Last Fall, amid heated debate, the City of Baltimore passed the first ever ordinance requiring crisis pregnancy centers to post signs disclosing that they do not provide referrals or information about abortion or contraception. Though the existence of these centers still makes some of us uneasy, at least we could rest assured knowing that women entering the facility would know that they were not getting comprehensive, accurate, medical advice.Well, we knew it was too good to be true.
Freed up from their recent attempt to hijack health care reform, the leadership of the Catholic Church is at it again. Yesterday, the Archdiocese of Baltimore filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming that the ordinance violates church members' rights to freedom of speech and religion.
A spokesman for the anti-abortion Center for Pregnancy Concerns expressed disappointment that the government was not supporting their "sacrificial efforts" and that "[their] stand for life draws opposition."
Let's be quite clear, here: it's not the stance that of these Centers that is the issue in this particular case. It's the fact that they pose as a clinic. They act as though they are qualified to dole out medical advice to vulnerable women. All the signs do is ensure that women that do go to a crisis pregnancy center do so knowing the types of services that will be available to them at that facility; nothing more and nothing less. I sincerely hope that this lawsuit will find in favor of the city.
Truth be told, it's about ending the deception. If these Centers are proud of their services, they should be proud to call them what they are, rather than misleading women as to what they are not.
Want to get involved with ending the CPC masquerade in your community? Check out our Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics!
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