Comments on: Christian registrar wins case against workplace bullying

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:23:35 +0000

RG, there is a key to working out the details of the doctor and pharmacist ethical issues, which I submit are more life-and-death than cab driver issues. The key is natural law understanding of the purpose of medicine, as embodied in the Hippocratic Oath (in its older forms) and other philosophical writings. The purpose of medicine is to restore healthy, normal functioning and preserve life. Insulin restores healthy, normal functioning in a diabetic. Even Viagra can be said to restore healthy, normal functioning in some patients. But all forms of birth control, when used for the purpose of birth control, have as their intention the subversion of healthy, normal functioning of the reproductive system. The most extreme forms of this subversion, of course, involve the actual destruction of a life. The same logic would apply to so-called “sex change” operations, where you end up with not a sex change, but a chemically and surgically mutilated man or woman. There are numerous side arguments, consequentialist arguments, objective morality arguments, etc., but I would say the top-level sort has to do with the purpose of human medicine: either it’s just another trade where you give the customer whatever he pays for, or it actually has moral responsibilities to preserve life, health, and natural functioning of body systems, digestive, reproductive, or any other.

By: Steynian 198 « Free Mark Steyn!

Steynian 198 « Free Mark Steyn! — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:38:37 +0000

[...] CHRISTIAN REGISTRAR wins case against workplace bullying …. [...]

By: BillyHW

BillyHW — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:31:40 +0000

Don’t worry Alex, there will always be plenty of convenient outlets available to you so that you can stay a child forever.

By: BillyHW

BillyHW — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:08:50 +0000

RG, how is forcing a pharmacy owner to dispense poisons (and that is the difference between the BCP/Morning After Pill vs. your other examples of genuine medicines) any different from forcing Macleans to print Muslim propaganda?

The solution to these “problems” is simple: open up your own goddamned pharmacy or start your own godamned magazine. That’s how freedom works.

Just look at the company your keeping with this one.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:59:13 +0000

“So freedom of religion for everyone but pharmacists?”

It’s not a question of freedom of religion - it’s a question of doing your goddamn job. Should a Muslim cab driver be allowed to refuse passengers who have been drinking? Should he be allowed to refuse passengers with dogs?

What’s that, Bill? Speak up, I can’t hear you! “No”, you say? Well then, why should a pharmacist be allowed to refuse to serve you based on his or her religious beliefs?

Here’s a simple solution for ya: do your goddamn job, and keep your religion to yourself. If you REALLY have a problem with some aspect of your job, quit and find work elsewhere. Go be a priest for all I care. Nobody is forcing you to do anything which goes against your beliefs, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to allow your religious indoctrination to inconvenience me.

By: Right Girl

Right Girl — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:25:31 +0000

I think part of it Billy is that when you are studying pharmacology, you are well aware of the various drugs you will be expected to dispense. Viagara is a good example. Should the pharmacist-with-conscience be allowed to withhold if the patient isn’t wearing a wedding ring? How about the same regarding birth control pills? Can a modern-day pharmacist tell a fat person to eat less in order to control their diabetes, instead of dispensing insulin? What about penicillin for an STD - is that person too immoral to deserve treatment? Many of the pills and potions in existence today are made to reverse damage we do to ourselves with “immoral” behavior. I just don’t think it’s up to the pharmacist to decide.

By: BillyHW

BillyHW — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:16:31 +0000

The “morning after” pill works up to 72 hours after “unprotected” sexual intercourse.

Conception can occur in as little as 30 minutes.

Now is as good a time as any to work through those numbers in your own mind, for yourself.

But, on the other hand, I feel that pharmacists have an obligation to provide the morning after pill

So freedom of religion for everyone but pharmacists? And the government should tell the owners of private pharmacies how to run their businesses?