If you don’t believe in science…
…what are you doing working as a lab tech?
Several Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia employees were fired for refusing to get the seasonal flu vaccine… “I am a Christian, and my religion prohibits me from receiving vaccines,” said Tyrika Cowlay, who was a lab technician.
Anyone else see a problem here? Someone who is working in a children’s hospital (children are at the highest risk for fatalities for getting the Killer Pig Death Flu) refuses to be immunized, thus endangering the kiddies.
Except for the Christian Science folks (the power of prayer to heal), I don’t know of any mainstream Xristian sects that do off the deep end about medicine. I suppose this person can explain why it is that she works in a hospital but does not believe in medicine, but right off the bat, methinks she is in the wrong field. Maybe she can find a faith healer or other snake handler to give her gainful employment.
Sadly, she will probably get a lot of evangelical support saying it is religious discrimination that she is fired for endangering the kids at the hospital, when truthfully she is unwilling or unfit to do the job.
But that’s the state of play with the Xristian Xrazies and their persecution complex.
(HT: SkinnyDennis who found it on Bad Astronomy)
It sounds as if this person is a Jehovahs Witness. Mainline Christians have no problems with modern medicine.
Why do you hate Jesus?
PM
Any mainliners have problems with birth control? Morning after pill? Abortion to save mother’s life?
Thanks Padre – forgive my ignorance, but are the JWs considered mainstream? I thought that they were kind of off the beaten tracks.
For those of you who don’t know, Padre Mickey is an ordained Episcopal priest as well as a bonefide Rock Star. We’ve met in real life, and he’s about as cool as you can get.
Regards,
Tengrain
Oh yea. That’s right. They don’t believe in blood transfusions either. So when they’re laying there bleeding to death we can just wave bye bye. Idiots!
JWs are more like a sect.
I can’t speak for all Mainline Christians, Skinny Dennis, but I have no problem with birth control, morning after pills or abortion to save the mother’s life. I believe abortion is a decision only a woman can make, not me.
Told ya Padre is the Cat’s PJs.
Regards,
TG
PM
Cool.
Ten: Many years ago when I still lived in the s. jersey/phila area I recall that there was some small christian sect (not sure what kind, some evangelical types) who refused to get their kids immunized for measles. The city was going to force them because a) they put all children at risk and b) sadly, a couple of their kids died of the fucking measles. Fire them.
Well, there certainly seems to be enough JW’s around that I’ve worked with & had my door knocked upon by quite a few in my lifetime…and I’ve worked in your ‘usual’ corporations & lived in your ‘usual’ neighbourhoods.
As such…I have no patience for people with ‘restrictive’ faith beliefs choosing careers, especially care-givers, where they cannot fully complete their duties. If there is a conflict in any way…then do something else where no conflict would arise.
In kind, I could never get my head around the issue in the U.S. with pharmacists refusing to sell Plan B or birth control because of their ‘faith’…just crazy!!!
I’m familiar with the particulars of this case, but I suspect that the individuals involved are NOT Christian Scientists. While many Christian Scientists (along with many other people) make the choice not to have vaccinations, they are generally conscientious about obeying the law and with respecting the protocols in their places of work.
As a Christian Scientist and a parent of two young children, I’d also like to respond to previous comments dealing with children’s health care.
While Christian Scientists normally choose a path other than conventional medicine, this choice is not based on irrationality or blind faith. It instead reflects a systematic approach to prayer that has proven to be reliable and effective in the lives of those who practice it (in my own family’s case, for five generations). Most Christian Scientists would agree that when praying about a health issue (especially for a child) RESULTS MATTER and that in the absence of timely, tangible results a parent has an obligation to consider other means of treatment. Christian Scientists don’t believe or teach that their religion somehow exempts them from the legal and moral obligations that every parent has to provide the best possible care for their children. Indeed, I believe that most feel a heightened sense of this responsibility and consistently practice their faith within that context.
Thank your for your interesting blog and the opportunity to post this comment.
RAD -
Thank you for the counter-viewpoint. We welcome honest discussion here (as well as smart alec discussion).
Regards,
Tengrain