Origin and Meaning
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Origin and meaning of ‘‘conscientious objection’’
Conscientious objection (CO) in the West originates in Christianity in the form of pacifism — the belief that taking human life under any circumstances is evil (Moskos and Whiteclay Chambers, 1993). Although all conscientious objectors take their position on the basis of conscience, they may have varying religious, philosophical, or political reasons for their beliefs. […]
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CO in military service vs reproductive healthcare
The ethical obligation to serve the public is integral to the practice of medicine, the legal profession, and the military. Those who enter these ‘‘helping professions’’ are expected to subordinate their own interests and beliefs in order to serve others, even those they dislike or disagree with (Dickens, 2009). For example, doctors risk infection to […]
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Conclusions
Allowing CO in reproductive healthcare, even to a limited extent, creates a fundamental contradiction and injustice. The patient’s rights to life and bodily security surely outweigh the healthcare worker’s right to conscience, whose first obligation is to their patients, not themselves. The exercise of CO allows medical professionals in a position of authority to abandon […]