GuyLaroche,
I think you have a lot to learn about the field of medicine.
Are you aware that the Catholic Church treats 25% of the worlds AIDS patients? Further, are you aware that charitability is directly correlated with religiosity? The United States is far and away the most charitable country in the Western world. American citizens donate per capita and relative to income 6 times more than the Brits, and it gets even uglier if we begin comparing the US to continental Europe. 7 out of 8 charity dollars that are given in this country are given by those who give to religious charities, and those who give to religious charities are also more generous to secular charities than are those who only give to secular charities. The most charitable states in this country include Mississippi (also the poorest state), Tennessee, Alabama, Utah, and North Dakota.
So there is, case in point, how religion will NEVER be removed from medicine, and there is a reason why you see hospitals all across this country with religious namesbecause religion built those hospitals. Thousands of doctors give their times to religious charities every year, embark across the planet to treat the suffering. And to a patient in South America or Africa, hearing your callous words that faith plays no part in healing would be complete and utter nonsense.
On Duke University
Some interesting quotations from Duke Magaine (January/February 2005):
From an article about Duke medical students journeying to Tanzania:
Before we left, Chu gave him Septra for his diarrhea. Take one a day, three days a week, she told him. Lightness Kaale, a nurse practitioner at KIWAKKUKU, translated. And then we prayed. Its amazing how much simply praying with them helps, said Chu. You leave, and theyre smiling.
Another article in the same magazine talks about how a Catholic priest led the fight to bring democracy to Haiti. Read up on Aristide, about the coup detat that was led against him. About the leaders of this coup who claimed they brought democracy to Haiti. The rest of the article details the life of a now-Duke theology student who spoke up against those who claimed to bring democracy, about how he was sought to be arrested and executed by those who led the coup. Religion is not something minor to such people. It represents freedom and equalitythe very things that through faith gave rise to this country.
Presently, members of the Duke Theology Department are assisting the Sudanese to maintain their own seminaries, and the future leaders will likely come from these seminaries to lead the the oppressed Christians in the south.
Also at Duke, the Institute on Care at the End of Life was recently formed as a collaboration between the medical and the divinity school, and it is being headed by the former head of pain and pallitative care Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and a member of the Duke Divinity School.
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I just think its amazing that such a small minority can make such a loud noise, considering that somewhere between 85-90% of our nation is composed of Christians.
But really, if you want to quote Thomas Jefferson:
"No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example."
You're aware that the US Capital Dome was used for Christian worship during Jefferson's presidency, aren't you? (Makes you wonder where these people invented this so-called "separation of church and state.") It was the largest church in the nation by 1867 and had been attended by numerous presidents. Or that the Bible was used in American public schools while Jefferson was President and that he sanctioned its use while secretary of education?
But really, the point is that while we could go about swapping quotations all day, I think you substantially underestimate the importance of the role of belief in billions of people around the world, and that you would have the arrogance to tell them that--for instance, the only time of reference was now and that a man was crucified and resurrected to be seen by hundreds three days later meant nothing---is truly off-putting.