June 22, 2005
THEY'RE AMERICANS, AREN'T THEY?:
Doctors Say They're Spiritual (CBS News, June 22, 2005)
A survey examining religion in medicine found that most U.S. doctors believe in God and an afterlife - a surprising degree of spirituality in a science-based field, researchers say.In the survey of 1,044 doctors nationwide, 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife, and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine.
Posted by Orrin Judd at June 22, 2005 9:12 PM
What would lead a researcher to think that people who work with science shouldn't be spiritual? Don't they know anything about false dichotomies?
Posted by: Roy Jacobsen at June 23, 2005 9:08 AMAs I was being prepped for a minor surgical procedure, the surgeon asked if I minded his saying a short prayer. Although not a religious person, I joined hands with him and the others in the operating room him in asking for divine guidance.
I have no objections to people praying, but it did take me aback a little and I wondered if he ever got a negative reaction.
There are no atheists in foxholes. I haven't been to confession in years and years, but if I were going under the knife, you can bet your bippie that I'd hit the priest first for some good olf fashioned Sacrament of Reconcilliation.
Posted by: Governor Breck at June 23, 2005 11:43 AMI personally wouldn't be inspired with confidence if my doctor starts praying before he cuts me open.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at June 24, 2005 11:06 PMThen go to one who doesn't care how the operation turns out.
Posted by: oj at June 24, 2005 11:11 PMNo, I'd rather go to a doctor who has some confidence in their abilities.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at June 25, 2005 9:43 PMYou don't know many doctors, do you? The ones who think they are gods and don't need prayer are routinely incompetent butchers. Though perhaps for the sake of ideological purity that's what you'd prefer? Dr. Kevorkian works cheap...
Posted by: oj at June 25, 2005 10:28 PM