Argumentative Essay: Religion In The Medical Field

A shocking number of people suffer and die because of the implementation of faith healing over medical treatment each year. Religion has been associated with medical treatments for hundreds of years; however, religion in the modern medical field has done nothing but impede the modern technological advances. Religion in the medical field causes many problems such as conflicts between the doctors and patients and getting in the way of medical research; however, many laws have been done about this issue in the past years.

Assisted suicide is where doctors partake in helping a patients end their lives because of an incurable disease by administering lethal drugs. Many religions are against assisted suicide. In most religions people that commit

Many pro-life supporters believe that it is inhuman to kill a human embryo, even to save or reduce suffering in existing human life. Embryo Research could greatly reduce suffering in human life by curing diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Another controversial issue is abortion. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy. In most cases this is within the first 28 weeks. Almost every religion worldwide does not rectify the act of abortion because they view every unborn human life as a gift from their God or gods.

There are many conflicts between patients and doctors regarding religion. Many doctors are faced with patients that request certain religious treatments. Some members of the Christian church try try to create conflict by advising patients to undergo tests or treatments that doctors do not recommend(Reches). However, patients are not the only problem. In some cases the doctor will withhold treatment options because of their morals or on personal beliefs, “these procedures [include] administering terminal sedation in dying patients, providing abortion for failed contraception, and prescribing birth control to adolescents without parental

“In 1944, the [United States] Supreme Court ruled that parental authority cannot interfere with a child’s welfare, even in cases of religious expression”(Wiesman). However, that has not stopped 38 states from creating religious exemptions. One exemption prevents Child Protective Services from investigating and monitoring cases of religion-based medical neglect (Weisman). Other laws that were put in place in the United States are to protect the doctors and patients; before, in the United States doctors were liable to be sued for things such as discrimination. Other countries have taken action regarding religious issues in the medical field such as Israel with the Israel’s Patients Rights Law which gives patients the right to choose among various treatment options both conventional and nonconventional. Israel is not the only place to take action regarding this issue; the United States has also implemented laws regarding the issue of religion in the medical field. Physicians in many states in America now are protected because of laws that allow them to refuse treatment that goes against their morals or personal