Wait wait wait...

'There is only one bright side to this shameful law: it has exposed "pro-choice" to the world as a rigid, profoundly undemocratic, totalitarian ideology'

If your not laughing yet, read it again.

Jon J. I do not believe in God, in the sense of any organised religion. I do not think that the Catholic Church's pro life stance makes it a legitimate organisation. However, even if I was Catholic, either by birth or by choice, I would still appreciate the opportunity to voice my views.

What you class as a cluster of cells, is not what is normally the subject of an abortion. An abortion, the law tells us, is the "termination", i.e. killing, of an unborn foetus. That is, any time up till the baby is completely born. Your position that any abortion is merely the termination of a cluster of cells, is an extreme position, not actually reflecting the true nature of abortions actually performed at abortion clinics.

Finally, what sex is the cluster of cells? If you do not admit that it is human, you must admit that it has a sex. Either the foetus, or zygot even, is male, or it is female. You may think what relevance is this? Well it so happens that gender determination is used to abort, that is kill, female fetuses - yes, girls - and no doubt a lesser number of male ones - yes, boys.
Wadaye

Consider this scenario. A woman who is 6 weeks pregnant has an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. If left untreated it will rupture and cause internal bleeding. The woman's life is at serious risk unless the tube is removed and the pregnancy terminated.

If a doctor is legally allowed to be a "consciencious objector", they could either refuse life saving surgery or could delay her receiving treatment in a timely manner. No doctor shold refuse treatment or referral in situations like these. If they did they should be de-registered.

I can't think of any medical practitioners who would refuse emergency abortions or hysterectomies because they were consciencious objectors, but i guess it is theoretically possible. But they would suffer professional and probably legal ramifications for their inaction. To me the issue is where the moral boundaries of legislation exist and what the unintended ramifications of shifting them may be. For right or wrong that boundary just moved,and there will be pressure to move it again, and again because there will always be someone for whom the current legislation fails.

I do wonder where application of this principle of 'personal choice'> all other considerations will end. Suicide by choice? how many teens will survive to adulthood with suicide booths as featured in the opening scenes of futurama! Certainly totalitarianism isn't an answer, but absolute freedom also has it's ridiculous extremes.

does anyone else think that a society that spends hundreds of millions maintaining neonatal ICU's for 26wk+ babies (whether planned or unplanned)but will abort them as just a bundle of cells 2 weeks earlier lacks a coherent idea of what a foetus is?.

CJ is being way too nice. Cook is either a liar or an idiot.

"...Only the pro-life side was prepared to be rational and accommodating..."

Hehe, that would be a change from their usual lies, misinformation, and downright dishonesty. Oh, weren't they busy terrorising the MP's they feared would vote for the bill - they received hysterical threats by email and phone from the organised anti-abortion crusade accusing them of murder and dire retribution to follow!

The anti-abortion doctors and nurses should be serving the needs of the general public, they are not being asked to perform the operation themselves, they should for the sake of the patient be prepared to refer - if they won't, they should resign. The personal, religious views of medical staff are not more important than the life of the mother. If they had their way, two people would die just because a doctor or nurse thought their personal views were more important than the mother and foetus in question.

Practitioners who wish to enforce such rigid, profoundly undemocratic, totalitarian ideologies upon a patient undergoing a medical emergency, should go to jail and should lose their job.