[Rhodes22-list] Politics - The Camel's Nose Is Well Inside TheTent

[Robert Skinner]

Hank,

I'd hardly regard a pregnancy as an inconvenience.  In many 
cases, it is a disaster.  Even in the best of circumstances,
it is a lot of work, worry, and discomfort, to say the least.

As a pregnancy is literally putting your life on the line,
the option of having a ready-to-hand safety net when one
suffers a "clothing malfunction" is not just a matter of 
convenience.

As there are many parts of the country where pharmacies are 
far between, and transportation is often a problem for those
who can least afford to get pregnant, there is a case for 
requiring religion-free dispensation.

And, when it comes to these matters, the decision belongs to
the woman.  You have no dog in this fight.

I question your analogy.

/Robert
------------------------------------------------------------
Hank wrote:
> 
> Dave,
> 
> As I understand it, the RU84 (did I get that right) is a morning after
> contraceptive.  Hardly a treatment for a serious medical condition.  Would
> you extend your line of reasoning to the point that all OB/GYN doctors must
> perform abortions?  The type of treatments that the pharmacists are refusing
> to treat or support are these same type of convenience treatments, not those
> requiring treatment for a detrimental disease.
> 
> Hank
> 
> On 10/26/06, DCLewis1 at aol.com <DCLewis1 at aol.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hank,
> >
> > As you point out, there's a lot to be said for letting you decide how
> > to  run
> > your business, but clearly, that can be taken too far.  Society
> > has  decided,
> > for better or worse, that you can't discriminate based on race,
> > color,  sex,
> > religious convictions, physical handicaps, sexual orientation, and
> > the  list
> > may go on.  We can discuss the reasonableness of those laws, but they  are
> > generally accepted laws.   All we need is for a guy like  Rummy to step
> > forward
> > and claim that drunkeness is part of his religious  conviction and there's
> > a
> > case against the hapless Somali cab driver he wants to  hit, and I suspect
> > Rummy
> > would win big time (certainly by Somali cab driver  standards).
> >
> > >From my perspective, Moslem cab drivers are a zit to this  problem.  The
> > real
> > problem is born again Christian doctors and pharmacists  that deny
> > service.
> > They are licensed to be in business by the public,  they are tightly
> > regulated
> > and they benefit greatly from that regulation  and licensing.  I think is
> > reasonable to expect them to provide the service  they have represented
> > they
> > would provide, without discrimination.  If a  person were in physical
> > distress, I
> > think it's unreasonable that they be denied  service because the medical
> > practitioner decided the person was a "good person"  or "bad person", or
> > the
> > disease or affliction at issue was gods revenge, or any  other hare
> > brained reason.
> > If they want to pass judgement on people,  diseases, conditions, and/or
> > approved drugs they should be  philosophers or ethicists; if they want to
> > practice
> > medicine they should be  doctors or pharmacists.  The individual has a
> > choice,
> > but having made that  choice and represented that they would provide a
> > service (which is an  implicit part of their licensing) they are committed
> > to
> > provide the service  without discrimination to the best of their ability.
> >
> > I see the whole issue as just another kind of discrimination based on
> > religious convictions.
> >
> > Just my opinion.
> >
> > Dave
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >
> __________________________________________________
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-- 
Robert Skinner         Coordinates N43° 41.330', W70° 24.889'
"Squirrel Haven", 9 Gateway Commons, Gorham, Maine 04038-1331
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