Discussion for article #246131
Government officials are right out. Businesses too are probably not legally covered by this act because of the 1960s civil rights legislation upheld by the courts. Yeah, I guess ministers of the cloth could discriminate based on their strongly held religious beliefs - and there are so many “rules” to pick and choose from to justify any bias!
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But fellow Republican Sen. Mark Green of Clarksville, another physician,
said he regularly refers patients seeking birth control elsewhere.
Someone should nail a sign to his office door that reads, “No Women or Gays Allowed.”
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WTF is wrong with these people? What if I posted my business’s door or window a sign that said “NO BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS, GUN TOTERS, ANTI-ABORTION ZEALOTS ALLOWED SERVICE OR ENTRANCE DUE TO MY DEEPLY-HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS”?
I’ll tell you what would happen. Locals turned away would vehemently complain to the city fathers, police and others in government to have me stop this practice. Why? Because I’m violating their deeply-held religious beliefs! No kidding.
Obviously, they never learned the meaning of the word…IRONY!
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I’ve sought treatment for severe depression several times, and as an atheist, it’s dispiriting when your therapist invokes god repeatedly when offering advice. I don’t know why every one I’ve seen relies on “jesus loves you” as the sole reason to keep going. Yeah… that just doesn’t work for me. For a more vulnerable person, being refused treatment because of religious beliefs could be emotionally devastating. Whatever happened to “First, do no harm?” I can’t believe we’re living in an era where it’s becoming okay again to pick and choose which segment of the “public” we will deign to serve.
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We’re talking about therapists and counsellors! Their patients, by definition, have serious issues many of which may not comport with “Christian” values. Do they want to help people or not? Do they even take their responsibilities and obligations seriously? This sounds like a violation of their professional creed.
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Counselors and therapists already have the right not to take someone on as a client. All this is doing is allowing bigots to hide behind their religious beliefs. BTW, if you are so easily offended by people who don’t believe as you do, you should go work for your church, and spare the general public your sensitivity and fragility.
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Geez —
They must REALLY like the scenery —
It’s the only road they want to take —
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Oh those Kinder & Gentler, Compassionate Con RepubliKKKlans’! What a bunch of scamps, huh? Just following the dictates of Republican Jesus!
Just wait til’ ol’ Jeebus’ shows up at the GOP convention:
Jesus: “Give up all you have and feed the poor…”
Security: "Everyone converge. There’s a damned long-haired Socialist in a fuking dress that has invaded us."*
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If only there was an easily recognized set of symbols that Tennessee therapists could display to indicate what types of people they would refuse to serve.
For example, if you felt that working with Jews was an affront to your religious beliefs, you could display a symbol that would make your stance clear to all who saw your ads or came to your office.
You would want some simple, but distinctive, graphic. I don’t know if there is something that would work well for that.
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It probably speaks volumes should a “minister” refuse to help someone in need. Yeah, that’s clearly way outside the bounds of the teachings of Jesus. As I recall, he was pretty adamant that the first step is to judge the person before you have any contact with them. I think the next step was to determine if they have any money. If they pass those tests, then I guess it’s okay.
I’m pretty sure all that’s in the Bible…or at least the version of the Bible the fundies use. Oddly, I have both the King James and the RSV…and I can’t find it in either of those.
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I have made my living as a therapist for 35 years (LMFT in CA) . I am agnostic, but I go to a Unitarian church for their warmth and social justice activism and consider myself left of left. I RARELY indicate my politics to clients. I have successfully provided psychotherapy to some very conservative people and born-agains. I am not obliged to see everyone who shows up at my door. If I am not the right therapist for them because their religion or politics prevents them from making use of what I offer, my obligation is to help them find a compatible therapist.
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Christian folks are so fussy!
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I retired after 25 years as a psychotherapist. I was often asked about my personal beliefs and was careful to make it clear that they were not relevant to my practice.
Little boy, little girl bigots got their feeling hurt, in my state…surprise not, and now they want to hurt everyone of their fellow citizens in return.
But fellow Republican Sen. Mark Green of Clarksville, another physician, said he regularly refers patients seeking birth control elsewhere.
Then Mark , put a notice on your office to that effect . It will save you having to refer patients .
Hey, here’s an idea. How about a yellow armband with the Star of David on it? Maybe this video will show you the depths to which the Republicans have sunk to.