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Christianity Today, March, 2009 |

Conscience Clashes

Christian health workers just want to follow their religious beliefs.

Ken Walker | posted 2/16/2009 10:29AM

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A University of Chicago medical ethicist warns that forcing doctors to perform certain procedures or letting patients' demands usurp physicians' judgment can foster distrust, erode the possibility of conscientious practice, and pit doctors and patients against each other.

Farr Curlin, an associate at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, said these controversies aren't about rights, but about doctors refusing to take unethical action while meeting ethical obligations.

"The obligation to practice conscientiously is the obligation on which all other medical ethics are built," Curlin said. "I don't think it's been demonstrated, or can be, that [doctors] have taken on a commitment to provide or participate in the full range of legal interventions that people may lawfully seek."

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March 2009, Vol. 53, No. 3

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Sheri T.

Posted: February 18, 2009 12:36 PM

So Louise Melling said, "You can't deny people the basic health care that brought them in the door." Since when is dispensing emergency contraception or inseminating a lesbian, or perhaps euthanasia, abortion etc. "basic health care"? There aren't too many ethical issues involved in truly basic health care. Those types of health/choice issues are usually financially not an option for those who only get "basic" health care (Medicaid) from the govt.

Chris

Posted: February 18, 2009 8:43 AM

As a RN I choose to work in a health center that represents my same views. Then I do not have to participate in health care processes that I do not agree with like abortion. However I work in a large city with many health care centers to choose to work for. I believe that if someone does not want to dispense the medications that cause aborting a baby then they shouldn't have to. It is up to the patient to find a provider who will give him or her what they (patients) want.

Tim Schutte

Posted: February 18, 2009 6:27 AM

In this NATION everyone has a right to practice any Religion they want. In this NATION we should have the right to bring that Religion to our work place. However the courts have ruled that it can NOT be in any Government. We can NOT have prayers in Schools, Judges can NOT have the 10 commandments in their court rooms. If a person owns a business they should have the right to run the business as they see fit provided it does not Discriminate because of Race, Religion, Gender, or National Origin. If Christian Business owners do not want to sell any product that goes against their Religious Believes they should have the right not to do it. There are other places that will sell the items so why FORCE any Business Owner to sell something they do not want to carry? The Government has already taken ENOUGH of our FREEDOM OF CHOICE, why do we support any additional goverenment restriction is hard for me to understand. What if the FREEDOM up for discussion was one that YOU had to give up?

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