Religious Beliefs vs. Medical Ethics: Navigating the Intersection

Abstract

Introduction As far as human suffering is concerned, two critical responses are bound to intersect. These are religion and medicine. In some cases, the values of medicine and religion align and work harmoniously. Still, many conflicts are experienced in some instances, which leaves the medical practitioners and the patients at a standoff. In some cases, patients are equipped with beliefs that may conflict with the physicians, and also, physicians could have beliefs that may not go well with the patients, but at the end of the day, doctors must do the right thing. This essay explores some confrontations that may be encountered between religion and medicine and intends to come with suggestions on how health care practitioners can effectively respond to them. Medical staff is accustomed to working with patients from different religious backgrounds and social and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, medical practitioners must always handle all patients with dignity and professionalism. Besides all, regardless of the patients' experience, medical officers must respect patients' beliefs. Still, the doctor must be aware of the patient's care and be guided by ethics. Under all circumstances, the medical staff should always avoid legal processes (Eichelman, 2007). In some cases, the medical team has been caught up in situations that place them in religious implications that sometimes contradict their concerns and points of view. In recent years, advancement in the medical industry has led to debates that have focused on ethics and practices associated with various patients' wishes. Among these includes patients' accords on issues like abortions, euthanasia and allowing people to deal with dignity, prolonging the life of terminally ill persons, and performances of post-mortems of dead bodies (Chaet, 2018). Such debates have aided in shedding light on the differences between religious beliefs and medical practices. On the one hand, the patient’s wishes have to be respected, while on the other hand, the medical staff must do what is ethical, bearing in mind the core value of the medical vocation. Medical professionals must never forget that among their duties is to save lives, reduce suffering, and honor human life and dignity (Green, 2013). Some of these debates have forced religious scholars and men of the cloth to intervene from different faiths as per the established norms based on the interpretations of various holy books concerning human life, human suffering, preservation of life, and end of life. In all circumstances, whenever out-of-the-ordinary decisions or procedures have to be made on a patient, the medical professionals must ensure that the patient submits to informed consent. In some instances, informed consent is usually mistaken for approval or refusal of proposed medical interventions on services or procedures that medical staff may opt to carry on a patient. Such may include surgery, anesthesia administration, and other advanced medical procedures like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Medically, a patient must be aware and agree to the procedures that a doctor intends to carry out on them. In some instances, other family members must be involved, and conflicts arise at this juncture. For example, in the Muslim religion, a married lady must need consent approval from a spouse concerning their reproductive systems. In emergencies, medical staff might find themselves in a dilemma whereby the spouse is out of reach, and an emergency procedure needs to be done to save a life. The American Medical Association guidelines direct that a physician must communicate factual information to the patient for transparency and the sake of consent. In any medical procedure, the patient and close relatives have a right to know information regarding diagnosis, the nature of the treatment to be carried upon, risks involved in the treatment of any and possible alternatives (Chaet, 2018). Additionally, the doctor should communicate to the patient risks involved if the desired treatment is not administered. In some instances, therefore, the patient could not be in a position to consent and, therefore, may involve other people. In most cases, patient consent is considered best, but still, there has to be an...