Great... just what I need my "spirit" cured.

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Great... just what I need my "spirit" cured.

Religious bias colors doctors' views: survey

By Julie SteenhuysenMon Apr 9, 4:25 PM ET

Few topics are more likely to cause argument among doctors than the influence of religion on healing, but a survey suggests most physicians bring their ideas about religion into their practice, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Physicians have been debating studies about the influence of religion and spirituality on patient health for more than a decade, but little consensus has emerged.

A new study may give clues about why, said Dr. Farr Curlin, a University of Chicago researcher whose findings appear in this week's Archives of Internal Medicine,

Curlin and colleagues surveyed U.S. doctors about their views on religion and spirituality and healing and found a strong association between physicians' views and their own religious beliefs.

"This is yet more evidence that doctors are not just objective, neutral scientists. Their religious or secular commitments influence the way they respond to patients and the way they interpret data," Curlin said in a telephone interview.

Curlin and colleagues mailed a survey in 2003 to a random sample of 2,000 practicing U.S. doctors aged 65 or younger from all specialties. Some 63 percent responded and the average age of respondents was 49.

They found that 85 percent of those surveyed believe religion or spirituality is generally positive, but only 6 percent say it often changes "hard" medical outcomes, reflecting some sort of miraculous healing.

About three quarters of those surveyed say spirituality helps patients cope and believe it gives them a positive state of mind. About 7 percent, however, said it often causes negative emotions such as guilt and anxiety and some 4 percent think patients use spirituality to avoid taking responsibility for their health.

Doctors who are most religious are more likely to see the positive influence of religion on their patients.

These physicians are much more likely to report that their patients bring up religion and issues of spirituality. They are much more likely to say religion has a strong influence on health and to interpret religion and spirituality in positive rather than negative ways.

"Physicians' notions about the relationships between religion and spirituality and patients' health are strongly associated with physicians' own religious characteristics," Curlin's team wrote.

Based on the findings, the researchers said doctors should be aware that their own views of religion could influence how they provide care and patients should take note of their doctors' biases.

"Their doctor's own religious beliefs will influence how the doctor responds to the patient's spiritual concerns," Curlin said.


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This article got me

This article got me wondering, has anyone here personally experienced this or heard of anyone that has? I remember a news story about a pharmacist that refused to fill a prescription for the morning after pill due to his beliefs. I do not remember the outcome but will try to google the story.

 

Is it acceptable for a health care worker to put his/her religious beliefs ahead of the care of the patient? They are human and entitled to their beliefs and other industries are required to conform to an individual's beliefs. How far does freedom of religion reach?


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BGH wrote: Religious

BGH wrote:

Religious bias colors doctors' views: survey


 

Just one more reason to validate my thought that we should have a list of all atheist doctors. I know people who have been denied birth control and appropriate medical care b/c of the doctor's religion and opposition to gays and lesbians. Laura McPhee's wonderful award-winning article that you MUST read is called The Conscience Clause. It talks about how some women here in Indiana have been forced to have children they can't care for because they don't have $$ for abortion or access to the morning after pill because pharmacists refuse to give it to them. One woman said the pharmacist called her a baby killer in front of a crowd of people. She had just been raped by her husband she was leaving. Another refused to give a young woman her birth control pills unless she brought her husband with her (she was a virgin and prescribed it for regulating her period). It's creating a huge problem. Many states state have this law that says if it's against the doctor's religion they don't have to treat you. The hippocratic oath is looking more like the hypocritical oath. 

Flemming Rose: “When [christians] say you are not showing respect, I would say: you are not asking for my respect, you are asking for my submission….”


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Doctors and pharmacists are

Doctors and pharmacists are entitled to their beliefs until it infringes on my right of comprehensive medical care and knowing all the options.

Articles regarding this: 

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3 

Number 4 

 

The doctor has the right not to go against their beliefs, but should be required to direct the patient to another physician who may help. 

 

 


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jce wrote: This article

jce wrote:

This article got me wondering, has anyone here personally experienced this or heard of anyone that has? I remember a news story about a pharmacist that refused to fill a prescription for the morning after pill due to his beliefs. I do not remember the outcome but will try to google the story.

 

Is it acceptable for a health care worker to put his/her religious beliefs ahead of the care of the patient? They are human and entitled to their beliefs and other industries are required to conform to an individual's beliefs. How far does freedom of religion reach?

 

Read the article I linked to below called The Conscience Clause. You'll be repulsed. In another article called 10 ways Indiana lawmakers want to send you to hell, to jail or both Laura McPhee discusses what lawmakers called the "Petition to Parentage" act (among others) which would only let married couples who adhered to strict guidelines including a "mainstream religion" would be given a petition to reproduce using artificial methods. If the doctor performed the act w/o the petition he'd be sent to prison, the mother would be locked up and the child taken from her. These people nutcases really are straight out of the dark ages.   

Flemming Rose: “When [christians] say you are not showing respect, I would say: you are not asking for my respect, you are asking for my submission….”


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Lynette, Both articles

Lynette,

Both articles disgusted me to the point of wanting to give my dinner back. This country and some states seem to be moving more and more towards theocracy, freedom of religion as long as it is conventional religion. Non-believers... not allowed. 


