ADF: U.S. Coast Guard officers should not be forced to violate conscience in order to serve country
U.S. Coast Guard officials deny exemption for Catholic officer who objects to injection of Hepatitis A vaccine derived from aborted babyFriday, January 04, 2008, 12:00 AM (MST) |
ADF Media Relations | 480-444-0020
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf
of a U.S. Coast Guard officer told he must be injected with a vaccine
derived from an aborted child, even though it conflicts with his
Catholic beliefs. The U.S. Coast Guard refused to grant an exemption
for Officer Joseph J. Healy, who is Catholic, even though it allows
exemptions based on other religious beliefs.
"Those who lay their life on the line to defend our shores are entitled to the same religious freedoms as anyone else," said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. "Members of the U.S. military should never be forced to make an unconstitutional choice between honoring their country and honoring their faith."
In May 2006, the Coast Guard, which requires its personnel to be vaccinated against a variety of diseases, ordered all active-duty personnel to receive one of two vaccines against Hepatitis A or show proof of immunity. The vaccines are derived from cells taken from the lung tissue of a child who was electively aborted at 14 weeks gestation and then dissected. The U.S. Coast Guard allows religious exemptions for those who hold a "religious tenet or belief contrary to immunization."
In compliance with Coast Guard requirements, Healy, a lieutenant commander, submitted a memo requesting religious exemption based on his Catholic faith and strong opposition to abortion. In response, Capt. Brent Pennington denied the request because he disagreed with Healy’s theology, claiming that Catholic teaching "does not state that these immunizations are against the religious tenets of the Catholic Church."
Because of the denial, Healy may be forced, under threat of severe penalty, to receive the immunization against his will. ADF attorneys have filed a motion along with the lawsuit asking the court to prevent that from happening while the case moves forward in court.
A copy of the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Healy v. United States Coast Guard is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HealyComplaint.pdf. [or www.cogforlife.org/HealyMilitaryCourtVax.pdf if the link is not working]
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
"Those who lay their life on the line to defend our shores are entitled to the same religious freedoms as anyone else," said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. "Members of the U.S. military should never be forced to make an unconstitutional choice between honoring their country and honoring their faith."
In May 2006, the Coast Guard, which requires its personnel to be vaccinated against a variety of diseases, ordered all active-duty personnel to receive one of two vaccines against Hepatitis A or show proof of immunity. The vaccines are derived from cells taken from the lung tissue of a child who was electively aborted at 14 weeks gestation and then dissected. The U.S. Coast Guard allows religious exemptions for those who hold a "religious tenet or belief contrary to immunization."
In compliance with Coast Guard requirements, Healy, a lieutenant commander, submitted a memo requesting religious exemption based on his Catholic faith and strong opposition to abortion. In response, Capt. Brent Pennington denied the request because he disagreed with Healy’s theology, claiming that Catholic teaching "does not state that these immunizations are against the religious tenets of the Catholic Church."
Because of the denial, Healy may be forced, under threat of severe penalty, to receive the immunization against his will. ADF attorneys have filed a motion along with the lawsuit asking the court to prevent that from happening while the case moves forward in court.
A copy of the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Healy v. United States Coast Guard is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HealyComplaint.pdf. [or www.cogforlife.org/HealyMilitaryCourtVax.pdf if the link is not working]
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.