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TheMastersNemesis

(10,602 posts)
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:12 AM Mar 2016

Can An LGBT Person Be Denied Medical Care From A Christian Practitioner Under Belief Laws.

Now that Georgia as well as other states are entertaining "religious belief" law that say that a person of faith can deny services to LGBT individuals or those they do not approve of on moral grounds what would be the limits of that law. Would these Christians or others of faith be protected if they refused even life saving care.

So if Christians refuse to serve those they do not approve of how would they react if a Moslem would not treat a Christian or a Hindu wold not treat a Moslem. These new attempts to persecute gays can have many unintended consequences. These laws must be unconstitutional.

When we start to parse public service that should be available to all regardless of race, color or creed, then we are dying as a civil society. And we end up no better than what is happening in the Middle East where believing in the wrong religion will get you killed.

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Can An LGBT Person Be Denied Medical Care From A Christian Practitioner Under Belief Laws. (Original Post) TheMastersNemesis Mar 2016 OP
That would be very unchristian behavior. N/t Ghost Dog Mar 2016 #1
yes dlwickham Mar 2016 #2
The GA law just has to do with sacraments and religious services, also employment at church orgs Yo_Mama Mar 2016 #3
God, I fucking hope not! Aristus Mar 2016 #4
I should think religious doctrine would not apply... Wounded Bear Mar 2016 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author Missn-Hitch Mar 2016 #7
I will never visit any state with such a law. Agnosticsherbet Mar 2016 #5

dlwickham

(3,316 posts)
2. yes
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:18 AM
Mar 2016

it happened a few years ago in Michigan

a pediatrician refused to treat the child of two lesbians; the state was okay with it; can't remember if the state medical association did anything though

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
3. The GA law just has to do with sacraments and religious services, also employment at church orgs
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:32 AM
Mar 2016

This is the text of the bill as passed.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20152016/161054.pdf

The major provisions:
A) Religious functionaries may not be required to conduct ceremonies, administer sacraments, or perform rites if that would conflict with their religion (this does not apply to public officials).
B) Any INDIVIDUAL cannot be forced by government to attend any rite or sacrament.
C) A business which operates on a Saturday or Sunday is required to make all reasonable accommodation for employees for whom that is a religious day.
D) Businesses may not be required by any state or local government to operate on Saturday or Sunday (or both).
E) Faith-based organizations (def. as church, assoc. of churches, religious school, etc) may not be required to rent property to anyone if it would be used for a purposed which violated a tenet of faith or belief, nor may they be forced to provide charitable, social or educational services to anyone if it would violate a tenet of faith or belief, UNLESS said organization is providing those services under contract from government.
F) No faith-based org may be required to hire an employee if doing so would violate a tenet of belief, but this is expressly limited by obligations in the GA Constitution, the United States Constitution and federal law. In other words, this does not change the employment law with respect to religious organizations, which allows non-employment of teaching/ministerial employees for reasons of faith, but not non-employment of non-religious duty staff (like janitor, cook, nurse, etc).

This is not a law that will change anything much. Under the US Constitution, federal law and federal cases, the government can't force a clergyman/minister to do anything religious. The government can require such a person to mow his lawn, or cause it to be mowed, but not to bless the mower. Same for individuals.

The only possible conflict remaining with federal law would be the rental provision, I think.

Aristus

(66,310 posts)
4. God, I fucking hope not!
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:36 AM
Mar 2016

I'm a Christian, and to refuse to treat any patient, for any reason, based on race, color, religion, sexual orientation, eye color, whatever, is astoundingly unethical, and also un-Christian.

Wounded Bear

(58,634 posts)
6. I should think religious doctrine would not apply...
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 01:36 AM
Mar 2016

as doctors are bound by the Hippocratic Oath, are they not?

Apparently this isn't really about doctors treating patients, from above posting, but still, the very idea of a doctor refusing needed treatment is very disturbing.

Response to Aristus (Reply #4)

Agnosticsherbet

(11,619 posts)
5. I will never visit any state with such a law.
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 01:00 AM
Mar 2016

To the best of my ability I will not purchase products from those states.

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