Celebrating Conscience

OCTOBER 18, 2019 

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) celebrates with the Christian Medical & Dental Association their federal court victory for conscience rights of medical professionals. Their case, Franciscan Alliance v. Azar, sought relief from a 2016 federal regulation that threatened to drive doctors dedicated to "first do no harm" out of practice if they would not perform gender-transition procedures that violate their medical judgment and beliefs. This ruling upheld the conscience rights of medical professionals.

Dr. Michael Artigues, Vice President of ACPeds, commented, "Compelling health professionals to subordinate their moral conscience to the dictates of any authority such that they comply with fluctuating social norms and patient demands threaten the integrity of medical professionals and also endangers the lives of patients."

The American College of Pediatricians likewise defends a healthcare professional's freedom to practice according conscience in its statement, Freedom of Conscience in Healthcare. 

Freedom of conscience, like the Constitution of the United States, is grounded in natural law and religion. The freedom to practice medicine in accordance with a well-formed conscience is one lasting principle that prevents our culture from embracing the atrocities of autocratic societies, both past and present.