Christians or strong believers Help! Religions class homework poll: Conscience clause?

[albanwr26]

I have a question from my religious studies class, it involves conscience clauses and who it should apply to. There are three questions:

1. Muslim taxi drivers and their beliefs.
a. If a gay couple entered a cab and they hugged should the Muslim under his belief in Sharia law be entitled to kick them out?
b. If a Catholic priest entered a cab with a bottle of wine that he would use for religious reasons should the taxi driver be entitled to kick the priest out?
2. Christian Pharmacist.
a. A female in a small mountain town in Colorado has a prescription for the morning after pill. The only other pharmacy is fifty miles away and it has recently snowed. Furthermore the pharmacy is small privately own business and cannot afford another employee Should the Pharmacist be forced to fill the order.
b. Actual story. Same location and situation. This time the woman has a prescription for Methergine, a coagulant used for uterine bleeding primarily as a result of abortion though it is used for other purposes. The pharmacist feels that they should not have ANY part of the abortion, should the pharmacist be forced to fill the prescription.
c. Same location. This time the customer is a gay person with their partner. The partner is HIV positive while the customer is HIV negative. The fictional drug they want would prevent HIV transmission. Should the pharmacist be forced to fill the order?
3. Town clerk
a. Small community in Maine. A lesbian couple gets married and requests the town clerk a devout Christian to sign their marriage license. The next county clerk is a hour away and since its a small town their is only one clerk should the clerk be forced to sign the license?
b. Same location, clerk, and situation, but the one of the heterosexual couple were once members at the church the town clerk attends. This partner divorced their previous wife because he loved the women he is currently with and the clerk knows this. Should the clerk be forced to sign the license.


So what situation should conscience clause apply and why. Or should conscience clauses not apply at all.

Thanks!!

[oded]

1. Yes, but a Muslim would have to kick out more than half of his customers if he were to act in this way, i.e., woman traveling alone or not dressed properly. No cabbie could survive this way.

2a. No. Stopping the murder of an defenseless and innocent human being is a completely different issue.

2b. Yes, the abortion has already happened. The Catholic needs to do everything in heis power to save and heal the woman.

2c. Yes.

3. Yes. Civil marriage has little to do with sacramental marriage.

With love in Christ.

[ailwyn]

It will depend on how a person respect his religious laws.

[danil70]

1. a - yes, b - no
2. a - no, b - maybe, c - maybe
3. a - no, b - no

[jabarl]

1. a - yes, b - no
2. a - no, b - maybe, c - maybe
3. a - no, b - no

Funny. My drug guide doesn't mention anything about coagulant properties of Methergine (methylergonovine) nor does it say the primary use is post-abortion. Risk for hemorrhage r/t uterine atony is something we have to watch carefully. The normal post-partum procedure is to check the lochia for amount and color, and to teach the patient one minute of fundal massage each hour. The nurse will also check fundal height and tone.

The pharmacist - especially one who is invoking the conscience clause - has done the research and will be able to recognize the non-abortifacient uses of methergine.

The question needs work.

[tripp]

1. a - yes, b - no
2. a - no, b - maybe, c - maybe
3. a - no, b - no

Funny. My drug guide doesn't mention anything about coagulant properties of Methergine (methylergonovine) nor does it say the primary use is post-abortion. Risk for hemorrhage r/t uterine atony is something we have to watch carefully. The normal post-partum procedure is to check the lochia for amount and color, and to teach the patient one minute of fundal massage each hour. The nurse will also check fundal height and tone.

The pharmacist - especially one who is invoking the conscience clause - has done the research and will be able to recognize the non-abortifacient uses of methergine.

The question needs work.

1. Muslim taxi drivers and their beliefs.
a. If a gay couple entered a cab and they hugged should the Muslim under his belief in Sharia law be entitled to kick them out?
b. If a Catholic priest entered a cab with a bottle of wine that he would use for religious reasons should the taxi driver be entitled to kick the priest out?
IT'S HIS TAXI. HE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO KICK ANYBODY OUT FOR ANY REASON.

2. Christian Pharmacist.
a. A female in a small mountain town in Colorado has a prescription for the morning after pill. The only other pharmacy is fifty miles away and it has recently snowed. Furthermore the pharmacy is small privately own business and cannot afford another employee Should the Pharmacist be forced to fill the order.
NO. IF IT'S HIS PHARMACY, HE SHOULD BE FREE TO NOT SELL WHATEVER HE WANTS TO NOT SELL.

b. Actual story. Same location and situation. This time the woman has a prescription for Methergine, a coagulant used for uterine bleeding primarily as a result of abortion though it is used for other purposes. The pharmacist feels that they should not have ANY part of the abortion, should the pharmacist be forced to fill the prescription.
SAME ANSWER

c. Same location. This time the customer is a gay person with their partner. The partner is HIV positive while the customer is HIV negative. The fictional drug they want would prevent HIV transmission. Should the pharmacist be forced to fill the order?
NO. BUSINESSES SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO SELL ANYTHING.

