Here is an interesting subject for discussion:
Workers' Religious Freedom vs. Patients' Rights

Although it would be nice to see the text of the actual proposal, it is still an intersting subject, IMHO.

Medical workers and researchers have rights as do all citizens. Additionally, those practicing medicine are bound to their practice by their oath, and oath that requires them to put patients’ health above all else especially when harm is involved. Patients have rights as well. When do the patient’s rights in non-critical and non-acute health issues trump the rights of researchers and those practicing medicine, if ever? Could this set an unattractive precedent?

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

I don't think the individual should be forced to do these things if they have a strong and legitimate objection to it. However, I do think the medical institution that they work for should be forced to provide these services, ensuring that they have employees without these objections on their staff, when reasonable.

It's a difficult one though, especially when you're talking about small places, such as a pharmacy run by one or two people, both with the same objections. Though, I'm not sure about this, would pharmacies get federal funding? What places would and would not get this funding?

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"Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men, will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone."

- John Maynard Keynes

They have a right not to work at a facility that practices medicine they religiously disagree with. I think the decision should be up to the facility to decide if they want to accomadate employees religious practices. And the federal govt should stop funding medical facilities alltogether. Can I religiously object to them spending my money on things I disagree with?

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http://www.fairtax.org

Elminate all taxes on income and replace with a national sales tax.

When one takes an oath as a practitioner of medicine, one loses the right to impose their religions beliefs on their patients.

I know, I've done it.

If one objects to, say, abortion, then one should not take a job where they would be involved in providing abortion services. And if one takes such a job and refuses to then do the job, they should expect to be fired on the spot.

Matt

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De duobus malis, minus est semper eligendum

Agreed. If you can't perform the treatment for the patient because of your religious views, it's time to find a new career.

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

It looks like Bush is trying to give conservative workers and excuse for being lazy and not doing their jobs...

INTERCOM: Paging Dr.Soandso, you're needed in surgery.

Dr. Soandso: I'm going on lunchbreak as part of my religion. Find somebody else.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

Just wait till the same principle extends elsewhere... "Oh I have moral objections to doing the work you hired me to do. Sorry, but you have to keep paying me anyway." Would you want to hear that from an employee?

"First, do no harm..."

Not in the oath but widely ascribed to and of the same era.


but lets take a look at that oath...

In the original Greek, it reads,
“ Ὄμνυμι Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν, καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν, καὶ Ὑγείαν, καὶ Πανάκειαν, καὶ θεοὺς πάντας τε καὶ πάσας, ἵστορας ποιεύμενος, ἐπιτελέα ποιήσειν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν ὅρκον τόνδε καὶ ξυγγραφὴν τήνδε.

Ἡγήσασθαι μὲν τὸν διδάξαντά με τὴν τέχνην ταύτην ἴσα γενέτῃσιν ἐμοῖσι, καὶ βίου κοινώσασθαι, καὶ χρεῶν χρηίζοντι μετάδοσιν ποιήσασθαι, καὶ γένος τὸ ἐξ ωὐτέου ἀδελφοῖς ἴσον ἐπικρινέειν ἄῤῥεσι, καὶ διδάξειν τὴν τέχνην ταύτην, ἢν χρηίζωσι μανθάνειν, ἄνευ μισθοῦ καὶ ξυγγραφῆς, παραγγελίης τε καὶ ἀκροήσιος καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ἁπάσης μαθήσιος μετάδοσιν ποιήσασθαι υἱοῖσί τε ἐμοῖσι, καὶ τοῖσι τοῦ ἐμὲ διδάξαντος, καὶ μαθηταῖσι συγγεγραμμένοισί τε καὶ ὡρκισμένοις νόμῳ ἰητρικῷ, ἄλλῳ δὲ οὐδενί.

Διαιτήμασί τε χρήσομαι ἐπ' ὠφελείῃ καμνόντων κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν, ἐπὶ δηλήσει δὲ καὶ ἀδικίῃ εἴρξειν.

Οὐ δώσω δὲ οὐδὲ φάρμακον οὐδενὶ αἰτηθεὶς θανάσιμον, οὐδὲ ὑφηγήσομαι ξυμβουλίην τοιήνδε. Ὁμοίως δὲ οὐδὲ γυναικὶ πεσσὸν φθόριον δώσω. Ἁγνῶς δὲ καὶ ὁσίως διατηρήσω βίον τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ τέχνην τὴν ἐμήν.

