Such procedures may be legal. They may have been supported by ballot by a majority in the areas in question. But if a hospital is owned by or in partnership with the Church, such procedures might as well not even exist. And the Church owns or is in alliance with 12% of the hospitals in the nation — in some states (such as Washington) the number climbs to over 40%.
And, of course, unless you explicitly ask when you're go to such hospitals (or when the ambulance asks you where you want to go), you'd have no idea that was the case. Until, of course, you're that man who's suffering a terminal illness, or that woman who's been told that a miscarriage is a certainty but that nothing can be done until the fetal heartbeat stops, even if it's killing you in the meantime.
I'm sure that getting a lecture to help "appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering" is very nice, but it's not medical care.
One of the great objections people have to insurance companies and/or the government being involved in the health care world is the idea of someone other than a person and their physician interfering with their health care decisions. The same should obviously be a concern regarding interference by hospital administrators, hospital ERD-enforcing "ethical committees", and Catholic bishops.
Faith Healers by Cienna Madrid – Seattle Features – The Stranger, Seattle’s Only Newspaper
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What I found most disturbing wasn’t the abortion debate. I understand the religeous view against abortion- the idea the ‘soul’ enters the body at the moment of conception: as an atheist I think its nonsense, but I understand.
The frightening thing here is the ban on vasectomies, mirroring the ban on contraception. It is the heart of the Catholic view of sex – it isn’t fun (wrong) it’s for making babies only. You can’t debate a religeous position, especially one like this- it is blackand white for them.
What’s the view of the ‘mainstream’ US religeous right? I’ve never thought about it before, but it now occurs to me that as protestants theirs may be different
Well, that’s … complicated, @LH …
Of course, the Protestant Religious Right cannot mirror the Catholic attitude. That would be … well … papist.
And, yet, they do in so many ways. Sex Ed? “Just say No.” Contraception? Well, okay … if you’re an evil slut. Abortion? Not at all a conservative Protestant position until the GOP started courting the Catholics and the RR in the 70s.
These days, there’s very little to distinguish between them, so far as the GOP’s attitude is concerned. Sure, the Catholics will say it’s wrong because the Church says so, while Protestants will say it’s wrong because the Bible says so (far sketchier an attitude, but appealing to a more fundamental authority.
The (very sad) thing to realize about American religious attitudes is that they so very often, individually and corporately, reflect political attitudes, rather than the other way around. The incorporation of religious factions into the US body politic by the Republican Party in the 70s-80s is arguably the worst thing to happen to Christianity since Constantine had his vision about In Hoc Signo Vinces.
I once had a miscarriage and went to a Catholic hospital because that's where my insurance said to go. If someone I knew had the misfortune to have that happen to them, I would tell them they will get better medical care lying in a gutter. (Incidentally, the same hospital "forgot" my mother, long past her childbearing years, on a gurney in a hallway when she had kidney stones.)
I don't know if the hospital near me is Catholic, but they've got crosses and stuff on everything, so I just stopped going there. The doctors were rubbish anyway; one tried to diagnose an ulcer as an anxiety attack.
The clinic where I go has been purchased by a Catholic organization and there are crosses everywhere. (So weird to get medical care with little effigies of a guy being tortured to death on the wall) We have one non-Catholic hospital in town, where I always go when I need a hospital.
Frankly, I don't mind having little crosses hanging about. However, the morality of my choices regarding medical are is between me and the guy on said crosses, with my doctor consulting. I don't invite the local bishop into other moral decisions of mine, and if I want to consult him on medical treatment, I'm sure I can find is email.
When I had my son I went to the local Catholic hospital. I had excellent care there. When I had my daughter, I wanted my tubes tied so I had to go to the local "general" hospital. The care was adequate, but I wish I could have gone to the other hospital…but they don't believe in BC so I couldn't get my tubes tied there (I had a c-section and so it was easier to do it all at once). I have to say that the Catholic hospital was much nicer over all and updated and the nurses was outstanding. The religious icons don't bother me much…but maybe it is because I was born and raised in the Bible Belt, so it isn't new to me. Just decorations as far as I am concerned.
Now, come to find out that the "general" hospital is actually closing off many of their departments, including their maternity dept. The rumor is that they are actually going to close the hospital. I feel for all the women in the area that may need reproductive services other than pre/post natal care. The choices are the Catholic hospital or drive an hour or more to NJ or Philadelphia. I long for the day when old, crusty, religious white men will stop making the rules for everyone else's health and well-being.
I feel for all the women in the area that may need reproductive services other than pre/post natal care.
This is why I donate to Planned Parenthood. When I had military healthcare, there was only one women's health care provider at the base clinic and after waiting twelve weeks for an appointment I was dismissed by a nurse before even getting to see the doctor. Planned Parenthood got me in three days later and the doctor was correct that I had a vitamin deficiency, diagnosed with a basic blood test.
As a fellow contributor to Planned Parenthood, I second that suggestion, +Melissa Gutierrez