Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Illinois lawmakers passed a law that requires pro-life pregnancy centers, whose mission is to save unborn life, medical facilities, and doctors with religious or moral objections to abortion to promote abortion.
Alliance Defending Freedom announced that a federal court just ruled (PDF) that the law “compels speech, requiring a discussion about the risks and benefits of childbirth and abortion.”
Illinois lawmakers believe that abortion has medical benefits that pro-life pregnancy centers and other pro-life providers should discuss with pregnant women. From ADF:
The centers believe that abortion does not have any medical benefits. On the contrary, it has many medical risks, such as infection, hemorrhaging, incomplete abortion, uterine perforation, cervical laceration, and even death.
“No one should be forced to express a message that violates their convictions,” said Kevin Theriot, ADF senior counsel, who argued the case. “The court was right to protect pregnancy centers’ freedom to advocate that life is a human right. The government can’t compel medical professionals to choose between violating the law and violating the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm.”
Theriot added that the Supreme Court held in NIFLA v. Becerra (2018) that forcing crisis pregnancy centers to promote abortion is unconstitutional.
Photo credit: American Life League (Creative Commons) – Some Rights Reserved