Οὐ τεμέω δὲ οὐδὲ μὴν λιθιῶντας, ἐκχωρήσω δὲ ἐργάτῃσιν ἀνδράσι πρήξιος τῆσδε.

Ἐς οἰκίας δὲ ὁκόσας ἂν ἐσίω, ἐσελεύσομαι ἐπ' ὠφελείῃ καμνόντων, ἐκτὸς ἐὼν πάσης ἀδικίης ἑκουσίης καὶ φθορίης, τῆς τε ἄλλης καὶ ἀφροδισίων ἔργων ἐπί τε γυναικείων σωμάτων καὶ ἀνδρῴων, ἐλευθέρων τε καὶ δούλων.

Ἃ δ' ἂν ἐν θεραπείῃ ἢ ἴδω, ἢ ἀκούσω, ἢ καὶ ἄνευ θεραπηίης κατὰ βίον ἀνθρώπων, ἃ μὴ χρή ποτε ἐκλαλέεσθαι ἔξω, σιγήσομαι, ἄῤῥητα ἡγεύμενος εἶναι τὰ τοιαῦτα.

Ὅρκον μὲν οὖν μοι τόνδε ἐπιτελέα ποιέοντι, καὶ μὴ ξυγχέοντι, εἴη ἐπαύρασθαι καὶ βίου καὶ τέχνης δοξαζομένῳ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐς τὸν αἰεὶ χρόνον. παραβαίνοντι δὲ καὶ ἐπιορκοῦντι, τἀναντία τουτέων.
”

Original, translated from Greek.[1]
“ I swear by Apollo, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath.

To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art.

I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death.

Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion.

But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.

I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.

In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.

All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.

If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.
”

[edit] The classical oath

A Nova translation of the Oath runs as follows:

I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepios and Hygeia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:

To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.

I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.

I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.

Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.

What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.

If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.

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Hope is the opposite of audacity. It's passive, an excuse for inaction.

Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

“What's the difference between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama?”

“One is a well turned-out, good-looking, and let's be honest, pretty sexy piece of eye-candy.

“The other kills her own food.”

Exactly...it's not like they don't have a choice.

The interesting part of this is that it sort of does what the Constitution says should be the case but in a backhanded way. I think I would prefer to not have this. Similarly I would object to any law that would require a worker to do things that interfere with their religion as thats the specific prohibition in the Constitution.

But as I've noted above, abortions are NOT ok if you're an Hippocratic Oath taker.

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Hope is the opposite of audacity. It's passive, an excuse for inaction.

Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

“What's the difference between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama?”

“One is a well turned-out, good-looking, and let's be honest, pretty sexy piece of eye-candy.

“The other kills her own food.”

Another silly election year wedge issue. Only a tiny fringe of health care workers think they have the right to dictate moral choices for patients and doctors routinely refuse to do procedures they don't believe are in the patient's best interest, without any liability. I say give them the protection they seek. That'll be the last we ever hear of it.

This is a complete non-issue.

Actually, it's not a non-issue. It is a proposal for federal regulations.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

I completely agree.

I think freedom of religion should be reserved for your own free time, not at work, and not to be enforced on others.

And as such within spitting distance of the 1st Amendment.

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Hope is the opposite of audacity. It's passive, an excuse for inaction.

Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

“What's the difference between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama?”

“One is a well turned-out, good-looking, and let's be honest, pretty sexy piece of eye-candy.

“The other kills her own food.”

Liberals only support Islam because they are pathological hate mongers.

There Christian masochists who hate everyone and everything thats not liberal and masochism is the golden rule to liberalism and religion.

C'mon they're pro choice and pro homosexuality and want to re-write all text... our Constitution is an injustice to society and they either ignore it or try to re-write it, then, bitch about how the evil republican GW is violating it... Hey liberals take a good fucking look in the mirror!

Can a sicilian man get away with talking that "garbage" or do I have to be black?

Yea my grandma was a "typical" Sicilian.

Someone needs to tell liberals that blacks only make up 12% of the mutherfucking population...Thats pretty hard to understand isnt it??? no its not 30% isnt 12% but thats OK.

You know who I love? "typical" black republicans.

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America’s political correctness is a disease that will bring down our once fine nation.