Religious freedom for pro-life Illinois pharmacists has been restored — at least for now.
On Tuesday, April 5th, a Circuit Court judge in Sangamon County struck down a six-year-old state rule that denied pharmacists their freedom of conscience and religion. Unfortunately, our state’s Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, has promised to appeal this ruling.
Madigan apparently believes that Christians should be forced against their conscience to supply drugs that kill human babies at conception.
At issue is a pill known in the media as “Plan B” or “morning after.” It is a concentrated dose of chemicals also used in birth control pills. The poison pill kills the baby by denying the fertilized egg the opportunity to implant on the uterine wall.
The Illinois Family Institute commends pharmacists Luke Vander Bleek of Morrison and Glenn Kosirog of Wheaton for standing up for life, freedom of conscience and religious freedom. Vander Bleek and Kosirog are the pharmacists who filed the lawsuit to stop the state from forcing them to provide the abortion pill. Tuesday’s ruling was one small victory on the way to winning the war against the evil death culture of Illinois.
Judge John Belz referenced the Illinois Right of Conscience Act observing that “it was designed to forbid the government from doing what it aims to do here: coercing individuals or entities to provide healthcare services that violate their beliefs.”
The onerous state rule was created by former Governor Rod Blagojevich six years ago, notwithstanding the fact that both the Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protect citizens who refuse to perform services on moral grounds.
A newspaper article quoted Catholic University law professor Mark Rienzi celebrating the ruling. Rienzi said he was thrilled with the judgment and observed, “The law of Illinois and the law of the United States make it clear that people can enter the health-care profession without having to check their conscience or religion at the door.”
We thank God that this ruling makes Illinois a safer place for babies and families — a place where families can flourish. We agree with Steven Erteltfrom LifeNews.com who described this ruling as a “sweeping victory,” and we are grateful to the American Center for Law and Justice for their leadership.
Francis Manion is Senior Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice. Manion describes the ruling as a “major victory for the rights of conscience.” He told LifeNews, “After six long years of litigation, our clients have finally prevailed against a state government determined to coerce them and all pro-life pharmacists into violating their deeply held religious beliefs or give up their livelihoods. Judge Belz’s decision makes clear that both Illinois state law and the First Amendment will not permit this. This country was founded by people with a strong commitment to religious freedom. That’s why freedom of religion is the first freedom protected in the Bill of Rights. For government at any level to try to run roughshod over that freedom is to abdicate the government’s primary responsibility.”
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