3. Town clerk
a. Small community in Maine. A lesbian couple gets married and requests the town clerk a devout Christian to sign their marriage license. The next county clerk is a hour away and since its a small town their is only one clerk should the clerk be forced to sign the license?
THE TOWN CLERK IS A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE. HE SHOULD BE FORCED TO TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY UNDER THE LAW. IF IT IS A LEGAL MARRIAGE IN THAT JURISDICTION AND IT IS HIS JOB TO SIGN MARRIAGE LICENSES THEN HE SHOULD SIGN ANY MARRIAGE LICENSE. HIS PERSONAL OPINIONS CANNOT PREVENT HIM FROM FULLFILLING HIS PUBLIC DUTY.


b. Same location, clerk, and situation, but the one of the heterosexual couple were once members at the church the town clerk attends. This partner divorced their previous wife because he loved the women he is currently with and the clerk knows this. Should the clerk be forced to sign the license.
SAME ANSWER. IF HE IS A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE HE MUST ACT ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTION OF THE PUBLIC, AS GIVEN BY LAW AND HIS ASSIGNMENT


So what situation should conscience clause apply and why. Or should conscience clauses not apply at all.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY "CONSCIENCE CLAUSE". IF A PERSON'S CONSCIENCE CLASHES WITH HIS JOB, THEN HE MUST EITHER DO HIS JOB, OR FOLLOW HIS CONSCIENCE AND QUIT HIS JOB.

IF A PERSON OWNS A BUSINESS, THEN THEY SET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT JOB AND THERE NEEDN'T BE ANY CLASH OF CONSCIENCE. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES MUST FOLLOW THE PUBLIC WILL. IF THEY CAN'T DO SO IN GOOD CONSCIENCE THEN THEY NEED TO GET A DIFFERENT JOB.

[aethelbert35]

1) If the driver owns the cab, he should be able to refuse service to anyone he wants to. Otherwise, he should follow the policy of the cab company which he agreed to by being their employee.

2) Once again, if it is his business he should be able to deny any customer for any reason. Unless in b the woman is bleeding enough to cause death.

3) Assuming that she was aware of these potential situations when she took the job, and took the job knowing them, she should sign.

[andor25]

1 (both parts) - The cab driver should kick both of them out, and then lose his medallion. There is no way he can honor both his religion and the law, and if he is religious he has a moral obligation to honor his religion and forfeit his job.

2. (All 3 parts). The pharmacist violated his religious beliefs by taking the job. In these cases, where there are health and time issues involved, he cannot atone for his sins by denying his duty. He should fill the prescriptions, immediately resign, and do pennance for his sins.

3. As a government official, sworn to obey the laws of the land, he should be arrested if he refuses to sign the marriage license.

[denzell]

I guess my question is if you don't fill the prescription/take the rider/marry the people can I come back with my holy shotgun and take your life for being an ignorant putz?

I should be able to, it's fine according to my morals to shoot bigoted people who don't mind their own business. .

[delrico]

1. a and b > He's operating a public accomodation. (Cab licensed by the city.) Gays are not protected by the law, but religion is. The cab driver would have to give a ride to the priest, but not to the gays, unless the city he's operating in has a law protecting gays from discrimination. He must obey the law. In no case would either situation violate a reasonable person's conscience, since he is providing transportation, not participating in behavior he imagines to be immoral.

2. The pharmacist, like the cabbie, is operating a public accomodation, He is not entitled to discriminate against certain customers according to his religious beliefs. A. might be a matter of conscience, since he knows an abortion that (SOME CHRISTIANS) believe is immoral would result from his giving her the drug. On the other hand, he could be placing the woman in peril if he does not do so. Regardless, he must obey the law. b. In no case could harm result from his giving the woman the drug, but he would be harming her if he doesn't. The abortion is done so it is irrelevant. His only concern should be the health of the customer. c. If he does not give the gay person the drug, he could be endangering the life and health of the healthy person. His obligation is to protect health and obey the law. Those duties coincide. It would be immoral to withhold the drug.

3. It is the clerk's duty to carry out the law whether or not she approves of gay marriage. The county clerk does not get to decide who does or does not meet her moral standards for getting married. If she cannot obey the law, she has no business being a county clerk.