An infected boil on the face of decency

Every now and then I read a headline that chills me to the bone. Here is one:

Michigan Preparing To Let Doctors Refuse To Treat Gays

The bill allows health care workers to refuse service to anyone on moral, ethical or religious grounds.

The Republican dominated House passed the measure as dozens of Catholics looked on from the gallery. The Michigan Catholic Conference, which pushed for the bills, hosted a legislative day for Catholics on Wednesday at the state Capitol.

The bills now go the Senate, which also is controlled by Republicans.

The Conscientious Objector Policy Act would allow health care providers to assert their objection within 24 hours of when they receive notice of a patient or procedure with which they don't agree. However, it would prohibit emergency treatment to be refused.

The key bit of the bill is as follows:

Sec. 5. (1) A health care provider may assert as a matter of conscience an objection to providing or participating in a health care service that conflicts with his or her sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.

There are other bills that would exempt health insurers or health facilities from providing or covering a health-care procedure that violated ethical, moral or religious principles reflected in their bylaws or mission statement.

The level of denial, hypocrisy, blasphemy, groupthink, it takes to create and pass such abhorrent legislation is a mystery of evil. What is the appeal here for people of good faith and mercy? Did they direct their donations to tsunami aid towards only those of the appropriate sexual orientation? This is profoundly corrupt.