institutions and other faith-based medical facilities respond if the 'religious' voice is marginalized in the public debate of these important health care issues?"
"...I want to suggest two specific reasons why there is, indeed, a  need for a 'Catholic' approach to bioethics within contemporary American society...First, I would insist that the Catholic approach brings to the table unique perspective that is founded on a carefully thought-out understanding of the human person--an understanding that is lacking within the general arena of bioethical discussion. Second, I believe that developing a specifically 'Catholic' approach to bioethics is appropriate for Catholic scholars as part of fulfilling their temporal mission as Christians."

"In regard to the specific role of philosophy in Catholic scholarship, John Paul II went on to note in Fides et Ratio:  Philosophical thought is often the only ground for understanding and dialog with those who do not share our faith...Such a ground for understanding and dialog is all the more vital nowadays, since the most pressing issues facing humanity--ecology, peace, and the co-existence of different races and cultures, for instance--may possibly find a solution if there is a clear and honest collaboration between Christians and the followers of other religions and all those who, while not sharing a religious belief, have at heart the renewal of humanity."

"What, then, does the Catholic teacher, nurse, philosopher, doctor, theologian, psychologist, etc., bring to the 'real world' of public discourse regarding issues in bioethics? First and foremost is the focus on the human person that is inherent within the philosophical and theological traditions of the Church, and the primacy of the person over the community. This focus on the human person is crucial in today's public discussions of health care ethics, especially in the growing field of medical research and technological development. One must not mistake the current favoritism for 'autonomy' in American bioethics for a genuine respect for h\the person. Abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, genetic manipulation, cloning, and embryonic stem cell research are often justified in the name of autonomy and individual choice, yet all pose serious threats to vulnerable, human persons."

Morris, John F. "Part I: Why "Catholic" Health Care Ethics?" Medicine, Health Care, and Ethics: Catholic Voices. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, 2007. 1-13. Print.

Like I said, it's very forward thinking.  This was published in 2007 before everything with the mandate was going on, but I think it applies very directly to the current situation.