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The A/G says any hospital that receives public funds and births babies, must also abort babies that are unwanted.
Ferguson says, "I fully expect all public hospital districts to comply with this opinion."
"This opinion" impacts a growing trend in Washington because many small local hospitals are choosing to affiliate with larger health organizations, including Catholic-affiliated Peace Health and Providence Health and Services.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has said church-affiliated hospitals cannot perform abortions, are restricted in contraceptive services and cannot assist in patient suicide.
Catholic hospitals have been established in most cases because of their belief in the sanctity of life and a call to serve people. These hospitals have lived out the Hippocratic Oath to the benefit of all society.
This is a critical matter for healthcare in the state. And for religious freedom.
It is also an illustration of how decisions have consequences.
Under the terms of I-120, adopted by voters in 1991, a public hospital "may not provide maternity care without abortion and birth control."
In the run up to the vote on this Initiative, I interviewed the late Seattle attorney Skeeter Ellis on my television program.
He was outraged that such an initiative might be passed by the legislature. And he was predicting the outcomes we are experiencing today.
I-120 is one of the most sweeping abortion rights law in the country.
In fact it became law 21 years after Washington voted to legalize abortion in 1970---3 years before Roe v. Wade.
The Seattle PI reports that I-120 declares that Washington residents have a "fundamental right to choose or refuse" contraception or abortion, and prohibits the state from discriminating against the exercise of these rights in the "regulatory or provision of benefits, facilities, services or information."
And it requires that if the state (including public hospital districts) provides maternity care services or information, it must furnish "substantially equivalent benefits, services or information" regarding abortion and birth control.
The question for the Attorney General should be: "What constitutes 'substantially equivalent benefits'?"
Providence has recently entered into an affiliation with Swedish Medical Center. A few months ago when the merger was announced, Swedish said they would abide by the Providence policies and not do abortions.
There is going to be a number of other recent affiliations affected by this "opinion" by the A/G.
And that affects a large number of people statewide.
The ACLU is, of course, hailing the "opinion" as giving clear guidance.
Planned Parenthood says, "Today's opinion ensures that in Washington's public hospitals, women are entitled to receive the care they need without interference by religious doctrine."
Religious doctrine? Interference? Where do they think these hospitals came from? Who do they think sacrificially built them?
The answer is religious people. Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Adventists and a score of other pro-life groups and churches.
Millions of Americans have made their way to these religiously oriented hospitals for generations, not concerned that they do not kill unwanted babies, but thankful that they heal the broken and bruised among us.
Now that these institutions are established, secular progressives are co-opting them to advance a secular, anti-life philosophy and agenda.
The agenda? No killing of the unwanted babies---no money to heal the sick.
Believing in the sanctity of life is hardly equivalent to "religious doctrines." And these folks never allow life to get in the way of so-called "choice"?
Christian doctrines do not condone the aborting of unwanted babies because life is not a "doctrine," it is truly a "right."
It appears this leaves the religiously affiliated hospitals that have ministered to the medical needs of all people from the beginning of our country in a very tough place. With several choices that are actually not choices at all.
1. Stop birthing babies.
2. Change your religious beliefs to conform to those of the secular progressive community.
3. Stop receiving any public funds. And, oh, by the way--good luck.
4. Close the doors of the hospital.
In our secular culture dominated by secular progressives in this state, it seems advancing their secular doctrines of devaluing life is every bit as important to the secularists as those Christian beliefs in the sanctity of life that keep "interfering" with the long secular, cultural Marxist march through our institutions.
At some point America is going to stand up and say, "No." Stop the parade and stop the charade. Let's embrace common sense and the Judeo-Christian values that caused this country to become the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world.
I personally believe we are approaching that time.
It will begin as a spiritual renewal, that will flow to a cultural restoration.
Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.