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Lynette1977 wrote: Read the

Lynette1977 wrote:
Read the article I linked to below called The Conscience Clause. You'll be repulsed. In another article called 10 ways Indiana lawmakers want to send you to hell, to jail or both Laura McPhee discusses what lawmakers called the "Petition to Parentage" act (among others) which would only let married couples who adhered to strict guidelines including a "mainstream religion" would be given a petition to reproduce using artificial methods. If the doctor performed the act w/o the petition he'd be sent to prison, the mother would be locked up and the child taken from her. These people nutcases really are straight out of the dark ages.

 

I just finished reading both and I am...sick, numb, depressed and repulsed. What in the hell has happened? F*ck Bush! How on earth does that happen in this day and age?  I read the article on Indiana and felt extremely thankful that I do not live there. Then I read the other one and (not to sound like sugarfree) just cried. Horrifying. I will circulate those articles to as many of my friends as I can. Theists or not, they will feel the same as I do.  Thank you for the links.  BGH, I will also provide the links you posted for the same reason.


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Lynette1977 wrote: Read the

Lynette1977 wrote:
Read the article I linked to below called The Conscience Clause. You'll be repulsed. In another article called 10 ways Indiana lawmakers want to send you to hell, to jail or both Laura McPhee discusses what lawmakers called the "Petition to Parentage" act (among others) which would only let married couples who adhered to strict guidelines including a "mainstream religion" would be given a petition to reproduce using artificial methods. If the doctor performed the act w/o the petition he'd be sent to prison, the mother would be locked up and the child taken from her. These people nutcases really are straight out of the dark ages.  

 I just read it, I'm shocked. Never thought it would get that bad here in Indiana.


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noor wrote: Lynette1977

noor wrote:

Lynette1977 wrote:
Read the article I linked to below called The Conscience Clause. You'll be repulsed. In another article called 10 ways Indiana lawmakers want to send you to hell, to jail or both Laura McPhee discusses what lawmakers called the "Petition to Parentage" act (among others) which would only let married couples who adhered to strict guidelines including a "mainstream religion" would be given a petition to reproduce using artificial methods. If the doctor performed the act w/o the petition he'd be sent to prison, the mother would be locked up and the child taken from her. These people nutcases really are straight out of the dark ages.

I just read it, I'm shocked. Never thought it would get that bad here in Indiana.

So let me understand this correctly ~ they want to criminalize blow jobs in Indiana?

HHmm. I wonder how many of those politicians have been breaking the law there.

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I dealt with a fundy

jce wrote:
This article got me wondering, has anyone here personally experienced this or heard of anyone that has?

I dealt with a fundy psychiatrist once. I ate her liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti....slurrrp. (Well, I wish I could have at least slapped her.)

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Susan wrote: So let me

Susan wrote:
So let me understand this correctly ~ they want to criminalize blow jobs in Indiana? HHmm. I wonder how many of those politicians have been breaking the law there.

 

I was wondering the same thing as I was reading it.  Don't think those guys had their thinking caps on....you would think at least one of them would have stood up and said, "Hey, wait just a goshdang minute!  It is hard enough to convince my wife to do this now!"  Then again, it probably isn't their wives....hypocrites.


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jce wrote: Susan wrote: So

jce wrote:

Susan wrote:
So let me understand this correctly ~ they want to criminalize blow jobs in Indiana? HHmm. I wonder how many of those politicians have been breaking the law there.

 I was wondering the same thing as I was reading it. Don't think those guys had their thinking caps on....you would think at least one of them would have stood up and said, "Hey, wait just a goshdang minute! It is hard enough to convince my wife to do this now!" Then again, it probably isn't their wives....hypocrites.

Well, most politicians have that "invinsible" syndrome. They don't think they will get caught. 


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BGH wrote: Well, most

BGH wrote:

Well, most politicians have that "invinsible" syndrome. They don't think they will get caught.

That's probably because they make the gal get into the kneewell of their desk.  Innocent

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Susan wrote: BGH

Susan wrote:
BGH wrote:

Well, most politicians have that "invinsible" syndrome. They don't think they will get caught.

That's probably because they make the gal get into the kneewell of their desk. Innocent

Or drive her into a lake like one very long term senator who had a president brother. 


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BGH wrote: Susan

BGH wrote:
Susan wrote:
BGH wrote:

Well, most politicians have that "invinsible" syndrome. They don't think they will get caught.

That's probably because they make the gal get into the kneewell of their desk. Innocent

Or drive her into a lake like one very long term senator who had a president brother.

Some folks are bulletproof.  The "very long term senator" ran back to his hotel, called the spin doctors and it was about 12 hours before the authorities were notified.  If I remember correctly, it was very possible that the lady in question might have survived for quite some time in an air bubble.

I will tell a quick story.  I have a friend who is originally from Boston.  I asked how in the world anyone could vote for the senator.  She looked at me, wide-eyed and said, "But he's a Kennedy." 

I replied that he cheated on his wife, is reputed to be a cocaine user and left a girl to die in a sinking car.  Again, I asked, how could anyone vote for him.

And my friend said (no kidding, she really said this), "But he's a Kennedy." 

Totally blind to the truth like many theists, huh? 

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Susan wrote: I will tell a

Susan wrote:
I will tell a quick story. I have a friend who is originally from Boston. I asked how in the world anyone could vote for the senator. She looked at me, wide-eyed and said, "But he's a Kennedy."

I replied that he cheated on his wife, is reputed to be a cocaine user and left a girl to die in a sinking car. Again, I asked, how could anyone vote for him.

And my friend said (no kidding, she really said this), "But he's a Kennedy."

Totally blind to the truth like many theists, huh?

THAT,  is scary.

Very much like many theists!