Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on March 10, 2010 at 5:20pm

It's not so much what we think of it personally as what the law says... We are a society which abides by law in these matters, and no one has brought anything concrete regarding the law.

I'd say if it's illegal then there, done, they should be charged and have their licence revoqued.
If it's legal, then we have to be looking at ways to change this...

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on February 23, 2010 at 2:10pm

I am ambivalent...

Tho I think it should be illegal, because it is not, I can put myself in the religious Dr shoes and say I won't.

IMO, before a medical doctor can receive his/her diploma, they should sign a clause with states:

"I swear that I will never use my personal beliefs (religious or social) to withhold any approved medical practices"

But I'm not sure something like that would fly, cuz in the end, don't we all have to right to control our own actions? If a woman can be trusted to choose abortion, then surely doctors can choose their actions as well.

I don't think present arguments have me 100% convinced on this matter.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on March 10, 2010 at 6:04pm

I can see if a doctor working at a hospital or general practitioner didn't want to perform abortions, I don't think they should have to. (And they can probably avoid it). Giving out medicine though...people could object to not just birth control but other medications like antidepressants or weight loss medicines, or they could be against most pharmaceutical medicines b/c they like some alternative treatment. Giving out medicines is the point where it's not the doctor making a choice, but the person interfering with someone else's choice. This is also not just doctors but pharmacy employees.

Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on March 7, 2010 at 9:21am

Good question, Sarah. Doctors' letting their personal religious beliefs interfere with helping people is intolerable.

I am appalled that doctors can legally deny people their prescriptions...

Are you sure about this? To my mind it touches on the answer. Any doctor or pharmacist who denies birth control or abortion therapy should be thrown out of the profession.

It gets me mad also. It's so arrogant and narrow-minded.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Nicole on March 10, 2010 at 4:29pm

I believe, but may be wrong, that they are required to direct you to someone who is willing to give the prescription. It's a major PITA when it comes to those who live in rural areas and have to travel ridiculous distances to find an accomodating doctor or pharmacist.

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on March 7, 2010 at 9:45am

If any given doctor or pharmacist wishes to practice exclusionary medicine based on their personal or biblical beliefs, they should be required by law to say so publicly in their advertisements and any public representation of their business, much like cigarettes must now come with warning labels on the packs. It may be that they will garner patients from their own ilk while at the same time losing those patients who wish complete care and availability of drugs. This is not a circumstance which should be hidden, a "gotcha" which is only discovered AFTER one attempts to obtain service.

These are their beliefs and modus operandi - they should be utterly above board about it.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on March 10, 2010 at 5:59pm

That's a good idea--if we can't change this law that pharmacists are allowed to refuse birth control, we should at least get that stipulation so people know which pharmacies to avoid.

Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on March 8, 2010 at 9:39am

This is an OUTRAGE! How in the world can someone say they are pro-life and refuse birth control to women! It's forcing pregnancy on women which will, in turn, lead to more abortions!

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Nicole on March 10, 2010 at 4:30pm

Because you only got pregnant because God willed it. >.X

Permalink Reply by Clarence Dember on March 9, 2010 at 1:45pm

Freedom of religious practice does interfere with the judgments of people in positions of public trust. Such doctors and medical practitioners should offer a referral to a more appropriate source of health care services when this kind of an ethical problem surfaces. Religious gate keepers and standard bearers have no place in the medical professions. If the legal system protects religious gate keepers and standard bearers who offer their professional services to the public outside of their congregations, we live in a stealth theocracy! Physicians are not clergy. So, It looks like we do live in a stealth theocracy.

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